Germany - 3.2.4 Racial Beliefs & Policies Flashcards
A fundamental (core) principle that shaped Nazi policies was the purity of the ______ race. But this meant that those who did not fit the Aryan ideal were heavily excluded.
Aryan
Believed to be the perfect race, the Nazis stressed the _________ (including as many different people as possible) of the Aryans. But this meant that those who did not fit the Aryan ideal were heavily excluded.
Inclusivity
How did the perfect Aryan woman look like? (4)
- Athletic and strong (for producing lots of children)
- Blue-eyed
- Tall
- Blond-haired
How did the perfect Aryan man look like? (4)
- Athletic and strong (for work or being a soldier)
- Blue-eyed
- Tall
- Blond-haired
The Aryans were believed to be the ‘_______ race’
master
One of Hitler’s main beliefs that was behind many Nazi policies was his idea of ‘____ Germans’, an ‘Aryan’ race he believed was superior to other people. Many people were excluded from this idea of racial perfection.
pure
Who was the key group that expanded the Aryan race?
The SS ‘race farms’
What happened in the SS race farms?
SS men would deliberately have children with Aryan women at Lebensborn homes
What group was underneath the Aryan race?
White Western Europeans
Why were the SS central to the Nazi master race?
As they only recruited Aryans and were only allowed to marry Aryan women
What does the German term ‘Untermenschen’ mean?
‘Sub-human’
Which groups of people was the term ‘Untermenschen’ used to describe? (4)
Slavs, Roma, black people and Jews
Which 2 groups were seen as the worst of the Untermenschen?
Roma and Jews
What did Hitler say about Roma and Jews?
He said they were not worthy of life
When did the Nazis begin the racial policy of untermenschen to reduce the number of ‘sub-humans’?
1933
How were other white western Europeans seen?
Seen as fellow humans but lower than Aryans
How were Eastern Europeans seen?
Slavs - seen as ‘sub-human’
How were black people and gypsies seen?
Both seen as ‘sub-human’ and ‘work-shy’ (lazy)
How were Jews seen?
Seen as lowest of ‘sub-human’ races and blamed for Germany’s problems
In 1935, which laws banned marriage or sexual relations between Aryans and non-Aryans?
The Nuremberg Laws
What happened to mixed-race children?
They were sterilised (medically operated on so they could not have children)
What is the word for sub-humans in German?
Untermenschen
Policy towards the Slavs (2)
- The Slavs were made to feel uncomfortable in German society. They were constantly reminded that they were inferior.
- But there were not many policies directed at the Slavs
Pre-war policy towards Roma gypsies (2)
- From 1933 onwards, gypsies were arrested and sent to concentration camps
- In 1938, all gypsies had to be registered and medically examined. If they failed this test (which was designed so that most did fail) then German citizenship was removed and they could no longer travel
Wartime policy towards Roma gypsies (4)
- From 1939, gypsies were told they would be deported
- From 1940, gypsies were deported to labour camps. From there some went to Chelmno death camp
- From 1942, the Nazis ordered all gypsies to be deported
- By the end of the war, 85% of German gypsies were killed. This was 25% of the whole European Roma population
In which year did the Nazis order all gypsies to be deported?
1942
Why were Jews hated? (4)
- They were associated with Communism
- They were often successful and people were jealous of them
- They were seen as alien because of their different religious practices, clothing and beliefs
- They were blamed for Germany’s defeat in the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles (some of the Weimar politicians were Jewish)
____ ____, the founder of communism, was from a Jewish family, as were some other communists in the USSR.
Karl Marx
Who did the ‘undesirables’ include? (5)
- Physically and mentally disabled people
- Homosexuals
- Tramps and beggars
- Socialists
- Trade unionists
Policy towards homosexuals
Homosexual men were sent to concentration camps to treat their ‘disorder’
Policy towards beggars
Beggars were sent to do hard labour
Policies towards the disabled (4)
- In 1933, the Law for the Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring was passed
- After this over 300,000 disabled people were sterilised (medically operated on so they could not have children).
- By 1939, the Nazis began to use euthanasia (intentionally ending a life) to kill those with mental and physical disabilities
- 100,000 people were secretly killed between 1939 and 1941
Approximately how many disabled people were secretly killed between 1939 and 1941?
100 000
What percentage of German gypsies had been killed by the end of the war?
85%
Racial policies affected everyone to differing degrees in Nazi Germany. What did the severity of the persecution depend on?
Where they stood in the Nazi racial hierarchy
How did attitudes towards Slavs affect policy during the Second World War?
Slav civilians across eastern Europe and the USSR were very badly treated by the invading German army
What happened to Roma people between 1933-1935?
Many were arrested and sent to concentration camps
What happened to Roma people in 1936?
Some were sent to special camps
What happened to Roma people in 1938?
All had to be registered, were examined and if they ‘failed’ the racial tests they lost they citizenship and were banned from travelling
What happened to Roma people in 1939?
They were told they would be deported out of Germany
What happened to Roma people between 1940-41?
Some were deported to forced labour camps or Jewish ghettos in Poland. Some were later sent to Chelmno death camp
What happened to Roma people in 1942?
Himmler ordered the deportation of all Roma from Germany. Most were sent to Auschwitz
What happened to Roma people by 1945?
By the end of the war over 200,000 Roma had been killed - about 25% of the Roma population of Europe
What certain privileges were Roma people given at Auschwitz?
They were allowed to stay in family groups
Policy for disabled babies
From 1939-45, severely disabled babies and children were killed by starvation or injection
Policy for disabled adults
From 1940-41, thousands of mentally ill and disabled adults were killed by gas in the T4 Programme until protests led by a Catholic bishop stopped this
What were the 2 Nuremberg Laws? (1945)
- The Reich Law on Citizenship
- The Reich Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour
What was the Reich Law on Citizenship? (4)
- Only those of German blood can be citizens
- Non-Aryans will become subjects not citizens
- Jews cannot vote, have a German passport or work for the government
- People were defined as ‘Jewish’ if they had 3 or more Jewish grandparents
What was the Reich Law for the protection of German Blood and Honour? (2)
- No non-Aryan can marry a German citizen
- No non-Aryan is allowed to have sexual relations with a German citizen
