The Wave, by Todd Strasser, illustrates how easily we can fall into autocratic behavior. In the book, Strasser describes an experiment conducted by a history professor. The experiment was conducted in order to enlighten students about the Holocaust (Strasser 26). During the Holocaust, German dictator Adolf Hitler was attracted to the power that an autocratic society offered. He and his group, the Nazi Party, captured and executed millions of Jews in order to benefit from the ethnic cleansing of Germany. The Holocaust is one of the most infamous genocides in history. “Genocide” is defined as “the deliberate killing of people belonging to a particular racial, political, or cultural group” (“Genocide”). According to Lila Perl, author of Genocide: Stand by or Intervene, “genocide differs from civil and political wars, in which large numbers of combatants and civilians die, in that genocide has a particular intention” (6). There have been many cases of genocide across the world, although some say “never again”. Genocide is always intentional and, no matter how fearful it may be, it can always be avoided. People simply need to defend themselves and their fellow civilians so that things as atrocious as genocide do not happen. During the Holocaust, neighboring countries did not intervene early enough, so the result was much worse than it could have been. It is indisputable that Adolf Hitler was responsible for the Holocaust. However, if the Allied Powers had intervened sooner than they did, millions of lives would have been lost. were saved. During World War II, most of the world was divided into two general groups: the Axis powers and the Allied powers. The countries that made up the Allied Powers included Great Britain,...... middle of paper ......pedia Britannica. 2013. Internet. February 18, 2014. Bennett, Christopher Michael. “Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Encyclopedia of genocide and crimes against humanity. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. World History in Context. Internet. February 20, 2014. “Bosnian genocide.” The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Terrorism. Patricia D. Netzley. Ed. Moataz A. Fattah. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. World History in Context. Internet. February 21, 2014. “Genocide.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam Webster. Internet. February 13, 2014. Norton, James. The Holocaust: Jews, Germany, and the National Socialists. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2009. Print.Perl, Lila. Genocide: stand by or intervene? New York: Michelle Bisson, 2004. Print. Piero, Scaruffi. A timeline of World War II. 2011. Internet. February 18, 2014. Strasser, Todd. The Wave. New York: Dell Publishing. 2005. Print. February 13. 2014