409. The Nazis in Power: Hitler's War on the Jews (Part 6)
Jan 16, 2024
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The podcast dives into the chilling rise of Nazi anti-Semitism and the relentless persecution faced by Jews as Hitler solidifies power. It details horrific policies that marginalized Jewish citizens in all walks of life, the internal conflict of Jewish families navigating a violent landscape, and the grim reality of their deteriorating existence. The narrative also highlights the insidious blend of propaganda and societal apathy that enabled this oppression, painting a stark picture of a society veering into darkness.
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Quick takeaways
The Nazi regime enacted discriminatory laws against German Jews, stripping them of citizenship and prohibiting marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans.
Anti-Semitism permeated everyday life, with teachers and officials playing a crucial role in perpetuating discrimination and instigating exclusionary measures against Jewish students.
Despite the temporary easing of antisemitic policies during the 1936 Olympics, the worst was yet to come as the Nazi regime intensified its persecution and moved closer towards the Holocaust.
Deep dives
Ratcheting up anti-Semitism: Nuremberg Laws and Persecution
In 1935, the Nazi regime enacted the Nuremberg laws, which included the flag law, citizenship law, and law to protect German blood. These laws marked a new level of legal discrimination against German Jews, stripping them of citizenship and prohibiting marriage and sexual relations between Jews and Germans. Anti-Semitism intensified across Germany, with increased boycotts, violence, and social exclusion. This pushed German Jews to the margins of society, isolating them and making them vulnerable. Teachers and students became complicit in anti-Semitism, further perpetuating discrimination. There was a slight increase in Jewish emigration, but overall, many German Jews believed that the worst was over and remained hopeful for a return to normalcy.
The Seepage of Anti-Semitism into German Life
The Nuremberg laws and the intensification of anti-Semitism under the Nazi regime had wide-ranging effects on German society. Anti-Semitic propaganda seeped into everyday life, with people being reported for socializing with Jews or even shaking hands with them. Teachers and officials played a crucial role in perpetuating discrimination, instigating humiliation, and implementing exclusionary measures against Jewish students. Jewish children were increasingly segregated from the rest of the school system, attending improvised Jewish-only schools. The ambiguity surrounding the definition of a Jew and the complicity of various individuals deepened the climate of intimidation and isolation for German Jews.
Encouraging Emigration: Eichmann and SS Involvement
Despite the discriminatory laws and increasing anti-Semitism, Jewish emigration did not significantly increase during this period. Adolf Eichmann and the SS were involved in encouraging Jewish emigration, but the numbers remained relatively small. Many Jewish Germans, especially older war veterans, refused to leave, clinging to their German identity and hoping for the situation to improve. Additionally, the complex definition of Jewishness and the perceived inconvenience of uprooting their lives contributed to the decision to stay. The belief that the worst was over and the hope for a return to normalcy also played a role in their decision to remain in Germany.
The Pinnacle and Pause: Nuremberg Laws and the Olympics
The passing of the Nuremberg laws in 1935 marked a pinnacle in legal discrimination against Jews. However, in the lead-up to the 1936 Olympics held in Germany, the Nazi regime temporarily eased antisemitic policies to improve international perception. Public displays of antisemitism were toned down, signs were removed, and antisemitic expressions were temporarily dampened. This led some German Jews to believe that the worst was over and that they could find some respite. However, this apparent respite would prove to be short-lived.
The Ongoing Path to Crystal Night
Despite the temporary lull in antisemitic policies, the worst was yet to come. In our next and final episode, we will delve into the events that followed the Olympics, leading to the horrific expression of antisemitic violence known as Kristallnacht. The illusion of improved conditions for German Jews would be shattered as the Nazi regime intensified its persecution and pushed closer towards the Holocaust.
As Hitler ramps up the German war machine, he remains obsessed with one idea: uprooting Jews from the Reich. The Nazis embark on a campaign of totalitarian oppression against them, persecuting Jewish people in every aspect of life. They are excluded from most professions, forbidden from intermarrying, Jewish children are bullied and excluded from schools, all Jews have a “J” stamped in their passport, to name but a few measures. Worst of all, the brainwashing of the German people has become apparent, and many are willing participants in the various forms of persecution; plenty of German towns have put up signs by this point saying “Jews not wanted here”. Hitler may tone down the oppression to whitewash the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but this does not last. One terrifying truth is clear: he is fully set on the destruction of European Jewry.
Join Tom and Dominic in the fifth part of our series on the Nazis in power, as they look at how the persecution of Jewish people in the Reich increased in the lead-up to the Second World War.
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