Talk:The Holocaust/Archive 39
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The only "undue weight" in this most important article, is given to the Nazis
Romania did everything the Nazis did. The Nazis weren't unique. Fundamentally, in principle, Romania was on par. Granted, in scale there is no comparison. I honestly can't stand the "Nazi absolutism" at play here. The prevailing notion that Hitler always led the way, when in fact it was Romania having the most antisemitic legislation before Barbarossa started, and indeed, actually spearheaded the Holocaust for at least the first 2 months of Barbarossa, per Hitler's own account. Romania was killing Jewish women and children more than a month before the Nazis started to do so. All of this is duly sourced, it's in the article, kindly go give it a read.
You think what I'm doing is to radical? Trust me, I'm (still) holding back, a small fear that if I go too hard in one fell swoop it will all be reverted. But yes, we should have more of Romania in the heading, the sections, and the infobox. That part in the Barbarossa section, stating that the Nazis started going after women and children from 1 August? Yeah uhh, Romania had been doing that for over a month! And I'd add this there for context.
I am very familiar with the - to put it mildly - lackluster Holocaust memory in Romania. With the public cult of war criminals - street names, monuments and the like - including Antonescu. But then, I look at us, over here in the West. We expect the Romanians to be impacted, we keep reminding them of the Wiesel Commission report which states that Romania was the 2nd greatest perpetrator. And yet...What would a Romanian, checking out this article, be seeing? Nazi this and Nazi that, oh and look here, a few lines on Romania, like a footnote, almost like an afterthought. You see, Romania was the second greatest perpetrator. Not only that, it was the only other "full package" perpetrator country, and for a while, at the beginning, the biggest perpetrator. And it's high time we start acting like it. Transylvania1916 (talk) 11:24, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- 1. Article talk pages are for discussion on how to improve the article - i.e. concrete suggestions with supporting sources. This seems more like soapboxing.
- 2. There is already a section on Romania's involvement, with links to entire articles on it.
- (Hohum @) 12:29, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- The editor is "discussing" this edit where they elevated Romania to being co-equal with Nazi Germany as a instigator of the Holocaust. I reverted the edit, sayin it was undue weight to Romania, but the editor reinstated the edit. (The issue of making a dog's biscuit of the references and referencing style of the article is another kettle of fish). They are clearly here to WP:RIGHTGREATWRONGS with some sort of bee in their bonnet about Romania being evil or something. Ealdgyth (talk) 12:35, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- I see. I doubt the sources support giving such prominence. I think the editor should abide by WP:BRD properly, and revert their edit, pending discussion here. (Hohum @) 12:59, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Do please actually read the sources, and you'll stop doubting.
- Ealdgyth I never said Romania was an instigator, though it's a good point: the fact that Romania started killing Jewish men and women over a month before the Nazis probably nudged the latter in that direction faster. No, I made Romania "co-equal" because it implemented its own plan. It makes no sense - to me at least - to list Romania as a collaborator, because...it didn't collaborate to the Nazi scheme, it implemented its own. As for WP:RIGHTGREATWRONGS, this specifically mentions the issue of lacking sources. Thus...I don't think you are in the right to hit me with this. Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:04, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- I've read many many many of the sources listed in this article - and they are pretty unanimous about giving Nazi Germany the prime role in instigating and pushing through the Holocaust. Sources like Longerich, Bauer, Friedlander, Gilbert, Hilberg, etc. all give the prime role to Nazi Germany and the other countries/leaders that took part are considered collaborators, not on the same level as the Germans and their leaders. Ealdgyth (talk) 13:10, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- This isn't about any "prime role", it's about Romania doing its own thing. Why's it a mistake to stress that? The heading implies that Germany alone made such a comprehensive extermination plan, "from definition to killings", and that's just not the case, because Romania did too. Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:15, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Germany bore the overwhelming responsibility, and was assisted to greater (Romania) and somewhat lesser (France) degrees by collaborationists. You imply that Romania was a coequal instigator with your edits,whether you think so or not. Acroterion (talk) 13:18, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Well, the status quo implies that Romania just played along with Germany's plan, rather than implementing its own, which is also inaccurate. How about...In the heading (leaving the infobox untouched), next to "its collaborators", I add "(notably Romania)", along with the annotation with the 3 sources which state that Romania did its own thing? Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:23, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- No, because the sources you're bringing to the table are outweighed by the many others who don't single out Romania especially in this way. Hilberg's foundational but no longer current in the historiography. Arendt isn't even a historian (Why does everyone think citing Arendt's work on Eichmann is somehow going to trump more modern scholars?), another source is this one which is a focused history on one Romanian family and it's experiences in the Holocaust (and thus shouldn't be used to make sweeping statements on Romania's place in the Holocaust), and your other two sources are focused on either the Balkans or the Romanian Orthodox Church and thus ... again, shouldn't be used to assess the place of ROmania in the whole Holocaust. Note also that we already STATE much of what you want to insert ... with Dan Stone's quote ... it's right there in the Romanian section "According to Dan Stone, the murder of Jews in Romania was "essentially an independent undertaking"." So all you're adding in the Romania section is a bunch of either outdated quotes (Arendt) or OR in interpreting some stuff Hitler said ... and it's too much weight for the information - this article is the top-level article for the topic - we necessarily have to be somewhat brief given the depth of the subject that needs covering. Ealdgyth (talk) 13:40, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Fine, whatever. Silly me for having even tried. Keep whatever you might find of value from my work here, if indeed, anything at all. Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:46, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- No, because the sources you're bringing to the table are outweighed by the many others who don't single out Romania especially in this way. Hilberg's foundational but no longer current in the historiography. Arendt isn't even a historian (Why does everyone think citing Arendt's work on Eichmann is somehow going to trump more modern scholars?), another source is this one which is a focused history on one Romanian family and it's experiences in the Holocaust (and thus shouldn't be used to make sweeping statements on Romania's place in the Holocaust), and your other two sources are focused on either the Balkans or the Romanian Orthodox Church and thus ... again, shouldn't be used to assess the place of ROmania in the whole Holocaust. Note also that we already STATE much of what you want to insert ... with Dan Stone's quote ... it's right there in the Romanian section "According to Dan Stone, the murder of Jews in Romania was "essentially an independent undertaking"." So all you're adding in the Romania section is a bunch of either outdated quotes (Arendt) or OR in interpreting some stuff Hitler said ... and it's too much weight for the information - this article is the top-level article for the topic - we necessarily have to be somewhat brief given the depth of the subject that needs covering. Ealdgyth (talk) 13:40, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Well, the status quo implies that Romania just played along with Germany's plan, rather than implementing its own, which is also inaccurate. How about...In the heading (leaving the infobox untouched), next to "its collaborators", I add "(notably Romania)", along with the annotation with the 3 sources which state that Romania did its own thing? Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:23, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Germany bore the overwhelming responsibility, and was assisted to greater (Romania) and somewhat lesser (France) degrees by collaborationists. You imply that Romania was a coequal instigator with your edits,whether you think so or not. Acroterion (talk) 13:18, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- This isn't about any "prime role", it's about Romania doing its own thing. Why's it a mistake to stress that? The heading implies that Germany alone made such a comprehensive extermination plan, "from definition to killings", and that's just not the case, because Romania did too. Transylvania1916 (talk) 13:15, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- I've read many many many of the sources listed in this article - and they are pretty unanimous about giving Nazi Germany the prime role in instigating and pushing through the Holocaust. Sources like Longerich, Bauer, Friedlander, Gilbert, Hilberg, etc. all give the prime role to Nazi Germany and the other countries/leaders that took part are considered collaborators, not on the same level as the Germans and their leaders. Ealdgyth (talk) 13:10, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- I see. I doubt the sources support giving such prominence. I think the editor should abide by WP:BRD properly, and revert their edit, pending discussion here. (Hohum @) 12:59, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- The editor is "discussing" this edit where they elevated Romania to being co-equal with Nazi Germany as a instigator of the Holocaust. I reverted the edit, sayin it was undue weight to Romania, but the editor reinstated the edit. (The issue of making a dog's biscuit of the references and referencing style of the article is another kettle of fish). They are clearly here to WP:RIGHTGREATWRONGS with some sort of bee in their bonnet about Romania being evil or something. Ealdgyth (talk) 12:35, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
I wish to add two brief statements from my original attempt in Romania's section, those sourced to Hilberg and stone. And to add (such as Romania) next to "its collaborators". Am I asking too much still? Transylvania1916 (talk) 14:46, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- Again, you need to bring some sources that are recent and cover the entire subject of the Holocaust in order to add "such as Romania" into the lead. And we already USE Stone in the Romania section and he discusses what you're trying to add. We don't need to add more than that - we're already SAYING what you're wanting to add quotes for. We don't need to add words just to add words - there is no "we know that Romania was a big bad perpetrator in the Holocaust because it has more words than France in the article" rule... Ealdgyth (talk) 15:02, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
Can I add some of this info in the Romania section of the Responsability article? Look, it's just that I spent time and effort digging these up and wording them, I want something to come of it... Transylvania1916 (talk) 15:12, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
- @Transylvania1916 I think what you're really looking to edit is History_of_the_Jews_in_Romania#The_Holocaust, which should probably be split out into a separate article titled The Holocaust in Romania (its just a redirect right now). Per WP:SUMMARYSTYLE, main articles are general overviews of the topic, and the sub-articles can go deeper in depth on particular issues. CaptainEek Edits Ho Cap'n!⚓ 19:18, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
Why is the Holocaust the exclusive domain of the Nazis? Why is Romania lumped together as a "collaborator" when it didn't collaborate, implementing its own plan instead? Why is all this allowed? How on Earth is it fair to nit-pick on my sources - which I do make sure always come from academic publishers - when there are books-worth of unsourced content on the Wiki? Why do you think it's fair to revert my hours worth of work with a few despicably dismissive words then be surprised when I naturally react? Why you despicably dismissively revert all my work, and don't make the slightest attempt to salvage anything? Why am I even bothering to write this, when I know that you people are too dense to understand what I'm saying? Why do you hit me with a WP:Something instead of talking to me like a normal human, a dignity which I do afford you? Why is "the consensus" only interested in perpetual stagnation? Why do I even bother?... Transylvania1916 (talk) 21:58, 6 April 2022 (UTC)
Removal of image
@Buidhe - Please explain in more details why the long-standing image of Pilecki has been removed and what precisely is undue in this long-standing version. Let's start with this one. - GizzyCatBella🍁 04:44, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- This article is a high-level overview, so detailed information on individual sources of information to the Allies is UNDUE. Although Pilecki was an important source of information, there were many others who also provided key knowledge. NPOV extends to images, so highlighting one individual out of many can be a violation of due weight. (t · c) buidhe 05:11, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- Who exactly were these "many others", what sources cover them, and what is the indication that they were more significant? Any of them volunteered to be sent to Auschwitz to gather intelligence? Volunteer Marek 05:17, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
@ Buidhe - I disagree. You need to build consensus for your massive changes. I’m going to revert you (already done by different user). Please discuss line by line. Thanks - GizzyCatBella🍁 05:18, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
Another issue in the Mass Shooting section
It reads:
Notable massacres include the July 1941 Ponary massacre near Vilnius (Soviet Lithuania), in which Einsatgruppe B and Lithuanian collaborators shot 72,000 Jews and 8,000 non-Jewish Lithuanians and Poles.
