Functionalism versus intentionalism

"There are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are faced to deal with" (William Halsey). The same can be said about volatile men. This is the quote Christopher R. Browning thought of when he named this book. The men of the 101st battalion were rarely faced with decisions. Even if it had been proposed by Trapp the morning of Jozefow that "any of the older men who did not feel up to the task that lay before them could step out" (Browning, chapter 7, pg. 57), he

"There are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are faced to deal with" (William Halsey). The same can be said about volatile men. This is the quote Christopher R. Browning thought of when he named this book. The men of the 101st battalion were rarely faced with decisions. Even if it had been proposed by Trapp the morning of Jozefow that "any of the older men who did not feel up to the task that lay before them could step out" (Browning, chapter 7, pg. 57), he

Judenfrei was the goal. In many cases, this was achieved. Germany hoped to create lands free of Jews; judenfrei. German blood was perceived as pure, creating the need to cleanse the nation of the unkempt, parasitic Jews (Browning 44, 152). Ordinary Men by the historian and author, Christopher Browning, follows the men of the German Reserve Police Battalion 101 as they work towards this goal of extermination The story leads readers through these men’s first experiences “clearing” the area of the Jewish

Christopher Browning and Philip Hallie are the authors of Ordinary Men and Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed respectively. Two extremely interesting books about the World War II and the different behaviors and reactions of the society during that rough time. On his writing, Browning shows how “ordinary” men can change their beliefs and their common sense because of the influence of others. In this book, soldiers of the WWII were influenced by the government of Hitler. Browning called it "atrocity by policy”

Book Review: Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning is subtitled Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. This title is a perfect overview of the subject of the book. Browning discussed Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the part it played in the World War II during the Holocaust, especially in the “Final Solution”, which was the attempted eradication of Jews. Not only does Browning discuss Battalion 101, but he uses them as an example of how

bringing about the Holocaust, and where did the initiative come from? I will now proceed to open the debate, by first giving a brief outline as both approaches and what they encompass. Arguably the best Historian to define what exactly functionalism and intentionalism is as a concept relating to the Holocaust is that of the man who first used the terms ‘functionalist’ and ‘intentionalist’; Timothy Mason. In 1981, (Mason) wrote

The Holocaust has an ambiguity in holding lessons, which appear endless. It reinforces the justification of the idea that the past holds lessons for the present. It creates the idea that if the lesson is not learned it is at our peril. However, there is no universal lesson gleaned from the Holocaust, that is convincing enough to justify the current obsession of studying it. Rather, it is the collective memory of oppression and the specter of comparison, that has made us chose to believe that there

The book written by Christopher R. Browning titled Ordinary Men is an interesting, engaging, anomaly in the genre of non-fiction books pertaining to the topic of World War Two and the Holocaust. Browning’s analysis of what possessed ordinary German men, who’s ideas where non pertinent in relation to Nazism is one worthy of academic study and discourse. Browning is delving into the intricacies of what specifically pushed “ordinary” men in the Reserve Police Battalions 101 of Nazi Germany to perpetrate

1 This summary paper on Christopher Browning's Ordinary Men will provide a summary and an overview of the main ideas of the text while attempting to focus on Browning's overall central argument which revolves around these seemingly “normal” and “ordinary men” and how they were transformed into murderers due to various elements. The summary paper will also be dedicated to the overall significance of the book and its significance in relation to the history of the Holocaust as a whole. Browning's

Leah Webster Dr. Turpin His 280-01 13 April, 2015 Ordinary Men Essay “How did a battalion of middle-aged reserve policemen find themselves facing the task of shooting some 1,500 Jews in the Polish village of Josefow in the summer of 1942” (Browning, 3)? This question is asked in the beginning of Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 written by Christopher Browning, a historian and famous author. This compelling book tells the real story of the German Order Police throughout the two world wars