HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, Lecture 5: Anti-Semitic policies of the Third Reich, February 2013

Religious Anti-Judaism Based on deeply rooted ideological, cultural, psychological prejudices in Europe: Christian ideas of Jewish guilt for Jesus’ death Christian defamation of Jewish religious texts & practices But: Jews had chance to become Christians

Economic Anti-Judaism Based on religious Anti-Semitism since Medieval: Jews allegedly using dirty tricks & attempting to enrich themselves on Christians’ costs → Jews seen as economic parasites Increased with modern capitalism of 19th c.: → Jews allegedly profited strongly from rapid changes of European economies But: Jews had chance to assimilate to Christian societies

German Jews, : Equal citizens: no official Anti-Semitism but common prejudices WW I: 10,000 Jewish men in army 1933: Mostly fully assimilated: business, academia, cultures, media = Ca. 550,000: only 1% of German population

Anti-Semitism in 1920s Based on anti-Semitic works of late 19 th c. Common pattern to comprehend Germany’s national, social, economic situation after 1918 Reflected in Hitler’s obsessions in Mein Kampf & speeches: Jews seen as alien elements, parasites, bacillus, enemies

Racial Anti-Semitism Based on religious & economic Anti-Semitism: Social-Darwinist ideas + ‘scientific’ race theories Jews seen as having specific “Jewish” features: Characters, attitudes, habits → Biologically-defined ‘Jewish race’ And: Jews not permitted to change or adapt but only to leave society

NS Anti-Semitism Based on racial Anti-Semitism: Jews to be removed from Germany Other ‘sub-humans’: ‘gypsies’, ‘idiots’, homosexuals to be persecuted → To “clean nation from parasites” → To achieve NS peoples’ community & ‘living space’

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (1) No master plan but mainly improvised measures Hitler’s role disputed among historians: Intentionalist school: Hitler’s program & ideology prevalent Structuralist school: Economic goals, bureaucratic rivalries without Hitler’s direct influence: ‘No Führerbefehl’ Integrated school: Both elements mattered !

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (2) Improvised step-by-step process: Conducted by polycratic power system → Hitler, SS, police, bureaucracy Executed in usual two-folded way: ↑ Propaganda + terror by regional-local NS ↓ Legal sanctioning by NS government

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (3) ‘Legally’ conducted & generally accepted: 1933: “Racial laws” to exclude Jews from various professions & offices 1935: ‘Nuremberg Laws’ to create second-class citizens 1938: Anti-Jewish legislation to discriminate & withdraw elementary rights

‘Racial laws’ (1) Who is a Jew? 1) A Jew with at least 3 full-Jewish grandparents 2) A half-breed (Mischling) with 2 full-Jewish grandparents who has either or all … a. Jewish religion b. Jewish spouse c. A parent as 1) ► A ‘Full Jew’ (Volljude) ☻ = German national of ‘lower status’ (since 1935)

‘Racial laws’ (2) ► Jewish half-breed (Mischling) a. Of 1st grade (2 Jewish grandparents) ☺ → ☻ b. Of 2nd grade (1 Jewish grandparent) ☺ ► Jews with military honours ☺ → ☻ ☺ → ☻ Since 1935: Step-by-step exclusion + isolation (e.g. education, military) Since 1943: Forced labour service

Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (1) ‘Night of the Broken Glass’ (Reichskristallnacht): Only large-scale Anti-Jewish action in Germany Assassination: German diplomat by young Jew in Paris Up-heated propaganda: Goebbels Putting-on-fire of synagogues/shops: ‘Broken crystal glass’ SA maltreatment of Jews = Organized destruction, plunder, extortion, denunciation

Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (2) Arrest of Jewish men in concentration camps (Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Dachau) Capital levy of 20 %: payable in four instalments, resulted in 1,2 Billion RM extra government revenue Strong pressure on Jews to emigrate (USA, UK, Palestine, Argentina, South Africa, China) ‘Aryanization’ (Arisierung) of Jewish property ‘Elimination’ (Entfernung) of Jews from public life

… and other Germans ? Mainly silent, indifferent, intimidated but often tacitly critically about “senseless destruction” Some actively participated in destruction & profited from “Aryanization” = Anti-Semitic propaganda generally not effective = Clear distinction between popular anti-Jewish sentiments + radical NS Anti-Semitism ► “But people knew what was going on …”

Conclusion : To force Jews to emigrate: Hitler & polycracy care about public mood = Life strongly worsened for Jews in Germany : To mass murder Jews: Hitler & polycracy act in war + outside Germany = Life unbearable & highly dangerous for Jews