Please take a peek at the Ponary massacre article. The victims are listed as follow:
- Polish Jews: 70,000
- Poles: 20,000
- Soviet/Russians: 8,000
Where are non-Jewish Lithuanians come from? I would like to see a quotation, particularly regarding non-Jewish Lithuanians. - GizzyCatBella🍁 05:26, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- These numbers can be found in this source. Volunteer Marek 08:36, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- It's on page 192 of my copy of Bloodlands - 2010 paperback edition by Basic Books, ISBN 978-0-465-03147-4. "Some 72,000 Jews from Vilnius and elsewhere (and about eight thousand non-Jewish Poles and Lituanians) were shot at Ponary." This is referenced to endnote 12 on page 485 which is "Tomkiewicz, Ponary, 191-197" which appears to be listed in full on page 458 as "Monika Tomkiewicz, Zbrodnia w Ponarach 1941-1944, Warsaw: IPN, 2008". Most other sources give more imprecise numbers - usually "from 70,000 to 100,000 victims, most of them Jewish". Also - can we try to at least pretend to follow the citation style in use in the article - at one point I had it cleaned up nicely - all the book sources were in sfn format, but so many people just coming by, dropping in their own little bit of whatever without any care for the article as a whole have totally messed up the effort. It's very .. .discouraging, and frankly annoying, to watch the hours of effort to bring this article up to a status where everything was sourced and it was consistent ... fall down the drain again. It's once more subject to undue weight on several points, because no one is paying attention to the whole picture and keeping in mind this is an overview article, it needs to be kept in balance with what the high quality academic works on the broad subject cover. Ealdgyth (talk) 12:20, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- Thank you. I’ll fix the citation style shortly (have to go now) - GizzyCatBella🍁 13:13, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
- It's on page 192 of my copy of Bloodlands - 2010 paperback edition by Basic Books, ISBN 978-0-465-03147-4. "Some 72,000 Jews from Vilnius and elsewhere (and about eight thousand non-Jewish Poles and Lituanians) were shot at Ponary." This is referenced to endnote 12 on page 485 which is "Tomkiewicz, Ponary, 191-197" which appears to be listed in full on page 458 as "Monika Tomkiewicz, Zbrodnia w Ponarach 1941-1944, Warsaw: IPN, 2008". Most other sources give more imprecise numbers - usually "from 70,000 to 100,000 victims, most of them Jewish". Also - can we try to at least pretend to follow the citation style in use in the article - at one point I had it cleaned up nicely - all the book sources were in sfn format, but so many people just coming by, dropping in their own little bit of whatever without any care for the article as a whole have totally messed up the effort. It's very .. .discouraging, and frankly annoying, to watch the hours of effort to bring this article up to a status where everything was sourced and it was consistent ... fall down the drain again. It's once more subject to undue weight on several points, because no one is paying attention to the whole picture and keeping in mind this is an overview article, it needs to be kept in balance with what the high quality academic works on the broad subject cover. Ealdgyth (talk) 12:20, 9 April 2022 (UTC)
New edit - Quotation request
Why in the first paragraph, it is written "Some six million jews" Instead of "Around six million jews"?
Just give a darn mention of the nonJewish victims on the splash page.
Non-Jewish victims
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 18 May 2022
Nazi plunder is mostly about arts
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 25 June 2022
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 26 June 2022
Edit request in the lead
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 25 July 2022
Lewi Stone's quantitative analysis
How come this article is so jewish centric?
Smaller groups
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 1 September 2022
Orphaned sfn's in recent copy of content
I would like to do more with Romania in the future...
Six million is the wrong number of victims
Time for a FAQ
Over-categorization
Change name to simply "Holocaust"
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 1 December 2022
The picture
It began in 1941
Possible wrong geographic name in the article.
What's the point of explanatory note [a]?
Holocaust denial publication - an academic journal?
