L3 - development of jewish persecution 1933-1945

where did the nazis initially outline their hopes for racial policy?

• February 1920: 25 Point Programme

• 1924: Mein Kampf

what term encapsulates nazi racial policy? justified by?

• aryanisation

• justified by social darwinism that ‘legitimised’ their belief in eugenics

what percentage of the german population in 1925 were jewish?

1% of the german population were jewish

what percentage of lawyers were jewish before 1933?

16% of lawyers were jewish

what percentage of doctors were jewish before 1933?

11% of doctors were jewish

state 4 significant jewish politicians in weimar germany

• walther rathenau

• theodor wolff (DDP)

• rosa luxembourg

• hugo haase

what percentage of private banks were owned by jewish families? key family?

• 50% private banks owned by jewish family businesses

• e.g. the Rothschilds

where were there few jewish run businesses?

the ruhr - important industrial area

name 2 jewish political figures assassinated in weimar germany

• walther rathenau

• rosa luxemburg

what were the 7 key steps in the development of jewish persecution?

1. propaganda/humiliation

2. boycotts

3. law/exclusion/removal of citizenship

4. increased violence and forced emigration

5. transportation/deportation to ghettos or imprisonment

6. mass murder

7. organised mass extermination - final solution

what is gradualism? characteristics?

• historians description of the slow escalation of policy used by the Nazis to persecute the jews

• methods used to remove jews from germany were inconsistent, accelerating and pausing

• persecution increased as regime became more secure

• escalated gradually but substantially

how can the development of the persecution of jews be described?

• gradual but substantial escalation

• inconsistent

why did the nazis follow a gradualist programme towards jews? (8)

1. during consolidation, reliant on non-nazi support

2. nazis unprepared for war concerned about foreign opinion

3. many germans voted nazi in spite of anti-semitic policies

4. needed time for propaganda to work

5. extension of dictatorship enabled escalation of persecution

6. some argue nazis lacked clear plan for removal of jews

7. some argue foreign policy was key to shaping racial policy

how did the nazis hope their propaganda would affect jews?

• isolate and dehumanise jews

• could inculcate belief in eugenics and social darwinism within public

• would be easier to discriminate them without question in the future

what events in foreign policy shaped racial policy? why?

• 1938: anschluss with austria

• 1939: invasion of poland

• 1941: invasion of russia → KEY TURNING POINT

  • an increasing amount of jews came under nazi control