4. Early Nazi Policies towards German Jews Flashcards
Reasons why Hitler couldn’t have brutal policies towards the Jews in 1933 when he came to power
Hindenburg was still present and was able to remove Hitler form Chancellorship
Majority of people didn’t hate the Jews at the time so Hitler needed to gain their support before implementing policies
German public would think Hitler was crazy
1st Nazi action towards Jews
Boycott of Jewish Shops (1st April 1933)
Boycott of Jewish Shops
SA stood outside Jewish businesses to intimidate and discourage people from buying from Jewish shops
Jewish professionals also targets (E.g. public discouraged from using services of a Jewish dentist or lawyer)
How long did the Boycott of Jewish Shops last?
1 day due to significant lack of support
Success of Boycott of Jewish Shops
Hitler supported the Boycott as an expression of ‘spontaneous public anger’ that only the government could satisfy
Failure of Boycott of Jewish Shops
Unclear in many cases what was meant by a Jewish business and what wasn’t
A number of German citizens used the Jewish shops to show their disapproval to Nazi policies
Stopped after 1 day
Laws implemented in April 1933
Law for Restoration of the Civil Service - dismissed Jews working in the civil service (biggest employer in Germany)
Jews banned from working in legal profession
Jewish doctors banned
Law Against Overcrowding of German Schools and Universities - restricted number of Jewish children who could attend state school and university
What was the Reich Press Law of October 1933?
Enabled regime to apply strict censorship and to close down publications they disliked
Impact of April 1933 Nazi work laws on lawyers
60% of the non-Aryan lawyers practicing in 1933 were able to continue working despite the new regulations
Impact of April 1933 Nazi work laws on doctors
Anti-Semitic propaganda against Jewish doctors treating Aryans was laced with stories about malicious acts carried out by Jewish doctors
Many Jewish doctors carried on their normal practice for several years after 1933
Impact of April 1933 Nazi work laws on education
Not all Jewish children were forced out immediately the process wasn’t finished until 1938
Impact of April 1933 Nazi work laws on the press
Law silenced a large number of Jewish journalists and many editors were forced to leave the country’s
Prosecution against Jews in 1934
Relatively calm year as Nazis focused on the economy
Nuremberg Laws of 1935 (3)
Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour - forbids marriages and sex between Aryans and Jews
Reich Citizenship Law - stripes Jews of their German citizenship
Law for the Protection of the Genetic Health of the German People - medical examination before marriage where your German heitage was traced and you were examined to see how Aryan you were (E.g. height, hair, fitness etc). If you pass you’re give a certificate to marry
Impact of Nuremberg Laws
Made racism and anti-Semitism legal in Germany
Spontaneous violence on the streets against Jews became more common
Even if your had 1 Jewish grandparent your could no longer be a German citizen
Completely outcasted Jews from German society
Served as foundation for Holocaust
The Anschluss
March 1938
Austria’s Chancellor announced a referendum on a union with Germany vs Austria maintaining its sovereignty
Hitler didn’t believe a referendum should decide this to he threatened an invasion, arguing that a union was what the German and Austrian people wanted
A day before the planned referendum the German army marched across the border into Austria
Once Hitler arrived in Austria with his army, a referendum was held where 99,7% voters to Anschluss
Why did Hitler’s referendum in Austria receive such a high pro-unification vote?
Open ballot where threats and pressure were used to secure Hitler the vote
What happened to the 0.03% of voters who were against the Anschluss?
They were sent to concentration camps
How many Jews were living in Austria at the time of the Anschluss?
180,000
Laws in Austria once the Nazi’s invaded
All of the laws discriminating against Jews in Germany were now in force in Austria
Consequence of the Anschluss on Austrian Jews
45,000 Austrian Jews emigrate (flee)
1500 sent to concentration camps
500 killed themselves
Jews forced to carry out humiliating tasks such as scrubbing the floor
Process of emigration for Jews
Made very difficult, particularly by the SS who took most of the Jews’ possessions and money away from them