A common misconception has been added to this article
Richard of Devizes
Article on English WP and the Holocaust
Wikipedia biased
Deaths: around 6 million Jews
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 14 March 2023
What's the point of extended-confirming this article when it is tainted with undetectable bias
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 23 March 2023
Transcription for the word "Shoah"
Incorrect link or caption
North African Jews
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 3 May 2023
Quantifying Holocaust denial and distortion online
Subjects of the Holocaust
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 6 May 2023
Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 6 May 2023 (2)
Holocaust and rape
Removal of UNDUE content
Infobox
The Holocaust
Reviewer: Borsoka (talk · contribs) 12:29, 15 May 2023 (UTC)
GA Review
- This review is transcluded from Talk:The Holocaust/GA2. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
- It is reasonably well written.
- It is factually accurate and verifiable.
- a. (reference section):
- The article contains a list of all references. Source formatting is consistent and all information necessary to identify the cited source is there.
- b. (citations to reliable sources):
- All citations are from hiqh-quality reliable sources.
- c. (OR):
- Each statement is verified by a reference to a scholarly work. I checked references 91, 131, 212, and 397.
- d. (copyvio and plagiarism):
- No example of plagiarism or copyvio was detected in the checked references.
- a. (reference section):
- It is broad in its coverage.
- a. (major aspects):
- b. (focused):
- Perhaps some information about the non-Jewish victims of WWII could be described as superfluous in the article's context but in such a sensitive area we could hardly achieve a consensual presentation without mentioning them.
- a. (major aspects):
- It follows the neutral point of view policy.
- Fair representation without bias:
- An exemplarily neutral and fair presentation of an emotionally exceptionally demanding subject.
- Fair representation without bias:
- It is stable.
- No edit wars, etc.:
- The article received extended confirmed protection which prevents new users from edit warring but its history and Talk page show that reverts may occur. However, these reverts have not developed into edit warring and the article's Talk page indicates that most editors of the article are willing to reach a compromise. Borsoka (talk) 12:31, 17 May 2023 (UTC)
- No edit wars, etc.:
- It is illustrated by images and other media, where possible and appropriate.
- a. (images are tagged and non-free content have non-free use rationales):
- All images are tagged and non-free content have non-free use rationales.
- b. (appropriate use with suitable captions):
- a. (images are tagged and non-free content have non-free use rationales):
- Overall:
- Pass/fail:
- Pass/fail:
(Criteria marked
are unassessed)
A highly sensitive theme that requires much attention. I planning to complete the review in a week. I have one preliminary question: why are not Zionism, the establishment of the State of Israel and Holocaust denial mentioned in the article? Borsoka (talk) 12:29, 15 May 2023 (UTC)
- Holocaust denial does not dominate discussions of the legacy of the Holocaust the way the state-led denial of the Armenian genocide does. I was surprised how few sources I consulted when writing this section even mentioned it. Kansteiner does mention Holocaust denial but suggests it is a marginal phenomenon. However, I'm not opposed to a brief mention. As for Zionism and Israel, they are already mentioned although perhaps coverage could be expanded and/or improved. Thanks so much for taking on this review. (t · c) buidhe 16:11, 15 May 2023 (UTC)
- I am also thinking of a very brief mention. I will return to my preliminary question after completing the overall review. Excellent article. Thank you for it.
...a Greek word meaning "burnt offering"... A reference to the religious connotation of the term? Perhaps a link to Holocaust (sacrifice) or Burnt offering (Judaism)?
Done
...was introduced in the 1950s... Do we know by whom (researchers, journalists, clergy...) or where (studies, journals, ...)?- The term was popularized for a number of reasons, among those I've read being its use in Night (book), the Eichmann trial, Holocaust (miniseries), and possibly an official policy of the Israeli government. But this detail is not covered in any of the sources currently cited in the article and seems UNDUE. I guess when it was exactly introduced is not so important either.
By the early twentieth century, most Jews in central and western Europe were well integrated into society, while many Eastern European Jews still lived in small towns, spoke Yiddish, and practiced Orthodox Judaism. Throughout the Middle Ages in Europe, Jews were subjected to antisemitism based on Christian theology, which blamed them for killing Jesus. I would change the sequence of the two sentences and refer to Jewish emancipation.- done
...was lent a scientific backing by nineteenth-century biologists... No, it has never been lent a scientific backing. It may have been backed by allegedly scientific studies. A reference to Social Darwinism?- Rewrote the sentence.
...traitors to the countries that they lived in... A reference to the Dreyfus affair in a footnote?- I'd rather take out this clause than add a footnote, since the Dreyfus affair is not actually mentioned in the sources.
A reference to the survival/revival of pre-modern popular anti-Semitic concepts like the blood libel, and a reference to the early 20th-century progroms in Eastern Europe?- Done for the second one. Blood libel isn't mentioned in most of the sources.
A reference to the mass immigration to the Eastern European Jews to Austria-Hungary? As far as I can remember Hitler wrote that he became convinced that the Jews form a separate race when he first met the "Galizianer" community in Vienna.- Mentioned the composition of the German Jews.
... right-wing political parties... The cited source names parties and movements but does not mention the Völkisch movement (that is linked). Perhaps some parties and movements could be mentioned in a footnote. I think the Völkisch movement should also be mentioned.- Removed link.
