The Genesis of the Final Solution in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume XIII

Hitler and the Genesis of the Final Solution: An Assessment of David Irving’s Theses

Irving attempts in his book Hitler und seine Feldherren (1975) to de-demonize Hitler. He is obstinately biased in his interpretation of documents and totally disregards reliable material. He manipulates and distorts evidence in order to mislead. He claims that Hitler was a normal, albeit brutal, leader busy running the war, whereas the Reich was ruled by Bormann, Himmler, and Goebbels who, together with Heydrich, were responsible for making the Reich judenfrei by mass transfers to the East and for the annihilation of the Jews. Broszat stresses that such atrocities could not have been carried out without Hitler’s approval. However, no direct documentary proof has been found of such an order, which must have been given verbally and secretly, bit by bit. But extensive documentation is extant recording Hitler’s frequent remarks that the Jews must disappear from Europe. Contrary to Irving’s statement concerning the Jewish problem, Hitler, in documented conversations, frequently revealed his murderous intentions using the words ‘extermination’ and ‘annihilation.’