In Ordinary Men, Christopher Browning addresses the question of why German citizens engaged in nefarious behavior that led to the deaths of millions of Jews and other minorities across Europe. The question of what drove the Germans to commit acts of genocide has been investigated by numerous historians, but unfortunately no general answer for the crimes has yet been decided. However, some theories are more popular than others. Daniel Goldhagen in his book, Hitler's Willing Executioners, explained that the nature of German culture before World War II was deeply rooted in anti-Semitic fervor, which in turn acted as a catalyst for the events that would lead to the Holocaust. . It is at this juncture of the debate over why ordinary Germans committed the crimes they did, that Browning offers his own theory on the matter. Browning holds different views than Goldhagen, as he does not believe that the crimes were based solely on anti-Semitic fervor, rather the roots of the Holocaust can be found in the importance of conformity in the Third Reich, peer pressure, and deference to authority that existed in Nazi Germany. Browning's book focuses on the perpetrators of the massacre of 1,500 Jews that occurred in Jozefow in the summer of 1942. The crimes were committed by the Order of Police, which were large police formations with training in military matters and military equipment. Military matters referred to combat training and also training on how to occupy a foreign country. Additionally, Browning provides a brief summary of the history leading up to the massacre, presenting the backstory on who served in the Order of Police and also how a police organization became responsible for the mass... middle of paper... ... and degradation like Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen, the theories can also refer to those places. Therefore, I think that Browning should elaborate each theory even more in an updated edition, so that his idea is unique only for this event, and not for all the bad things that happen in the world. Browning's theory that the importance of conformity in the Third Reich, equal -pressure and deference to authority deserves credit for conveying his argument to the reader. Browning was able to provide deeper insight into the possible workings of the mind of a Nazi German citizen during the time of the Third Reich. It has been more than 50 years since the fall of Nazi Germany and I feel this book will need to be read by future generations because it offers a clearer understanding of a 20th century nation that was brought to the brink of madness and beyond..