Books: No Better? No Worse?

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Drawing heavily upon Raul Hilberg's The Destruction of the European Jews for her information, Arendt tries to make the case that Jews were saved in those countries where the citizenry was gallant enough to object. The truth is less dramatic and more circumstantial. In countries like Denmark and Italy, which were only superficially controlled by the Nazis, the Jews were relatively safe. In countries run by the Nazis — Poland, Holland, Greece — the Jews were invariably massacred. Sad as it may be to record, the courage and the dedication of the local Resistance fighters made no difference.