Whatever else it was, Adolf Hitler's short-lived regime was also a colossal industrial process by which the wealth and productive power of much of Europe was wrenched from its normal purposes and converted into a machine for killing.

Summary

This quote highlights the paradoxical nature of Hitler's regime, stating that it not only represented a political and social entity but also acted as a massive industrial apparatus for destruction. It emphasizes how Hitler's regime harnessed the resources, wealth, and productive capabilities of Europe to serve its primary goal: the systematic extermination of millions during World War II. By framing it as a colossal industrial process, the quote underscores the extent to which Hitler's regime utilized and perverted Europe's economic potential to facilitate mass killing on an unprecedented scale.

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