Roth 1
Historical Methodology
HIST300-D03
Kailey Roth
Liberty University, Online
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Book Review: All of Nothing: the Axis and the Holocaust 1941-1943, by Jonathan Steinberg
Jonathan Steinberg wrote “All or Nothing: the Axis and the Holocaust, 1941-1943” and
was published by Routledge in October of 2002. This book was assembled and published in
order to provide a further understanding of what went on during that period and behind the
scenes with Hitler and Mussolini the Duce of Italy. Some main points he brought up during his
book had to do with wether or not Italy was purposefully making it harder for Hitler to eliminate
more Jews or if they just had morals even though Italy was known and regarded as a Fascist
state. Why would they help the Jews, especially from what was considered their ally, the Nazis?
Is there proof of this? What happened to the Axis throughout what is now acknowledged as the
Holocaust? These are just a few of the questions throughout this book and some are answered,
and some are left for further generations to determine and uncover as time goes on.
Throughout the book it is brought up how much Mussolini and Hitler got along even
though Mussolini had a terrible mind for war, and consistently was losing battles, had
limited supplies, and his men where unreliable in those situations due to lack if training and
resources. However, Hitler seemed to enjoy Mussolini and ignored most issues. This was
even further ignored when the Italians began to avoid, alter wording of rules, and assist the
Jews. Jonathan Steinberg pointed out in his book, ‘The Italians never made reprisal into a
rigid system. Commanding generals like General Geloso in Greece had the discretion and
authority to refuse to carry out wholesale reprisals because they were ‘not only useless but
damaging and as such to be absolutely forbidden’. Those who carried out more vigorous
reprisals like General Mario Robotti, commander of the XIth Army Corps, offered their
officers a moral choice: Either you feel able to proceed as I intend and to apply without false
piety my and hence your orders; or you don’t feel able to proceed in such a manner and
declare it so that you can be destined for other duties” (Steinberg, 2002). Was this still
terrible? Absolutely, however it does show the Italians were not as keen to mass murder just
because of someone’s genetics. In fact, as news was getting out and people were learning
what was really happening to the Jews the Italians began to hope that the Axis in which they
had become stuck in, would soon fall apart as their would be no winning for Italy but at least
they would not have to continue to assist or make the atrocities happening to the Jews easier.
It was in 1943 that the Italian generals and other superior authorities were able to evade
giving the Jews that had escaped Croatia over to the Germans and commit them to mass
graves. Instead they held them in camps in the Italian guarded area in order to keep them out
of the worst of the Holocaust.
The effect of this book and the evidence it provides is mind numbing to some
extreme. It is a hard book to read when considering the lives lost and yet it’s enlightening to
know the lives saved and that other’s did in fact begin to question, resist, and tamper with
the Nazi’s plan. Even a state that already had such similar views and was already a Fascist
state. It shows that morals and ethics will come through even if it appears to take its time.
Jonathan Steinberg did an excellent job assembling the facts and creating organized thought
throughout the many questions during that time and now as more people look back and
wonder, why? And how? With that being said, It is best to read the book slowly and several
times as it has many interesting notes that one can get lost in them.
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Sources:
Steinberg, J. (2002). All or nothing: The axis and the holocaust 1941-43. Taylor & Francis Group. Created
from liberty on 2025-07-16 00:58:24.
Copyright © 2002. Taylor & Francis Group. All rights reserved.
Sources:
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Gohl, Z. (2025, March 12). The Truth of America’s founding: We are a Christian nation. The
Truth of America’s Founding: We Are a Christian Nation.
https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/the-truth-of-americas-founding-we-
areachristian-nation
Bible gateway passage: Romans 13:1-7 - new international version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.).
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A1-7&version=NIV
Hall, M. (2022) Did America Have a Christian Founding?
https://youtu.be/kdL8DmsW0YE?si=BDa22AyJ0MouIcW8
