The question of the origins of the Holocaust has been studied by researchers using several different approaches. These interpretations are described by Donald Niewyk in The Holocaust as the long history of European anti-Semitism, the charismatic personality of Adolf Hitler, and the influence of modern "scientific" racism or eugenics. These interpretations are illustrated in the works of John Weiss, Ian Kershaw and Henry Friedlander. Niewyk uses Weiss to identify the interpretation of ancient anti-Semitism present throughout Europe as causing the Holocaust. He uses Ian Kershaw's argument that Adolf Hitler's unique leadership was the ultimate catalyst for the Holocaust and employs Henry Friedlander's biological racist ideology to illustrate the major interpretations surrounding the origins of the Holocaust. Although Niewyk presented these interpretations in depth, his criticisms of Weiss's long history approach and Friedlander's scientific interpretations are flawed. In response to Weiss's argument, he asks: "If the Germans harbored such intense hatred toward the Jews, why was no substantial action taken against them before the arrival to Hitler's power in 1933? Friedlander's argument clashes with the assumption that "only Jews were targeted by the Nazis for total annihilation and warns against anything that would undermine the particular dimensions and characteristics of Jewish tragedy." ". The problem with these criticisms is that Niewyk ignores Germany's opinion. previous attempts at sterilization legislation in 1923 and the influence of foreign eugenics legislation and restrictions on the Nazi government. It also pays little attention to evidence that shows the Nazi regime also strategically targeted individuals... middle of article ......eiss, “Anti-Semitism Through the Ages” Ed. By Donald Niewyk, The Holocaust: Problems in European Civilization (Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth, 2011), 12. “Police Decree on the Identification of Jews, September 1, 1941” Ed. By Stackelberg and Winkle. The Nazi Germany Sourcebook: An Anthology of Texts. (New York: Rutledge, 2002), 154 Harry Friedlander, “The Opening Act of Nazi Germany” Ed. By Donald Niewyk, The Holocaust: Problems in European Civilization (Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth, 2011), 45. “Minutes of the Wannsee Conference, January 20, 1942 » Ed. By Stackelberg and Winkle. The Nazi Germany Sourcebook: An Anthology of Texts. (New York: Rutledge, 2002), 345. “Minutes of the Wannsee Conference, January 20, 1942” Ed. By Stackelberg and Winkle. The Nazi Germany Sourcebook: An Anthology of Texts. (New York: Rutledge, 2002), 348. Niewyk, The Holocaust, 10.