Rees’s main argument is that the Holocaust resulted from a
dangerous blend of Hitler’s ideological fixations, increasing bureaucratic
extremism, and the moral decay of ordinary Germans. This aligns with the common
“cumulative radicalisation” concept: suggesting no single cause or dominant
class, but rather a tragic slide into barbarism. This story tends to exculpate
the German bourgeoisie, overlook the betrayals within the workers’ movement,
and treat fascism as a moral lesson instead of a political tool. This is not
genuine history; it is a form of historical neglect.
The Holocaust Without Capitalism
Rees’s book is noteworthy for what it leaves out. The
Holocaust was not an isolated event; it stemmed from a political campaign aimed
at dismantling the organized working class, eradicating socialism, and
reorganizing society under the dominance of monopoly capitalism. Fascism was
more than a mere mass psychological upheaval—it was a form of
counterrevolution.
Rees’s narrative barely depicts capitalism; the German
ruling class is merely in the background. Industrialists funding Hitler,
agrarian elites opposing labor, and military leaders viewing fascism as a
shield against Bolshevism—all disappear into a mist of “ideology,” “hatred,”
and “radicalisation." This omission is deliberate; it stems from an
ideological perspective.
Similar to Hitler’s Charisma, Rees is influenced by the
“great man" theory, portraying Hitler as the key figure shaping history
through his obsessions, resentments, and worldview. He views the Holocaust as
stemming from Hitler's disturbed imagination. However, Hitler was not just a
malevolent figure; he also represented particular class interests.
His racial ideology was adopted as state policy because it
supported German capitalist interests during crises—encouraging expansion,
forced labor, destroying socialist and Jewish intellectual hubs, and quelling
political opposition. “Fascism in power is… the most ruthless dictatorship of
monopoly capital.” Rees is unable to challenge this. Doing so would threaten to
unravel his entire argument.
The Petty Bourgeoisie: The Missing Social Actor
Rees’s account of the Holocaust frames German society as a
moral terrain—distinguishing between good people, bad people, bystanders, and
perpetrators. However, it omits the underlying class structure. The petty
bourgeoisie—comprising ruined shopkeepers, clerks, artisans, and farmers who
supported fascism—is depicted as psychological types rather than social agents.
Trotsky’s insight remains relevant: "A particle of Hitler is lodged in
every exasperated petty bourgeois." Understanding the Holocaust requires
examining the class panic that propelled millions toward National Socialism.
Rees’s neglect of this class dynamic causes his “new history” to appear
detached from the actual social and economic realities.
Rees emphasizes the Nazi bureaucracy—its rivalries,
radicalization, and slide into genocidal efficiency. However, bureaucracy is
not an autonomous force; it is a tool. The key question is: whose tool? The
German state did not become radical on its own. The political demands of the
ruling class shaped it. The destruction of European Jewry was directly linked
to German imperialism's war goals: conquest, labour exploitation, and the
eradication of political foes. Rees portrays the Holocaust as a bureaucratic
tragedy, but the true Holocaust was a class-based undertaking.
The Moralisation of Genocide
Rees’s narrative is filled with moral terms—evil, hatred,
cruelty, complicity—which typify bourgeois Holocaust historiography. It
reframes genocide as a moral lesson instead of a political warning, suggesting
that the Holocaust occurred because of human wickedness rather than as a
consequence of capitalism's severe crisis, leading the bourgeoisie to fascism
to maintain power.
This moral framing is politically convenient, as it shifts
focus from systemic issues to human nature itself. It proposes that preventing
future genocides depends on vigilance and education, rather than revolutionary
action by the working class.
Why Rees’s Approach Is Dangerous Today
We live in a time marked by a global capitalist crisis,
increasing authoritarianism, and the resurgence of fascist movements. In this
context, Rees’s depoliticized Holocaust account is not only inadequate but also
dangerous. It encourages readers to fear hatred itself instead of the social
conditions that foster fascism. It implies that genocide results from ideology
rather than class interests. "The only guarantee against its return is the
building of a revolutionary party of the working class." Rees presents a
different lesson: emphasizing moral vigilance, psychological awareness, and a
naive belief in liberal democracy. This mindset portrays a society obliviously
heading toward catastrophe.
Conclusion: A Holocaust Without History
Laurence Rees’s The Holocaust: A New History isn't truly a
new history. It presents the traditional bourgeois story in contemporary
language: portraying fascism as moral decay, genocide as a form of extreme
ideology, Hitler as the main leader, and capitalism as the unseen foundation.
This history lacks class analysis, political economy, and the revolutionary
insights humanity urgently requires. It depicts a Holocaust devoid of
historical context—and, as a result, offers no warning about the tragic consequences.
Bibliography: Works by Laurence Rees on the Holocaust
Books
- Rees,
Laurence. The Holocaust: A New History. Viking / Ebury Press, 2017.
- Rees,
Laurence. Auschwitz: The Nazis and the “Final Solution”. BBC Books,
2005.
- Rees,
Laurence. Auschwitz: A New History. PublicAffairs, 2005 (US
edition).
- Rees,
Laurence. The Nazis: A Warning from History. BBC Books, 1997.
- Rees,
Laurence. Their Darkest Hour: People Tested to the Limit in WWII.
Ebury Press, 2017 (includes Holocaust material).
Documentary Series (Primary Sources for His Interpretive
Method)
- Auschwitz:
The Nazis and the Final Solution (BBC, 2005).
- The
Holocaust: A New History (BBC Radio 4 series, 2017).
- The
Nazis: A Warning from History (BBC, 1997).
Critical Marxist and Historical Sources
- Trotsky,
Leon. The Struggle Against Fascism in Germany. Pathfinder Press,
1971.
- North,
David. The Frankfurt School, Postmodernism and the Politics of the
Pseudo‑Left. Mehring Books, 2015.
- Broszat,
Martin. The Hitler State. Longman, 1981.
- Friedländer,
Saul. Nazi Germany and the Jews. HarperCollins, 1997–2007.
- Aly,
Götz. Hitler’s Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War, and the Nazi Welfare
State. Metropolitan Books, 2007.
