Why Did the Heavens Not Darken?

This major work presents a radically new view of the origins of the Nazi slaughter of the Jews. Mayer argues that though Hitler was always viciously anti-Semitic, the genocide was not part of his plan from the start. Instead, it was triggered when the Nazi's massive campaign against Russia began to founder. Mayer places what Hitler called "the Final Solution" in historical context, examining both the prewar political situation in Europe that made it possible, and some analogous, if much less horrific, events in the distant past. The result is an important and provocative new answer to one of the most pressing questions facing historians today: How could such an enormity have come to pass?