mischiefmaker, it was far from a perfect world then.. I once heard one of the rabbiem speaking, I think it was Reb Avigdor Miller, but i’m not sure..He said don’t think that the holocaust came and everyone was perfect then..assimilation, intermarriage, alot alot of lost youth to all the isms.. It’s just that when u realize that Hitler meant all of us.. if you were chassidush, litvish, even a converted christian it didnt matter. he took each and every single one of them….It didnt help how integrated you were. Maybe they realized that externals didn’t help. running away and turning away from yiddishkeit didnt help.
Also, Hashem shouldnt put us into this nasoyan ever ever, but ppl. have different reactions under different circumstances. If you will look back in history you will see that many many people clung to their faith in all trying times,f.e. spanish inquisition, kazakhs, pogroms, and world wars people gave their life al kiddush hashem.. The yetzer hora failed!! but guess what!? He found a different Technic, He’s trying us with an abundance of good………and many many people are falling!
May hashem bring moshiach bakurev and take us out of this long and bitter exhile!