The Origins of Nazi Violence

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Exploring the Holocaust's roots, Enzo Traverso presents extermination camps as a culmination of Europe's industrialization of killing and dehumanization. He challenges the view of the Holocaust as an anomaly, instead revealing a complex lineage of technological and cultural precedents, including the guillotine, machine gun, and ideologies of racial supremacy. By situating these elements within the broader context of European modernity, Traverso uncovers how mainstream ideas contributed to the horrors of Auschwitz, reshaping our understanding of this dark chapter in history.