World War II Eugenics

Introduction

Leading up to the start of World War II there were Eugenic practices being enacted throughout the world. None were quite as severe or as widespread as the Eugenic practices in Germany. The Germans used policies of both positive and negative eugenics. They are remembered more for the negative Eugenic practices inflicted upon the Jewish people. They also used postive Eugenic policies on their own citizens who were not Jewish. The people effected by the positive Eugenics were typically of a mental handicapped nature.

Hitler's Eugenic Ideas

Fürher Adolf Hitler

Many of Hitler's eugenic ideas surfaced in his book Mein Kampf. In the book he describes the Jews as the best example of eugenics at work. He gives examples of how much suffering they have been through and how their people still survive. Ironically, he is trying to wipe them off the planet even after he states these facts. He also believed that the breeding of higher races (Nordic Race/Aryan Race) with that of lower races(Jews) was going to quickly ruin thousands of years of breeding of the higher races and return them all back into a lower race. In Hitler's mind the Jews were a contamination that were going to take over the world. He blamed them for everything that was wrong with society. In Hitler's understanding of Eugenics "Evolution justified or even demanded violence." This attributes to his willingness to go to war. Hitler believed it was acceptable for the Germans to kill because they were better than the Jews and they belonged at the top of society. In contrast the Jews were of a lesser race and did not deserve to exist in his mind.

Hitler also believed in positive eugenic practices. In Mein Kampf, he states "those who are not physically and mentally healthy and worthy must not not perpetuate his misery in the body of his child." He wanted the children of Germany to not believed it was a disgrace to be sick or weakly, rather it was a misfortune. Then he believed if it was instilled into their minds that it was actually a crime to burden it again upon an innocent child, they would be able to slowly breed out some of the mentally ill traits.

German Eugenic Laws

• July 14th, 1933- The Act for Averting Descendants Afflicted with Hereditary Disease
  • This law was to be directed towards any man or woman who suffered from the nine conditions assumed to be hereditary.
    • Feeblemindedness
    • Schizophrenia
    • Manic-depressive disorder
    • Genetic epilepsy
    • Huntington's Chorea(a fatal form of dementia)
    • Genetic blindness
    • Genetic deafness
    • Severe physical deformity
    • Chronic alcoholism

Anyone who was thought to have any of these conditions was sterilized. Over an estimated 400,000 people were sterilized because of this law. The men were subject to vasectomy and the women were required to have a tubal ligation (which resulted in the death of hundreds of women).

The next two laws were part of the Nuremberg Laws and were enacted on September 15th, 1935

• - Blood Protection Law(for the protection of German blood and German honour)
  • This law criminalized marriage or sexual relations between Jews and non-Jewish Germans
  • Banned unions between the "hereditary healthy" and persons who were declared genetically unfit

• - The Reich Law of Citizenship
  • The Reich Law divided the nation into two different classes of citizens.
    • The two groups varied by those who were merely subjects of the state and those who posessed full citizenship including political rights.
    • This new law essentially made all of the Jews second class German citizens.

Nazi Eugenic Practices

Positive Eugenics

• December 31st, 1931- Himmler issues Marriage Law for SS Men
  • In this marriage law Himmler states that SS Men can marry "solely if the necessary conditions of race and healthy stock were fulfilled."
  • The couples had to take a comprehensive physical examination administered by an approved SS doctor, had to provide photographs of themselves in bathing suits (the photos had to be taken from three angles), and finally submit proof of Aryan ancertry back to 1800. If it was someone trying to marry an officer the proof had to go back as far as 1750.
  • Additionally, the marriage could only be entered into the SS clan book if approved by the Race and Settlement Main office (RuSHA). For SS Leaders, Himmler would make the final decision personally.

Reichfürher-SS Heinrich Himmler

• SS Selection

The selection process to be admitted into the SS had many aspects which related to positive Eugenics. To begin with the applicants must submit a photograph. They could not even be admitted to the selection process unless Himmler believed they had "good blood".

There were three main criteria for SS selection:

• Racial Phenotype
• Physical Condition
• "General Bearing"

There were five different racial types in which each applicant was classified as:

• Pure Nordic
• Prodominately Nordic or Falic
• Harmonious cross-breed with slight Alpine, Dinaric or Mediterranean characteristics
• Bastards of predominately East Baltic or Alpine Origin
• Bastards of extra-European origin

Only those determined to be of the first three racial types were able to be admitted into the SS.

The last deals with the idea of physical condition or "general bearing". There were nine categories for physical examination, a person must be determined to fulfill 6-9 of the categories to pass, exception were made for those who had 4 or 5 but displayed Nordic qualities in their behavior. Those who were only able to pass 1-3 were failed.

Bibliography

The Biological State: Nazi Racial Hygiene, 1933-1939. (2008). Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10007057

Eugenics- A planned Evolution for Life. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.onelife.com/ethics/eugenics.html

Men behind Hilter. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from http://www.toolan.com/hitler/seizep.html

Saetz, S. B. (1985). Eugenics and the Third Reich. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from http://www.eugenics.net/papers/3rdreich.html

World War II and the Nazi Holocaust. Retrieved November 19,2008, 2008, from http://www.eugenics-watch.com/roots/chap09.html