Term Paper on "Ordinary Men Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning"

Term Paper 4 pages (1161 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Ordinary Men

Reserve Police Battalion 101

In Ordinary Men, Christopher R. Browning tells the story of a non-descript German military unit during World War II called the Reserve Police Battalion 101. Through direct interviews with 125 of the Battalion's men conducted in the 1960's, Browning reveals the full scope of the unit's participation in the Final Solution in Poland. More important for Browning than the external world of these soldiers was their inner world. What made them agree to become mass murderers for the State?

Browning's description of the Battalion's inner workings reveals the seeming humanity and normalcy of the unit, which provokes further disbelief and curiosity. How could such men commit such atrocities? Browning's answer to this question is not easy in coming and may not be very satisfying for many people. Browning claims that there was nothing particularly exceptional, at least not in the context of Nazi Germany, about the battalion's men or their situations which would explain their wartime actions or absolve them of culpability. (Browning, 166) Instead, Browning concludes that, in terms of culpability, the soldiers occupied an elastic gray zone where their human decency was constantly tested and sometimes extinguished by the savagery of their mission. (Browning, 188-192)

Roadmap

Browning actually attempts to explain the behavior of the Battalion through a two-part inquiry. The first inquiry examines the Nazi Leadership's decision to pick such an unqualified group of executioners to the Battalion. The second inquiry examines the unbelievability became such enthusiastic killers. His answer to the first inquiry, which some may find anti-climactic, provides valuable insight into the thought process of Nazi leadership. Also, it enhances the sense of shock, making the second inquiry all the more pressing.

The Selection of the Group

Browning notes that the most amazing thing about the battalion is that it was composed of mostly middle-aged, fairly mild men, not reckless, impressionable youth. (Browning 163-164) Browning explains this curiosity by analyzing the recruitment rolls in light of the progress of the War. (Browning 165) He concludes that these stable, middle-aged family men were selected because of some insidious Nazi psychological strategy, but because they were some of the last able-bodied men available in Germany at the time. (Browning, 165)

Browning emphasizes the distinctiveness of the Battalion by constantly evaluating them against the traditional archetype of the Nazi killing machine. By doing so, Browning contrasts the genuinely disturbing Nazi soldier with the tentative Reserve soldiers. By including in his book the rather mundane experiences of the Reserve Police Battalion soldiers themselves, Browning further establishes them as "ordinary men," upsetting traditional notions of what a mass murderer should look like.

Situational and Individual Factors

The revelation that the Battalion soldiers were rather mild people provokes a feeling of puzzlement, almost to the point where one man's guess is as good as the next. Perhaps such an improbable phenomenon deserves an equally improbable explanation. As Browning demonstrates, it is certainly an historical question which lends itself to the imagination.

Considering the dysfunctional condition of Nazi Germany during this period, it is very tempting to imagine that it was actually the circumstances, not the individual, which compelled these soldiers to do what they did. After all, World War II saw mankind descend into an unprecedented level of brutality and cruelty. However, for Browning, situational or environmental explanations did not fit because the men of the Reserve Battalion were not under extreme duress. (Browning 165)

Browning repeatedly emphasizes the stubborn refusal of some individuals in… READ MORE

How to Reference "Ordinary Men Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Ordinary Men Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning Term Paper

Ordinary Men: Genocide and Human Nature

Christopher Browning applies the theory of elective morality to the perpetrators of this Holocaust, working from conversations with and research on the members of… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1730 words) Sources: 1 Topic: World History

---

Christopher Browning's Ordinary Men Essay

Chrisopher Brownings "Ordinary Men"

Cristopher R. Browning explains in the introduction to his book: Ordinary Men:Reserve Police Battalion 101 and Final Solution in Poland the circumstances that led him to… read more

Essay 5 pages (1732 words) Sources: 0 Topic: World History

---

Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning Research Proposal

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution, Christopher R. Browning relates the horrors and atrocities concerning Adolph Hitler's "Final Solution," being the extermination of the Jewish people… read more

Research Proposal 2 pages (566 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: World History

---

Martin Luther King Junior of All Famous Essay

Martin Luther King Junior

Of all famous twentieth century leaders, few have come to possess as lasting an impact on their people and their culture as Martin Luther King, Jr.… read more

Essay 10 pages (3230 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA Topic: World History

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>