The turn of the twentieth century also saw a major effort to establish a German colonial empire overseas, including the Herero and Nama genocide and subsequent racial apartheid regime in South West Africa. Perhaps this is a consequence of a language barrier, but for me the major effort to establish a colonial empire does not include the genocide and the apartheid regime, but led to them.- Changed to "leading to".
... its ideology is often cited as the main factor to explain the Holocaus By whom? What are the other main factors that are often cited?- Gerlach cites Yehuda Bauer specifically as someone who holds this view, but I'm not sure it would be helpful to the reader to mention Bauer since I believe, and Gerlach states, that this is a common interpretation. Other factors (for example, more contingent and war-related reasons) are discussed later in the article.
Nazi ideas of race and empire were developed from earlier ones... Some examples in a footnote or a link?- Actually, the linked articles Volksgemeinschaft and Lebensraum detail their pre-Nazi origins and/or precursors.
...these ideas appealed to many Germans. Why?- As previously stated the Nazis beliefs were developed from earlier ones that already had considerable appeal in Germany. Dan Stone writes that many Germans liked the idea of national renewal according to the Volksgemeinschaft idea, subscribed to antisemitic conspiracy theories, and/or were imperialist.
...especially communists..., ...most Jews were not communists... Why not Communists?- Communist should not be capitalized except when referring to a specific communist party per MOS:IDEOLOGY.
...eventually 400,000 people were sterilized—primarily on the basis of feeblemindedness, schizophrenia, or epilepsy—and others subjected to forced abortion I assume the same groups of people were sterilized or forced to abortion. Consider linking Compulsory sterilization.- Compulsory sterilization is already linked. Rewrote sentence.
...the Nazis sought to control every aspect of public and private life... Consider linking Totalitarianism.- I'm reluctant to do so because of the recent historians such as Stone or Robert Gellately who argue that Nazi Germany was not "totalitarian" to most Germans.
...state-led measures... Consider linking Economy of Nazi Germany.- Done
Who were the Jews according to the Nuremberg Laws? I think it should also be mentioned that tens of thousands of people who had no real Jewish (cultural) background was proclaimed Jewish based on "race".- Done
The cited source writes of full Jews and "Mischlinge". I think this differentiation should be mentioned because "Mischlinge" were treated as Jews in occupied Eastern Europe.
How many people were defined as Jews by the Nuremberg Laws? What was their ratio in the population of Germany? How many among them adhered to Judaism?- Added background information to the Background section
...restricted Jews' economic activity..., ...they were barred from additional occupations... Examples in footnotes?- Added this information to The Holocaust in Germany and linked.
...their businesses were expropriated... All Jewish businesses were expropriated at this time?- Yes, according to Longerich all businesses owned by German Jews were closed or Aryanized in 1938.
I would name (not only link) the Kristallnacht somwhere in the article.- Done
I would mention (not only link) Mandatory Palestine instead of Palestine.- Done
...1 billion RM... Reichsmark is not introduced and linked in a previous sentence. Some context (equivalent to ..., X percent of state revenues)?- At the time, USD1 = 2.5RM. I could add a currency conversion here?
The section title "Invasion of Poland" does not reflect its text because it also refers to the invasion of western Europe and Scandinavia.- Retitled "Start of World War II".
...more than two million Jews in the territory it occupied... What percentage of the local population?- I've looked for this figure in several sources but cannot find it.
...which invaded Poland from the east on 17 September. A reference to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact?- Added
...contributing to a perception among many non-Jews that Soviet rule was a Jewish conspiracy Not reinforcing? In our region of Central and Eastern Europe, the association of Jews and Communists was quite common already in the early 20th century as many Communist leaders had Jewish background.- Rephrased to make it clearer that this is a pre-existing prejudicial belief
I would mention the consequences of the occupation of Poland (2nd paragraph of section "Invasion of Poland") before mentioning the invasion of western European countries.- Done
Some Jews fled to the Soviet occupation zone..., ... thousands of Jews were expelled into the Soviet occupation zone Repetition? If not, the two sentences should be linked and differentiated.- Combined
Around 50,000 Polish leaders and intellectuals were arrested or executed; the bulk of these victims were from the region of Danzig–West Prussia with fewer in the Wartheland and fewer still in the General Governorate occupation zone. Is this highly relevant in the article's context?- It's included mainly because (see discussions above) some editors believe that the article should cover non-Jewish victim groups to some extent.
By mid-1941 nearly 3 million people had been deported to Germany as forced laborers. I assume they were mainly Poles.- Correct, but I removed it here because forced labor of non-Jews is covered later on in the article in the "Forced labor" section.
Some information about the Jews' fate in occupied western Europe?- Done
The war also provided cover for the secret murder of around 70,000 institutionalized Germans with mental or physical disabilities, mainly with poison gas. Could we say this was the precedent or first experiment of the use of poison gas for the "industrial" extermination of people? I mean in the article's context we need some link between the extermination of people with mental or physical disabilities and the mass execution of Jews. Were they exterminated in special camps/institutions, or at random places?- Interestingly I checked several sources and they do not mention that this was the first killing of defenseless people with poison gas. Mentioned the euthanasia centers using poison gas.
