Book Review: Empire of Destruction: A History of Nazi Mass Killing by Alex J. Kay

Citation

Sambells C (2024) Book Review: Empire of Destruction: A History of Nazi Mass Killing by Alex J. Kay. European History Quarterly, 54 (4), pp. 735-737. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656914241287107d

Abstract
First paragraph: Empire of Destruction is an unflinching examination of the ways the Nazis strategically and systematically killed seven major victim groups – nearly 13 million civilians – during the Second World War. While numerous studies have previously explored Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Kay embraces and builds upon that history by contextualizing Jewish-only atrocities within a larger framework of Nazi mass violence. He is quick to point out that starvation, shooting, and gassing (in that order) were the three key methods of mass killing, which helpfully expands the narrative of genocide beyond the gates of Auschwitz. But considering half of all victim groups were not Jewish (287) and that two-thirds of the 13 million victims were killed in Soviet territory (283), Kay demonstrates, correctly, that in order to better understand a genocide such as the Holocaust we must widen the lens to explore parallel violence and mass killings occurring in other places by the same perpetrators. As his analysis unfolds, it's clear that the study's broader focus does not diminish or displace the exceptional nature of any genocide or mass killing. ‘Mass killing and genocide are not regarded as mutually exclusive’ (6). Instead, he offers insights into emerging patterns while recognizing historical precedents that were unique to the Third Reich (e.g., the Nazis’ killing of children).

Journal
European History Quarterly: Volume 54, Issue 4