AboutMichael FitzGerald Expertise I am an expert in German history between 1918 and 1945, particularly with regard to the Nazi era. I am also very knowledgeable about most areas of philosophy (I have an honours degree in the subject) and am able to answer questions on that subject too. In addition, I am very knowledgeable about poetry. One of my hobbies is also politics, mainly British and European though I follow the US political scene as well. Another one is the history of crime and punishment and British social history (the two often overlap!) I am willing to answer questions on all the above issues.
Experience Author of two published works, 'Storm Troopers of Satan,' an account of the lunatic fringes of Nazi ideology, and 'Adolf Hitler: A Portrait,' a biography of the German dictator. 'Adolf Hitler' was published in July 2006 by the top history publisher Spellmount and was named historical biography of the month by the Good Book Guide. I correspond with Ian Kershaw, Peter Stachura, Jeremy Noakes, Roger Moorhouse and Stan Lauryssens. I have undertaken research for radio, television, newspapers and magazines
Organizations Society of Authors
Education/Credentials I have an Honours degree in philosophy.
Awards and Honors LT prize for poetry
Historical Biography of the month, Good Book Guide
Question To what extent is it fair to compare nazi concentration camps with gulags?
Answer Dear Apostolos,
Thank you for your very interesting question. I am glad that you raised it as the two topics have often been dealt with in isolation from each other.
Perhaps I should begin by pointing out that there were two types of concentration camp under the Nazis. The first and most numerous was the concentration camp proper, which was instituted in 1933, Dachau being the first. They were all essentially work camps and on the whole inmates were sent there for fixed terms to work at hard labour. The prisoners were not at first too badly treated, and the work, though hard, was not life-threatening. Later, this situation changed, especially during the war, when forced labour was highly in demand as Germany's own best workers were serving in the Armed Forces.
There were also the death camps, which were not originally designed as extermination centres but were remodelled for that purpose from 1942 onwards. Even the 'death camps' still continued to incorporate a labour camp component and the strongest and healthiest inmates were put to hard labour within them for as long as they could sustain it, when they were put to death.
The Gulags were similar to the concentration camps proper in that they were always designed as places of hard labour but differed from the death camps in that they were never designed intentionally as murder factories. Between 1933 and 1942, there is no doubt, to judge from the testimony of survivors of each, that conditions and treatment of prisoners in the gulag were marginally worse than those in the concentration camps. From 1942 onwards, not only did the Nazis turn some camps into death factories, but even the ordinary concentration camp conditions dramatically worsened, to the point where conditions and treatment of prisoners were at least as bad as they were in the gulags.
Overall, except for the special cases of the extermination camps, the comparison of concentration camps and gulags is pretty fair. The survival rate of prisoners in the gulags was slightly lower, but then they did not have the special horror of gas chambers attached to them as some did.