Criticism from Christian institutions... Some examples in a footnote? Criticism or protest? How were the Christian institutions informed about the secret murder of c. 70,000 people?- They weren't informed, they found out. However I rewrote as although some sources attributed the halt to organized religion, Cesarani states, “the T-4 action was not suspended primarily because of church protests”
Many of the personnel involved in these killings and technology... Some examples in a footnote?- The obvious technology overlap would be stationary killing centers that used poison gas, but Kay also mentions similarity in misdirection efforts. I'm not it's worth adding a footnote here since the ones that mention the T4/Reinhard overlap don't list names of people involved in both.
The Nisko Plan... Perhaps "This so-called Nisko Plan", or similar wording for clarification?- I think "so-called" would fall afoul of MOS:DOUBT.
...due to the opposition of Hans Frank... Why did he oppose it? I assume he was not the example of Nazi humanism.- Mentioned his reason for objection.
The Soviet Union declined a proposal to resettle Jews in Birobidzhan. A proposal by whom? Jews from where?- German proposal. It's not clear Jews from where or how many. It is not mentioned in most of the sources so I've removed it.
These resettlement plans envisioned the deaths of many Jews ... Is "envisioned" the proper term?- rephrased
...by local initiatives... I assume not by Polish but local Nazi. If I am right, it should be clarified.- Done
However, in many smaller ghettos... Is "however" necessary? Some examples in a footnote?- Removed however. Not sure if a footnote would help since this describes the majority of ghettos that existed.
Many inhabitants of ghettos were forced to work for the occupiers, although these work programs provided subsistence to some ghetto inhabitants and in some cases protected them from deportation. I would delete "although", and begin a new sentence.- rewrote
I will continue my review. Borsoka (talk) 03:21, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- Please don’t let the GOCE template on the article stop you @Borsoka while I do the c/e. Given the length of the article and the importance of the article I’m going to take quite a while proof reading. That said, I doubt there are many if any errors. Just small c/e changes mainly. — MaxnaCarta ( 💬 • 📝 ) 04:12, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- No worries. I did not stop reviewing because of the GOCE template. This is an emotionally and intellectually extremely difficult theme, so I cannot complete the review in one read. Borsoka (talk) 04:20, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- Agreed. I'm doing one section at a time, and it gets increasingly difficult to read. — MaxnaCarta ( 💬 • 📝 ) 04:47, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- “There were no facilities leading to a high death rate”. I was just going to add a comma after facilities, but maybe we need to explain what facilities?
- Please excuse me here. Not trying to get involved in the review at all, just doing the copyediting but thought I’d raise that — MaxnaCarta ( 💬 • 📝 ) 07:10, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- Agreed. I'm doing one section at a time, and it gets increasingly difficult to read. — MaxnaCarta ( 💬 • 📝 ) 04:47, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- No worries. I did not stop reviewing because of the GOCE template. This is an emotionally and intellectually extremely difficult theme, so I cannot complete the review in one read. Borsoka (talk) 04:20, 16 May 2023 (UTC)
- Rephrased the "facilities" sentence. (t · c) buidhe 04:16, 17 May 2023 (UTC)
...and at least 17,000 in the Soviet Union. Germany invades the Soviet Union only in the following section.- That's true. Now I've avoided any mention of the non-German victims of "euthanasia" killings. After all, if Kay is right these were motivated by different reasons than Aktion T4.
- The vast majority of civilian victims were Jews. Could you provide numbers?
- ... some in the senior Nazi leadership voiced doubts about killing German Jews Could you name some of them? Why did they oppose the murder of German Jews?
...Baltic States... No states existed in the Baltic.- Changed to Baltics
- Introduce
Odilo Globocnik andSchmelt Organization.- Done
- This action reportedly reduced the black market... Some context? This is the first time the black market is mentioned so it should be linked here (not in section "Liquidation of the ghettos in Poland").
...including indirect participation the number rises to 500,000 Examples of indirect participation?- All Kay says about this figure is "If we consider all those who exercised functions of one sort or another in the machinery of annihilation, the total rises to more than 500,000 people for the Holocaust alone; many more were involved in policies of mass murder targeting other victim groups". The footnote is
I do not currently have access to Kweit 1997/2001 to find out more about where this estimate comes from. (t · c) buidhe 04:36, 18 May 2023 (UTC)For the figure of between 200,000 and 250,000, see Dieter Pohl, Holocaust. Die Ursachen, das Geschehen, die Folgen (Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 2000), p. 124; Wendy Lower, Hi t l e r ’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013), p. 244, n. 154. For the figure of more than 500,000, see Konrad Kwiet, ‘Rassenpolitik und Völkermord’, in Wolfgang Benz, Hermann Graml and Hermann Weiß, eds, Enzyklopädie des Nationalsozialismus (Munich: dtv, 2001 [1997]), pp. 50–65, here p. 62
- All Kay says about this figure is "If we consider all those who exercised functions of one sort or another in the machinery of annihilation, the total rises to more than 500,000 people for the Holocaust alone; many more were involved in policies of mass murder targeting other victim groups". The footnote is
Non-German perpetrators and collaborators included... I may not understand the context, but I am pretty sure that Hungarian, Croatian, Bulgarian officers were also actively involved in the genocide.- Yes, however the list that's currently there closely follows the cited sources and non-German state perpetration is arguably already covered in the third paragraph of "Deportations from elsewhere" and the second paragraph of "Continuing killings". I could add a sentence here for state participation but I'm not sure what to write for non-redundancy. (t · c) buidhe 17:00, 19 May 2023 (UTC)
I will continue the review later. Borsoka (talk) 03:40, 18 May 2023 (UTC)
I know that I compulsively insist on chronology but the chronology of section "Forced labor" is especially disturbing for me.- Reordered to put non-Jewish forced labor last.
