ANTISEMITISM IN ACTION

1
ANTI-SEMITISM IN ACTION

• 1933-1939

2
INTRODUCTION

• Hitler saw anti-Semitism as an article of faith
  and wanted to act from the start.
• He had to temper his ideas though1. Internal
  Stability.2. Economic Progress.3. International
  Opinion.4. Hindenburg other conservatives.

3
THE SITUATION IN 1933

• Revolution from below violence against Jews,
  concentration camps, attacks on property
  synagogues.
• Government played it down popular anger.
• Violence curtailed after pleas from Hitler who
  realised it was out of hand.

4

• Violence led to US calls for a boycott of German
  merchandise.
• Hitler blamed this on the Jews and called for a
  boycott of Jewish goods. (1 day!)
• Legal measures began to be introduced using
  religion, not race, as the defining
  characteristic.

5

• Loyal Jews exempted (Hindenburgs letter.)
• Universities, schools, civil service, guilds for
  employees.
• Policy not always well-planned or executed
  (doctors.)
• Rabble-rousing from press - Der Sturmer.

6
1934 A YEAR OF CALM?

• Economic realism triumphed over ideological
  prejudice.
• Continuing action from below SA, Hitler Youth,
  village signs.
• Hoping worsening conditions would encourage Jews
  to emigrate.

7

• Hard to emigrate assets, attitude of UK/US.
• Some Jewish leaders encouraged a heads down
  approach appease the Nazis, international
  opinion will also moderate them.
• Nazi/Zionist link.

8
THE NUREMBERG LAWS

• Problems with stopping German-Jewish
  relationships international opinion, biological
  definition.
• Demand for Blood Protection Law grew (newspaper
  stories of rape.)
• Nuremberg Laws introduced at Nuremberg Rally in
  September 1935.

9
WELL PREPARED?

• A last minute idea?
• To replace the lack of big policy ideas.
• 4 proposals (soft to hard)
• Based on evidence from a civil servant on trial
  in 1945.

• Long-term Planning?
• This is more likely.
• People had been expecting just such a policy.

10
WHAT DID THE LAWS SAY?

• Marriage and sex forbidden.
• No display of Jewish flags.
• Jews not allowed female servants lt45 yrs.
• Non-Germans were subjects, not citizens.
• Still problems of definition.
• Very hard to interpret laws definitions.
• Many hoped laws would end disorder violence.

11
1936-7 THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

• Olympic Games led to a toning down of
  anti-Semitism.
• Some emigres returned maybe Nuremberg had been
  the Final Solution?
• But! Propaganda continued, decrees based on
  Nuremberg still issued, Eichmann involved in
  section for Jewish Affairs.

12
PROPAGANDA

• Look at the following image.
• What impression does it convey of Jews?
• How does it fit in with the anti-Semitic message
  of the Nazis?

13
(No Transcript)
14
1937-8 INCREASING PRESSURE

• Re-armament and improving economy meant Hitler
  was less wary of international opinion.
• Aryanisation of Jewish businesses (often below
  market value, backed by decree)
• Worsening conditions would encourage emigration
  (eg criminal records into concentration camps)

15
FOREIGNJEWS

• Anschluss Sudetenland (Mar Sept 1938)
• Eichmann piloted forced emigration from Austria.
  50,000 left by Nov 1938.
• They often had no destination.
• Sudeten Jews deported to Czechoslovakia.
• Polish Jews expelled back to Poland.

16
KRISTALLNACHT

• 7th Nov 1938, Ernst von Rath shot in Paris.
• Widespread press coverage.
• 8-9th Nov night of destruction by gangs of Nazis
  not ordered from above.
• 9th Nov Rath died from his wounds.
• Goebbels speech led to 8,000 businesses
  attacked, 200 synagogues burned, gt90 dead

17
A spontaneous demonstration?
18
CONSEQUENCES

• Few Germans spoke out fear or support?
• 12th Nov inter-ministerial meeting1. Jewish
  compensation.2. Decree Excluding Jews from
  German Economic Life.3. Segregation in all areas
  of life.
• Goering claiming responsibility for Jewish
  question - rivalry with SS.

19
1938-9 EMIGRATION

• Ultimate aim of German policy was forced
  emigration to be encouraged by all possible
  means.
• Heydrich established Central Office for Jewish
  Emigration emigration would be rigorous and
  centralised.
• Where should they be sent? Many of those
  remaining were elderly or unskilled.

20
OVERALL POLICY

• Erratic and improvised?
• Systematic and successful?
• Hitler principle agent rather than sole agent?
• Can we prove Hitler was set on genocide?