4.4 The persecution of minorities Flashcards
Describe the intention behind Nazi racial policies
Nazi policies were intended to make the German state as strong as possible. This was like all other policies. T
he Nazis believed that in order to make the German state strong, the German population had to be strong. This belief affected their policies towards minorities in the population; it was a belief with two strands: eugenics and racial hygiene.
What’s the deal with eugenics?
The science of selective breeding - and became popular in Europe in the 1880s through the ideas of Charles Darwin who explained evolution by natural selection.
The Nazis used this in order to try and breed the best children possible over many generations.
Eugenics became a subject in school and they also encouraged reproduction by the ‘best’ Germans and prevented those they considered ‘unsuitable’. This was achieved by sterilising them - a medical procedure that meant that they could not have children.
What’s the deal with racial hygiene?
The Nazis wanted to choose the ‘best’ parents from just ONE race - the Aryan race.
They believed that the Aryan race was superior to all others and they were described by Nazis to be from a specific part of Europe and were superior to all other races.
As a result of this, they adopted policies to make Germany as Aryan as possible.
In schools, in the Hitler Youth and in propaganda, the Nazis taught about racial hygiene - the idea that Aryan Germans should only reproduce with other Aryans to make their offspring ‘pure’ Aryan, unspoiled by racial characteristics.
They also applied this belief to their policies and passed laws to prevent mixed-race marriages.
Explain the hierachy of races set out by Hitler in Mein Kampf (‘Aryan’, ‘untermenschen’, ‘Lebensunwertes’)
In 1925, Hitler set out his racial views in Mein Kampf. He claimed that there was a hierarchy of races:
- The Aryan race was the superior race - the Herrenvolk or master race. They were portrayed as tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and athletic;
- other races, such as the Slavs of Eastern Europe were UNTERMENSCHEN - sub-humans
- The worst of the Untermenschen were ‘gypsies’ and Jews. Later, Hitler deemed them Lebensunwertes, which means unworthy of life.
Describe 4 reasons why anti-Semitism was widespread across Europe during the 1900s.
- Their religion, customs and looks made Jews stand out as ‘different
- Some Christians hated Jews, as they blamed them for the execution of Christ
- Some Jews were very successful in finance and business, creating jealousy towards them.
- since Germany was only united as a single country in 1871, efforts by German nationalist to unite the country resulted in heightened opposition to Germany’s enemies including the British Empire, communism and minority groups like Jews
How did Nazis treat the Sinti (Slav) minority (who were they, what did the Nazis impose on them?)
The Slavs were ancient tribes of people who migrated into Europe from the east. Their modern descendants are found in large areas across Eastern Europe;
Nazi propaganda and school lessons constantly told Germans that the Slavs were Untermenschen. The Nazis insisted that they were of a completely different origin from Aryan Germans and needed to be treated differently
the Nazis threatened to invade Slav countries in Eastern Europe for Lebensraum for the German people
Slavs were persecuted less than some other minorities before the Second World War.
How did Nazis treat the Gypsies?
Name for the Roma people and they lived an itinerant lifestyle
- believed to be a threat to the racial purity of Germans
The Nazis believed that they did not work enough or contribute enough taxes.
They believed that the ‘gypsies’ posed a threat to the racial purity of Germany
after 1933, ‘gypsies’ were often arrested as social nuisances and sent to concentration camps;
1938- banned from travelling in group. Had to be put on a register of gypsies and tested for racial characteristics. If they failed the test, they lost German citizenship and social benefits
1939, orders were given to prepare all ‘gypsies’ for deportation. This meant that they would be forcibly removed from Germany.
How did Nazis treat homosexuals?
It was thought that they lowered moral standards and spoiled the purity of the German race
by 1938, 8000 homosexuals were imprisoned
- released homosexual prisoners were often sent to concentration camps and 5000 German homosexuals died there
- Nazi laws also encouraged the voluntary castration of homosexuals.
- They were subjected to medical experiments to correct their “disorder”
What did Nazis think of disabled people? And what laws were passed in 1933 and 1939?
Believed that they were a burden on society and weakened racial purity:
- In 1933: The Law of the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring made it compulsory for people to be sterilised if they were mentally ill, alcoholic, deformed, epileptic, deaf or blind
1939 = 400,000 people were sterilised
- 1939: babies with severe mental or physical disabilities should be killed by starvation or lethal overdose of drugs. This became known as the T4 programme.
Eventually juveniles up to 17 were included
5,000 children with disabilities were killed
