Warrant for Genocide: The Myth of the Jewish World-Conspiracy and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion

by Norman Cohn

Book Overview

Norman Cohn explores the origins of one of the most pernicious forgeries ever created, the supposed 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion', a manuscript purporting to detail a Jewish conspiracy to control... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140211748
• ISBN13: 9780140211740
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The History of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion".

_Warrant for Genocide_ by Norman Cohn provides the reader with an excellent history of the notorious forgery "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion", the myth of the Jewish world conspiracy, and a general history of some of the antiSemitic movements. Ever popular among occultists, antiSemites, fringe politicals, NeoNazis, and conspiracy theorists, the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" have an intriguing history. Norman Cohn begins by tracing the idea of Jewish world conspiracy to early nominally Christian apocalyptic movements. To the orthodox Christian, apocalypticism represents a heretical movement which seeks to give rise to the Kingdom of God on Earth. During the French Revolution, rumors abounded concerning mysterious groups of "Illuminati" initiates and Freemasonic cults. The French Jesuit, Abbe Barruel, wrote about his experiences with the Illuminati, and the Freemasonic lodges were blame for the terror of the French Revolution. Basing their philosophy on Enlightenment principles and rejecting the authority of tradition, the monarchy, and the Catholic Church, the Freemasons and the Illuminati were notorious for their role in instigating subversion. It was against this background of paranoia that various antiSemitic pamphlets began to circulate many of which attempted to link the Jews with the Freemasons in a plot for world conquest. For instance, mysterious letters from various rabbis were produced which claimed that the Jews should infiltrate Christian European society so as to further their own schemes for world domination. Traditionally seen as an agent of Satan, the Jews were an easy target for various antiSemitic European individuals who often concocted such "letters" as a joke. It was amidst this environment of antiSemitism and hostility towards Jews and Freemasons that the "Protocols" document was forged. Between 1903 and 1907, the "Protocols" document circulated among the Russian intelligentsia and among the Russian press. In his book _The Great in the Small, the occultist Sergey Nilus provided his theories on the Jewish conspiracy and the imminent arrival of Antichrist as well as including a copy of the "Protocols". Norman Cohn explains how the "Protocols" document is a historical forgery which may have been based on the text of _Dialogue aux Enfers entre Montesquieu et Machiavel_ by the French lawyer Maurice Joli. The "Protocols" basically outline a plan for Jewish infiltration of Christian society and eventual take-over based upon the philosophy that "Might is Right". Cohn then proceeds to outline how the Russian tsarist secret police, the Okrhana, developed an interest in the "Protocols" and explains the rise of a pre-fascist movement, the Black Hundreds, in Russia. Interestingly, the swastika symbol was used among initiates in the Black Hundreds movement as a symbol of opposition to Jews. When the Tsar and Tsaritsa were found dead, a copy of the book _The Great in the Small_ and a drawing of the swastik

Required reading.

"Warrant For Genocide" declares that, whilst only about one third of all civilians killed by the Nazis were Jews, it was the Jewish people that were uniquely marked out for extermination.It further declares that the Jewish people were not just simply killed or worked to death, but were sought out, humiliated, hunted, persecuted and tortured with an intensity of hatred uniquely reserved for them alone.This even though the Jews as a people did not constitute a belligerent nation, or even a nation at all, but lived scattered in their own communities throughout Europe, yet suffered a hatred beyond any scope of normality and totally disproportionate to their number or any perceived threat.This book investigates some issues which might serve to explain some of that hatred. A hatred that unfortunately still exists to this day. A hatred that not only still affects the Jews that still reside in European or international communities, but also those Jews who now live in their own homeland of Israel. A hatred that is perhaps now more prevalent than at any time since the aforementioned Nazi regimes that murdered so many.The author here examines the myth of Jewish world conspiracy and the notorious forgery known as the `Protocols of the Elders of Zion' and the effects of these myths upon society, public opinion, anti-Semitism and pertaining to the Holocaust itself.At the Berne trial in 1935, being shown as a proven hoax, the "Protocols" still sold 120,000 copies in Germany in the period of just one year. With some 17 million Germans casting their votes to the Nazis in 1933, the author shows how the absurd myth of a Jewish conspiracy combined with a prevalent racist ideology did much to produce the Holocaust.The author points out that these abhorrent myths have not died out and their resultant hatreds still raise their ugly heads. Even today, some areas of the Middle East grant official state approved media publication to these same issues that have caused so much animosity and bloodshed. Highly recommended read to assess the impact of these myths, their historical and present perspectives and anti-Semitism as an issue in it's own right.

