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HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945

HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945. Lecture 5: Anti-Semitic policies of the Third Reich, 1933-38 26 February 2013. Religious Anti-Judaism. Based on deeply rooted ideological, cultural, psychological prejudices in Europe: Christian ideas of Jewish guilt for Jesus’ death

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HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945

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  1. HIST2134The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945 Lecture 5: Anti-Semitic policies of the Third Reich, 1933-38 26 February 2013

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. German Jews, 1871-1933 • 1871: 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

  5. Anti-Semitism in 1920s • Based on anti-Semitic works of late 19th 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

  6. 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

  7. 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’

  8. 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 !

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. ‘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)

  12. ‘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

  13. Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (1) ‘Night of the Broken Glass’ (Reichskristallnacht): Only large-scale Anti-Jewish action in Germany 1933-9 • 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

  14. Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (2) • Arrest of 30.000 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

  15. … 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 …”

  16. Conclusion • 1933-9: To force Jews to emigrate: Hitler & polycracy care about public mood = Life strongly worsened for Jews in Germany • 1940-5: To mass murder Jews: Hitler & polycracy act in war + outside Germany = Life unbearable & highly dangerous for Jews

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