The distinction between concentration camps and forced labor camps or extermination camp is unclear. I assume both forced labor camps and extermination camps are concentration camps but I am not sure.- I have added a footnote to clarify.
An even larger number of people were forced to work for the occupiers... Could the sentence be more specific by adding an estimation?- Gerlach states that this was true in France, Greece, and the Soviet Union. He states that at the end of 1942, close to 22 million people were employed in the Soviet Union compared to 3 million Soviet citizens who were deported to Greater Germany. Unfortunately, it is not clear if this figure includes voluntary laborers.
I would prefer the original wording (quoted above) to the new text. The original wording adds a relative range.Borsoka (talk) 04:15, 22 May 2023 (UTC)- I changed it because while Gerlach strongly suggests it, I'm not sure he says it outright and I want to avoid any failed verification issue. Spoerer (pp. 137–138) suggests that the definition of forced labor might be decisive. I have looked for other sources but haven't been able to find a citable source that states this. (t · c) buidhe 23:14, 22 May 2023 (UTC)
- Gerlach states that this was true in France, Greece, and the Soviet Union. He states that at the end of 1942, close to 22 million people were employed in the Soviet Union compared to 3 million Soviet citizens who were deported to Greater Germany. Unfortunately, it is not clear if this figure includes voluntary laborers.
In some of Germany's allies... Could you list them or mention some of them?- Done
...especially in Greater Germany... I assume this is a reference to the newly acquired territories. If I am right, this should be clarified; if I am wrong (and it is a reference to the whole territory of Germany) the text should be deleted.- Rewrote
...some of the forced-labor camps for Jews and some ghettos were converted into concentration camps... Could you provide some examples?- Some of the forced labor camp systems were split with some of them being designated KZ/KLs and others shut down; the Schmelt camps in Silesia being a prominent example. I have mentioned the Kovno ghetto as one that was designated a KZ/KL.
...inside the camp system... I assume "inside the forced labor camp system".- Rephrased
...a non-Jewish appearance... For me, this text is close to racism. Could a reference to stereotypes be made?- The source doesn't mention stereotypes. "Usually mentioned [characteristics important for survival] are non-Jewish looks, good relations with non-Jews and unaccented command of the majority language." From my American perspective, I wouldn't say it's racist to suggest that people of different ethnic backgrounds could have different appearance.
The Polish government-in-exile's response to the Holocaust has polarized historiography, with some historians arguing that it did more than any other Allied government and others criticizing perceived indifference to the Jewish plight. What was the response?- I don't think there is enough space to elaborate the nuances of this response so I've removed the sentence.
Introduce the Joint Distribution Commitee.- Done
...it was banned from sending relief into German-occupied Europe... By whom?- Done
...on death marches... Could this term be explained? (In our region, it is a well known term, but I am not sure that billions of people all over the world understand it without an explanation.)- Done
...the Arrow Cross... Perhaps "the Hungarian Arrow Cross"?- Done
Is "urbanite" an encyclopedic term?- replaced
Kay argues that all these groups, including Jews, were targeted as part of an actual strategy to win the war, although viewing them as a threat was informed by Nazi racial theory. I am not sure I understand what Kay says.- "While each of the killing programmes possessed a racial (and racist) component, the logic of war was central to the rationale for targeting each and every one of the victim groups, for they were regarded by the Nazi regime in one way or another as a potential threat to Germany’s ability to fight and, ultimately, win a war for hegemony in Europe. This view was informed and justified by Nazi racial thinking, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate German wartime strategy from Nazi genocidal racial policies." I'm not sure how I could rephrase the sentence to be more clear.
I will continue the review on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. Borsoka (talk) 03:25, 19 May 2023 (UTC)
I did not find a reference to the liberation of the camps only its consequences.- Added
Israel is only tangentially mentioned. I thought that the Holocaust contributed to the strengthening of Zionism among the Jewish population of Europe. Was I wrong?- I understand there is a debate as to whether the Holocaust was a decisive or significant factor in founding Israel. This article does not seem to be the place for it. I do think you are right that Zionist attitudes were strengthened as a result, but this isn't covered in the cited sources (even Kochavi), so I'm unsure about WP:DUE. Kochavi does cover that many DPs appeared to support Zionism but offers no indication that this belief was caused by the Holocaust (Zionism was also popular in eastern Europe before World War II). My understanding is also that Israel wasn't the first choice destination of most of the displaced Jews gathered in Germany after the war, and the reason so many of them ended up there can be attributed to immigration restrictions.
