The Goose-Step is Only Functional for Geese

RM 215-218

This article aims to examine the nuances of both the Intentionalist and Functionalist perspectives as they relate to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. While acknowledging the ongoing debate between the two ideological camps a new perspective is suggested as being a more appropriate means to understand the event. The new perspective is heavily influenced by the research done by authors such as Timothy Snyder, Donald Bloxham and Christopher Browning. The research conducted suggests that instead of the two perspectives competing for prominence, a synthetic approach is more effective in analyzing Nazi Germany and the resulting atrocities. The new perspective is labeled as modified Intentionalist in the article, a perspective that asserts that the intentions of leadership created a society of functionaries, and with this understanding a fuller understanding of the subject matter is gained. Secondary to the examination of the perspectives, the article also offers commentary on what events such as Nazi Germany has had on humanity’s progression through modernity.