Over eleven million people, six million being Jews, were murdered in the Holocaust. Today a little more than eleven million people live in Ohio (worldatlas.com). Imagine almost everyone in Ohio being murdered. Could the Holocaust been prevented if bystanders stood up to the Nazis? Unfortunately, this will never be answered because not enough people stood up for what the world knows as moral values. As news of Nazis atrocities spread, people throughout Europe were confronted with pressures and motives to end the lives of the “inferior” race. Bystanders are people who witness but are not directly affected by the actions of perpetrators and help shape society by their reactions. Bystanders can have powerful influences. They can move others …show more content…
Propaganda played a major role in “brainwashing” people around the world. Everyone actually stated to believe that the Jews were not human and deserved to die. However, they are numerous examples of the uses of propaganda and it would be nearly impossible for someone to not know what was happening. Decisions to help the Jews or abandon their humanity were influenced by propaganda. Often, propaganda portrayed the Jews as evil people that could not be trusted. Even children’s books taught that Jews were frightening people. The use of propaganda changed the way civilians looked at Jews. Those who were once friends were now …show more content…
Individuals, groups, and nations who decided to do something to stop and prevent these acts from continuing should not be ignored. For example, Lilly Applebaum’s boss and his family saved her from being taken away by the guards (ushmm.org). They took her in even though they could have been arrested or killed. However, the people that did help were only small part of the population of the world. Why was no one else willing to help the Jews? In some cases, it was because of fear. They were afraid of being an outsider and afraid of being arrested or killed. As human beings it is natural to have fear. Being fearful is a part of human nature. However, our desire to help others should eliminate the pressure of being like everyone else and fear of being an