Human Shields and Choice

[Dani]

But in almost all cases, people were killed "for a rational purpose" (power, goods, etc), as cynical as it may sound. The Holocaust is historically unique, because it combines the modern industrial execution with the specifically ideological motivation.

First of all, it's "nazi holocaust", not "the Holocaust". In some historical textbooks or essays you will encounter holocaust that and holocaust this, which have nothing to do with Germany.
That aside, it was conducted for exactly those reasons you mentioned. Power, this being political and probably personal as well; and material (or rather economical) gains. Aside from the efficiency, brutality and scope of it's execution, the nazi holocaust is not very different from for example the recent ethnic cleansing in Jugoslavia. My personal belief is, that politicians have used, and continue to use individual racial fears and prejudices to further their own political power, even should they in some cases not harbor those prejudices themselves. Unlike many, I don't blame religion or ideology for the world's woes, I blame politicians who have since antique manipulated peoples' negative aspects for their own gain.

Finally, I'd like to say, not necessarily related to the thread, that the nazis also didn't target specifically one ethnic group, but several at once. It really is a shame, that many people tend to forget the romi and slavs, not to mention the dozen other groups the nazis targeted; some with as great percentage, and some with even greater numbers than the jews.

Hrm, sorry, rambling again... :P