All or Nothing: The Axis and the Holocaust, 1941-43 (review)

Volume 9, No.4 Summer 1991 147 leader. Lustiger writers perhaps the most interesting article as he touches on a subject that he says previously has been taboo (p. 297). Despite the stereotype of Jewish passivity in the face of fascism, Lustiger points out that over 6000 Jews took up arms to prevent Franco from capturing power in Spain. Many even held important posts in the various brigades. The author gives short biographical sketches of some of the Jewish participants and opens up a heretofore neglected subject in the history of Jewish resistance. Likewise, Yoav Gelber recounts how several thousand German-speaking Jews in Palestine volunteered for the British army in the fight against Nazi Germany. Other more specialized selections such as Jere Link's investigation of the Jewish question in the Deutsche Schillerstiftung, and Marsh Rozenblit's examination into the identity of three well-known Viennese rabbis deserve acclaim. In sum, this Yearbook clearly makes the case, as Reinhard Rilrup points out, that German-Jewish History does not exclusively belong to Jewish History or to German History but is inextricably linked (p. xxxiv). For making such research possible we have the Leo Baeck Institute to thank. Glenn R. Sharfman Hiram College Allor Nothing: The Axis and the Holocaust, 1941-43, by Jonathan Steinberg. London: Routledge, 1990. 320 pp. $27.50. This volume is a welcome addition to the Holocaust literature dealing with the destruction and rescue of Jews in Nazi and fascist-occupied Europe. Of the dozens of volumes that ,have been written on this subject, including works by Raul Hilberg, Nora Lewin, Michael Marras, Robert A. Paxton, Martin Gilbert, Lucy Dawidowicz, Yehuda Bauer, and Daniel Carpi, Steinberg has written the most microscopically focused explanation of why the two dictators, Hitler and Musolini, who were so close to each other personally , had such different approaches to the destruction of the Jews. When Jews fell into German hands, the German army without exception cooperated with the forces of extermination, while Jews who came under Italian Army control were invariably saved. The Italian army defied not only Musolini, Hitler and his henchmen, but the various smaller quislings in Europe and other Nazi allies, such as the Croatians, who became more ferocious and bestial than the Germans themselves. In order to answer the question of the differential treatment of the Jews in three regions under Nazi Fascist rule, i.e., the Balkans, Italy, and Italianoccupied Southern France, Steinberg focuses on several explanations, especially on why the Italian military refused to cooperate in handing over the 148 SHOFAR Jews from these three regions. Italian Commanding General Roatta, commander of the Italian zone in the Balkans, when asked why he did not cooperate with the deportation of Jews, was purported to have responded by stating that such a deportation is "incompatible with the honor of the Italian army." In one way or another, this theme became pervasive throughout the war. Steinberg also suggests that because of Hitler's genuine liking for Musolini , he didn't forcibly insist that the Italians cooperate with his demands for the deportation ofJews from regions controlled by Musolini. Throughout the book we find numerous documentation of an almost obsessive attempts by the Nazis to convince the Italians to cooperate in handing over the Jews to them. And throughout the war, the Italians tried all kinds of ruses to thwart the Nazi attempts at the systematic murder of Jews. Another explanation for the rescue of Jews in the Italian zone(s) is that the Italians were not well organized, and of their common practice of "passing the buck." Before a general would carry out an order given him, he would have to have it verified by the Italian supreme command. The Italian supreme command often did not bother to verify orders, thus the order would never be carried out. When General Roatta was asked why he was not cooperating with the Nazis, he said that he guaranteed Jews and others certain protection. He resisted Croatian pressure to deport Jews to concentration camps because he knew that it would lead to their imminent death. Steinberg describes in great detail what happened once the Nazis and Italians conquered Greece, as well as...