The Origins of Nazi Genocide

Henry Friedlander's The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution delves into the transformation of early racist and eugenic ideologies into the full-scale machinery of genocide. With meticulous detail, the book reveals how the initial state-sanctioned killing of the handicapped laid the groundwork for the extended persecution and mass murder of Jews, Gypsies, and other groups deemed biologically inferior. Drawing on extensive archival research, the analysis highlights the evolution from exclusionary policies and mass sterilization in the 1930s to the institutional practices that culminated in the Holocaust. Friedlander carefully examines the pivotal role of legal, bureaucratic, and scientific authorities in steering the course of Nazi policy, providing a compelling narrative on the interconnection between early euthanasia programs and the development of the Final Solution.