Cultures > Assyria and the Nazis

Assyria and the Nazis

Background

Some historians try to make the comparison between Assyria and Nazi Germany because who does not just love to compare Hitler to anything possible. According to British historian Simon Anglim the Neo-Assyrian Empire was an aggressive, murderous and ruthless dynasty that had a powerful and technologically sophisticated military just like Nazi Germany. Both forcibly relocated mass populations and engaged in rampant aggressive military conquest.

Anglim suggests this is just like Adolf Hitler as the Assyrians were the first ones to make use of iron weapons and mass produced them for their armies. During his reign Hitler rebuilt Germany's army from scratch after it was dismantled following the Treaty of Versailles, in the process creating the most technologically advanced fighting force of the day, including his fabled wonder-weapons. In fact, the development of iron actually occurred first in the Hittite Kingdom because there were no raw materials in Mesopotamia, the primary reason for their military conquests.

However, even a cursory glance at this claim reveals its blatant European bias and ignorance. While the Assyrians yes did conquer people, so did every single civilization on the planet known to have existed. So yes, the one thing that Nazi Germany shares with the Assyrian Empire is the same thing it shares with America and Britain herself who once commanded one of the largest empires the world has known. At some point or another every single civilization that has existed has engaged in conquest and warfare with the possible exception of Easter Islanders who just fought amongst themselves because they simply had no other geographical place to "conquer".

While the Assyrians did forcefully relocate people this was a very peaceful process and was usually done in response to a rebellion within the empire. There was no idea of a master race in Assyria or campaigns of ethnic cleansing. In fact if Dr. Anglim would kindly look back into his own countries history I am sure we can find a lot more comparisons to the British Empire and the Nazis than we will ever find with the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

Once everyone was assimilated into the Assyrian Empire they were all regarded as assets and there was not such thing as ancient era death camps. So do not fear Brits, not even your heinous war crimes can escape the truth of history. Historian Kriwaczek agrees and says the Assyrians were no more brutal or ruthless than any other civilization at the time and in fact were probably less cruel than empires that came later. Just consider the American lead Trial of Tears or any of the atrocities committed by the British Empire as it can be argued that nearly all modern nations have committed far worse war crimes in their shorter histories.

In ancient times alone need we remind these "historians" of the Castilian lead Spanish Inquisition or the Roman Empire who used to line their roads with thousands of crucified victims all dying slow and painful deaths for all to see? Or how about the British Empire who hung people by the thousands, or the French who beheaded more people than the Islamics with the guillotine? The only comparison you could actually make between Nazi Germany and Assyria is the efficiency and size of the army he suggests and this same comparison could be made with the later Roman Empire as well, or even with the army of Alexander the Great. So once again the Post-WW2 ideology of "blame Hitler" once again falls flat on its face and these historians are shown for the inciters they are.