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While race was a major factor in World War II, religion played a more limited role. There were, however,
some religious aspects of the War. Religion had played a major role in Western life since the Christianization
of the Roman Empire. For many in the 19th and 20th century the separation of church and state was a major
aspect of modernizing and creating a more just society. It thus came a shock that totalitarianism (Fascism and
Communism), the most secular of political movements, were a rejection of Western civilization and a reversion
to barbarity. Both sought to destroy religion and replace with a kind of state worship with religious
trappings. Christianity in the West helped to develop and save democracy by carving out a space that was
beyond the control of the modern secular state. [Burleigh] This is why both the the Communists and NAZIs
targeted religion. There were religious leaders who cooperated with the NAZIs (most notably in Croatia,
Romania, and Slovakia). German church leaders were often obsequious to the NAZIs who planed to replace
Christianity with a state religion. Japan's state religion, Shintoism, was part of the cultural complex which
led to Japanese militarism. The most vicious religious conflict was in Yugoslavia where the Catholic Croat
Ustache waged war against the the Orthodox Serbs. Hitler made the destruction of the Jews a main German war
objective, but the Holocaust was more of a racial than a religious onslaught. While church leaders were often willing to accommodate the NAZIs, there were individual churchmen who heroically resisted. The role of the papacy is a still debated aspect of the War. And the the devotion of individuals was a force to be reconvened with. Stalin after the NAZI invasion paused the atheism campaign to draw on support from the Church. Mussolini unlike Hitler did not attempt to destroy the Church. And in some occupied countries, especially Poland, the Church was a focal point of resistance. Islam was a minor factor in the War, and generally used to support the NAZIs in the Middle East, Balkans, and Soviet Union, an affinity that survived the War.
Religion had played a major role in Western life since the Christianization
of the Roman Empire.
For many in the 19th and 20th century the separation of church and state was a major
aspect of modernizing and creating a more just society. It thus came a shock that totalitarianism (Fascism and
Communism), the most secular of political movements, were a rejection of Western civilization and a reversion
to barbarity. Both sought to destroy religion and replace with a kind of state worship with religious
trappings.
Christianity in the West helped to develop and save democracy by carving out a space that was
beyond the control of the modern secular state. [Burleigh] This is why both the the Communists and NAZIs
targeted religion. There were religious leaders who cooperated with the NAZIs (most notably in Croatia,
Romania, and Slovakia), but this was largely for nationlist not religious issues.
German church leaders were often obsequious to the NAZIs who planed to replace
Christianity with a state religion. Hitler decided to go slow with his as he pursued othrr priorities such as remilitaization and the persecution of Jews. Hitler made the destruction of the Jews a main German war
objective, but the Holocaust was more of a racial than a religious onslaught. While German church leaders were often willing to accommodate the NAZIs, there were individual churchmen who heroically resisted.
The role of the papacy is a still debated aspect of the War. And the the devotion of individuals was a force to be reconvened with. Mussolini unlike Hitler did not attempt to destroy the Church. Pope Pius XI finally came to terms with the Italian state. He signed a concordat with Mussolini who then recognized the Vatican as an independant state. Pius is an often ovelooked pope, but he served at a criticl time in European history--the rise of the totalitarian states rejecting liberal democracy, capitlism, and relgion. And there were voices within the CHurch that wanted to cooperate wuth Fascism as a way of fighting Communism which wasc more opposed to the Church than Fascism. Pius' biographer writes, "Adolf Hitler saw the pope--a man whose army was nothing more than Scriptures--as a threat to his drive toward world domination. Closer to the Vatican, Benito Nussolini shared Hitlr's hatred of this troublesome 89-year old pope .... Pius XI had few allies at the Vatican. Most of the cardinals and bishopsaround the popepreferred the status quo. Many were appeasers and anti-Semites and some even secretly sided with Hitler and Mussolini. For that reason, the popr had reached beyond the Vatican, had identified and singled out arogressive American priest," [Eisner] That priest was John LaFarge, an American Jesuit. Pius read his book, Interracial Justice. LaFarge argued that 'facialism and nationalism were fundamentally the same." Pius called LaFarge to Rome where they workd on an encyclical condeming Nazism and anti-Semitism. Pius hoped that anebcy\lical would raise public support in Europe and America for resisting Hitkler and his Fascist allies. Conservative churchmwn were, however, inclined to appease Hitler and plotted to delay the encyclical, It wold be derailed by Pius' death (1939). [Eisner]
Japan's state religion, Shintoism, was part of the cultural complex which led to Japanese militarism. It was an imprtant compnent of Bushido.
In some occupied countries, especially Poland, the Church was a focal point of resistance.
The Russian Revolution brought the Communists to power who promoted atheism (1917). Even before Stalin, the Bolsheviks pursued a ruthless atheisn camapign. Stalin persued continued an intensified the effort to supress both the Orthodox Church and Islam. Under Stalin, the program was pursued with great vigor. The collectivization program and the Ukranian Famine, desroying a large segment of the peasantry which had been a bastion of the Orthodox Church and traditions. Stalin cintinued the atheism campaign with considerable brutality. The program had considerable success, but did not succeed in totally destroying religion, innpart becauuse Sralkin did boy want iy=t known outside the Soiviet Union what he had sone. Stalin largely suspended thevatheist campaign after the NAZI invasion during the Great Oatriotic War (1941). Stalin positioned the campaign in the East as a highly natiinalistic effort to save Mother Russia and Russian traditions. Stalin after the NAZI invasion paused the atheism campaign to draw on support from the Church. After the War, the atheism campaign contunued, but with less brutality. When Stalin's death (1953), the atheism campaign was not suspened, but it was no pursued with the dame vigor pursued. It became more a matter of education and professional success. A person could get into trouble for teaching children about God, mostly people outside the family. And religious devotion was not good for aerson's career or acces to higher education.
The most vicious religious conflict was in Yugoslavia where the Catholic Croat Ustache waged war against the the Orthodox Serbs.
World War II was a world war. Thus all of the world's great religions were involved to varying degrees in the War, especially Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Shinto a more limited relogion played an important role in Japan's march to war. Hitler launched a war against Jews upon seizing power. There were about 0.5 milliom Jews in Germany, many were able to escape. Thre were many more Jews located on Germany's borders, especially Poland and the Soviet Union, bith coutries target by Hitler for destruction. Islam was a minor factor in the War, and generally used to support the NAZIs in the Middle East, Balkans, and Soviet Union, an affinity that survived the War.
Eisner, Peter. The Pope's Last Crusade: How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler (2013), 304p.
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