Required reading for our time

The New York Times of October 26, 2002 tells us, in a front-page story, that "Anti-Semitic 'Elders of Zion' Gets New Life on Egypt TV." So now, almost 60 years after the downfall of Hitler, his favorite book and his favorite mania are once more resurrected. What to do ? The first thing surely is to consult the most scholarly study of the topic, by a namesake of mine (but no relative). I first purchased this volume in a Pelican edition back in 1976. Since then I have read much on the notorious "Protocols," but nothing else can compare to this outstanding treatment by one of the great historians on the 20th century.

Highly Recommended

When you read the Protocols of the Elders of Zion the first thing you wonder is how could anybody have taken them seriously. Yet that's exactly what thousands of people did - and not only ignorant Russian peasants but also scholars and intellectuals from all kinds of backgrounds and nationalities. The origins of the myth of the Jewish world-conspiracy and its devastating effects are clearly explained by Norman Cohn in this fascinating book. What originated as a fabrication concocted by a few obscure fanatics, eventually became a major influence in the treatment Jews received in Russia and Germany. Jewry, imagined as a closely organised, world-wide political power was seen as an embodiment of modernity, a symbol of all those forces in the modern world that the most reactionary members of society feared and hated.The Protocols originated in France but found their most ardent adherents in Russia - a country with a well established anti-Semitic tradition - and later in Germany, where Hitler found in them a "rational" explanation for his beliefs and a justification for his actions. Save in Britain, the unmasking of the forgery in 1921 made little difference and they ultimately became a warrant for genocide during WWII, when millions of Jews were systematically exterminated by the Nazis. As Mr. Cohn puts it: "Behind the massacre as a whole there was a blind fanaticism which was largely inspired by the Protocols and the myth of the Jewish world-conspiracy."Norman Cohn's book is populated with obscure, half-crazy, half-criminal political adventurers who used this ridiculous fake as a device for obtaining influence, privilege and power. His well documented and brilliantly written analysis of the origins and effects of the Protocols is an essential work for understanding the extreme anti-Semitism that led to the murder of millions of people.

One excellente book.

This book is more than a simple history about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, it is a very interesting way to understand how fanatics and crazy men move peoples and countries to hate and kill another people. The title of this book is very explicit : " Warrant for Genocide ". The exposition of the book is very clear, from first times of cristianism when the antisemitism started to our days, when still today groups of new nazis or fascists , including Ku-Klux-Klan and skin heads , believe in one imaginary " secret jewish world government ". Nietzsche wrotte :" But the clown imagen of these sick spirits, of these paranoic of ideas, influences over the mass. Humanity prefers see stupids faces rather than to hear reasons ". Great !!!, Nietzsche wrotte this 50 years before Hitler spechees.Precisally Protocols of the Elders of Zion are a perfect example about how supertision, fanatism, no tolerance, can influence to people to kill or at least to be partner of the crime. Today we know that even Catholic Chruch cooperate with nazis and keep a ciminal silence about all the germans crimes. And the cristian bases of antisemitism, is more clear reading this book, in fact, the first " discover " of Protocols of the Elders of Zion was Sergey A. Nilus, a cristian priest. One of the principals points of view of this book is how people don`t think, don`t analize, don`t see, people just " believe " in a blind way. For exampe, was stupid the nazi believing that Elders of Zion cause the First World War and the germany defeat, this war was a product of complex socials, economic and politics conditions. But fanatics don`t understand real causes. Or to say that Russian Revolution was " moved " by jewish people, in reality jewish people suferred under comunist government and Soviet Union allways helped to arab nations trying to destroy Israel. Stalin himself ordered to kill jewish revolutionaries like Trosty. But we return to beginning " Humanity prefers see stupids faces rather than to hear reasons ".Finally, my advice is not just read, is to study this amazing book. THIS BOOK IS A MEDICINE AGAINST FANATISM .Please excuse my wrong writting of English, regards