Genocide of the Jewish race: an unthinkable act Genocide. How is it defined? According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, genocide is defined as any crime committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic or religious group. The Holocaust, during World War II, is one of the largest acts of genocide in human history that resulted in an unfathomable number of deaths among the Jewish race (Holocaust Encyclopedia). According to the Houston Holocaust Museum, over 5,800,000 Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Communists, trade unionists, socialists and gypsies are just some of the many groups affected by this horrific event (Holocaust Museum Houston). Even today, many unanswered questions remain about the Holocaust. Perhaps the bigger question is: why did this happen? Why was Hitler so evil? Why did the Nazis and Hitler single out the Jewish race for genocide? According to History Learning Site, Adolf Hitler was born in a small Austrian town near the German border on April 20, 1889. He left school at age 15 to pursue a career in painting. His life in Vienna was “five years of misery” (History Learning Site). It was during this period that his hatred of Jews began. He blamed them for his mother's death and his failure to enter the Vienna Academy of Art. As a young man he joined the German Army to fight in World War I as he was ineligible to join the Austrian Army. At the end of World War I, Hitler was convinced that the Jews were responsible for Germany's defeat. Hitler started out as the president/chancellor of Germany and later became the dictator of Germany. According to the history learning site and teacher's guide, there is evidence that as early as 1919 was the beginning of Hitler's hatred of the...... middle of paper... As George once said Santayana'; “He who does not remember the past is condemned to repeat it.” (The Santayana Edition)Works Cited"Adolf Hitler", accessed 13 May 2014 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/adolf_hitler.htm"A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust", accessed 13 May 2014 http:// fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/people/victims.htm“Education FAQ Page,” accessed May 14, 2014 http://www.hmh.org/la_holocaust_faqs.shtml#2“The historian has finally discovered the real reason for Hitler's obsession? hatred for Jews?” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194194/Has-historian-finally-real-reason-Hitlers-obsessive-hatred-Jews.html#ixzz328P07Zgs“Introduction to the Holocaust.”, accessed on May 14, 2014 http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007043“The Satayana Edition” accessed May 15, 2014 http://iat.iupui.edu/santayana/content/santayana -quotations