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Without
the active participation of a very large number of non-German
civilians, many fewer Jews would have been murdered in the
Holocaust. However, the number of dead might have been considerably
higher had it not been for noncooperation and even obstruction by
other non-German individuals.
Among
the prominent participants in the murder were Ukrainian, Lithuanian,
and Latvian bands, operated by Germans, that slaughtered tens of
thousands of Jews. Some partisan units in Poland and elsewhere
murdered Jews even as they fought the Nazis. Jews attempting to flee
or hide were often handed over to the authorities by locals who
sought reward, hoped to usurp Jewish property, or simply vented
their malice. The Nazi policy of forcing Jews to wear an identifying
badge reflected their assumption that this would prompt the
surrounding people to shun them.
Notwithstanding
this, non-Jews saved tens of thousands of Jews and are therefore
called the “Righteous Among the Nations.” In some countries,
such as Bulgaria and France, public opinion influenced
decision-makers in ways that saved many Jewish lives.
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