- At FAC, I will probably raise the issue again because I think some statement should be made about the possible connection between the establishment of the State of Israel and Holocaust. From GAN perspective, I do not think this is a grave problem.
Many perpetrators showed no remorse. Could you provide examples? And also examples of those who showed remorse.- Removed
...150 billion after accounting for inflation In which year?- Fixed
... what these lessons are is disputed, Whether Holocaust memory actually promotes human rights is disputed. Could you provide examples in 2-3 sentences? Alternatively, could you link an article? My concern is that we do not have a picture of the debates.- Linked Lessons of the Holocaust.
- I may be wrong but I think the following themes are to be covered/mentioned in the article:
- Heroes of the Holocaust/Righteous Among the Nations
Zionism and the establishment of the State of IsraelHolocaust in artsHolocaust denialBorsoka (talk) 05:38, 22 May 2023 (UTC)
- For the first point, more of the cited sources discuss the contribution of Holocaust survivors and to memory and commemoration compared to awards for rescuers. Yad Vashem is not currently mentioned in the article at all; is it more significant that the USHMM or many other museums/memorials relating to the Holocaust that are not mentioned? Hard to say in my view.
- I think I will raise the issue again at FAC but for GAN purposes I can accept the present solution.
- See my comment above. My understanding is that this relationship is complex and controversial, which make it difficult to cover concisely.
- Also see my comment above. :)
- For Holocaust in arts, how do you feel about adding the sentence, "The Holocaust-inspired writings of Tadeusz Borowski, Jean Améry, Primo Levi, and others have been described by historian Dan Stone as "among the most remarkable texts of the twentieth century".[1] Alternately I could go with the more bland but possibly more informative, "The Holocaust inspired literary writings from Tadeusz Borowski, Jean Améry, Primo Levi, Imre Kertész, and others, as well as the philosophy of Jacques Derrida, Theodor W. Adorno, and Emmanuel Levinas. (same source).
- I have just realised that there is a link to The Holocaust in the arts and popular culture. The link covers everything that I missed.
Could you add alt text to each picture?- Done
Danzigers cheer for Adolf Hitler 2.jpg: could you refer to the annexation of the city in the caption? (It is unclear why the Danziger are rallying Hitler)- Done
File:Unpaved steet in the Frysztak Ghetto.jpg; File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-134-0771A-39, Polen, Ghetto Warschau, Kind in Lumpen.jpg: could you mention that Frysztak Ghetto and Warsaw Ghetto were in occupied Poland?- Done
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1994-092-18A, Sowjetunion, Festnahme von Juden.jpg: can the connection between the picture and the quote be verified? Could the quote be attributed to someone in the caption? Could the location be identified in the caption?- The location does not have an enwiki article, but I've added it anyway. The quote is provided by Bundesarchiv in the image description: . (t · c) buidhe 07:26, 24 May 2023 (UTC)
File:Men with an unidentified unit execute a group of Soviet civilians kneeling by the side of a mass grave.jpg: I think this picture could be deleted.File:Przeładunek Żydów do wagonów kolejki wąskotorowej do Chełmna.jpg: link Chełmno extermination camp and mention occupied Poland in the caption.- Done
File:Cumulative murders at Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka from January 1942 to February 1943.jpg: I am not sure that its licencing is valid because the picture does not consist "entirely of information that is common property" but I am not an expert in the field of copyright.- The information displayed on any chart is not copyrightable. The design can be but this is a very simple chart. More complex ones have been kept in Commons deletion discussions (see c:Commons:Threshold_of_originality#Charts)
File:Stroop Report - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 06c.jpg: I am not sure that this is a representative picture of the uprising. It rather depicts its fall.- The main reason this photograph is used is that it's probably the most famous Holocaust photograph that there is. Also, during the uprising only a small number of Jews actually attempted to fight with arms. A far larger number of Warsaw ghetto inhabitants tried to hide like these ones did. None of the other Stroop report photographs show armed conflict in progress although there are some with defeated resistance fighters. Also, we have no other image of Operation Reinhard-related roundups displayed and this is not a bad example.
File:Stroop Report - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - 26559.jpg: Reference 3 should be fixed at WikimediaCommons.- Done
File:Selection on the ramp at Auschwitz II-Birkenau, 1944 (Auschwitz Album) 3a.jpg: I would mention Hungary in the caption.- Done
File:Holocaust death rate.svg: the caption is not helpful because the map uses more colours.- The map uses much smaller gradations than can be shown in efficiently in a caption. I first tried it with ten rows but I thought the current version was better. Hopefully it is clear that a darker red = greater proportion of deaths.
I would make a general statement saying that the deeper red means more victims with the deepest red indicating about 90% death toll.
- The map uses much smaller gradations than can be shown in efficiently in a caption. I first tried it with ten rows but I thought the current version was better. Hopefully it is clear that a darker red = greater proportion of deaths.
File:Jewish displaced persons receive bread rations at the Bindermichl displaced persons' camp in Linz.jpg: could you explain the abbreviation DP?Borsoka (talk) 02:12, 24 May 2023 (UTC)
Thank you so much for your review. (t · c) buidhe 07:26, 24 May 2023 (UTC)
References
- Stone 2010, pp. 9–10.
