What is the Holocaust? Were Hitler and his executioners sadistic psychopaths? Were ordinary Germans morally culpable for murdering millions of innocent victims? This volume seeks to explore these and other ethical, cultural, and religious questions within a historical context. Beginning with the origin and growth of anti-Semitism, the book continues with a detailed account of the various stages of Nazi onslaught and concludes with a consideration of the legacy of the Holocaust in the modern world.Designed as a work for students in colleges and universities as well as the general reader, the volume contains 26 chapters which deal with a particular period. This is followed by discussion of the implication of the events of the Holocaust. Unlike other books on the subject, this study contains both a history of the Holocaust and extensive reflections about social, religious, and moral issues raised by the emergence of the Third Reich and its impact on subsequent history.Contains maps and illustrations related to the growth and development of Nazism and a lengthy bibliography for further study.