A Case Study on the Use of Cultural Violence and its Contribution to the Third Reich's 'Euthanasia' Program

The genocidal actions taken by the Third Reich during the mid-20th century were horrific and dehumanizing. While the Holocaust often focuses on the tragic genocide that occurred against the Jewish people carried out by the Third Reich, the genocide that they carried out against the disabled community is often overlooked. With the deaths of tens of thousands of disabled people occurring through this genocide, it is important to understand how this genocide occurred, without any worldwide protest. Nazi Leaders including Alfred Rosenberg, Adolf Hitler, and Ernest Rüdin used widespread cultural indoctrination to dehumanize the disabled community and horrifically justify their deaths. This system of indoctrinated beliefs, often referred to as the Volk, ultimately contributed to widespread death and discrimination of the disabled community in Europe during the mid-20th century.