The Roots and Rise of Antisemitism and the Nazi Regime

Holocaust

Systematic genocide of Jews during WWII.

Antisemitism

Hatred of Jews based solely on their identity.

Nazi Euphemisms

Terms like 'Final Solution' to disguise genocide.

Middle Ages Expulsions

Historical expulsions of Jews from various regions.

Khmel'nyts'kyi Uprising

1648 revolt leading to Jewish persecution in Ukraine.

Russian Pogroms

Violent riots against Jews in 1880s Russia.

Bureaucratic Genocide

Organized, systematic extermination of a population.

Christian Anti-Judaism

Historical Christian opposition to Judaism.

Fourth Lateran Council

1215 council mandating Jews wear yellow badges.

Ritual Murder Accusations

False claims of Jews murdering Christian children.

Simon of Trent

Victim of a notorious ritual murder accusation.

Volkisch Ideology

Romanticized German identity excluding certain ethnicities.

Treitschke

Historian advocating for antisemitic views in Germany.

Adolf Stoecker

Lutheran minister promoting antisemitism in politics.

Usury

Lending money at exorbitant interest rates.

Political Antisemitism

Political movements targeting Jews for scapegoating.

Literary Antisemitism

Writings promoting conspiracy theories against Jews.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Fabricated text alleging Jewish world domination.

Herrenvolk

Concept of a master race entitled to rule.

Judenrein

Term meaning 'cleansed of Jews'.

Social Darwinism

Misapplication of Darwin's theories to justify racism.

Racial Antisemitism

Belief in racial superiority and inferiority.

Weimar Republic

German government post-WWI, faced significant challenges.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 treaty imposing penalties on Germany.

'Stab in the Back' Legend

Myth blaming Jews for Germany's WWI defeat.

Economic Conditions

Severe inflation and unemployment post-WWI in Germany.

Cultural Disaffection

Rejection of Weimar Republic's modern cultural shifts.

Demagoguery

Political strategy appealing to popular desires.

Judenrepublik

Derogatory term for Weimar Republic, implying Jewish control.

Scapegoating

Blaming Jews for societal problems and unrest.

Assimilation

Process of integrating Jews into broader society.

Anti-Capitalist Sentiment

Opposition to capitalism, often targeting Jewish financiers.

Jewish Press

Media owned by Jews, often criticized by antisemites.

Cultural Isolation

Jews marginalized in national conflicts and identities.

Mass Unrest

Social turmoil leading to political extremism.

Lower Middle Class

Economic group significantly influenced by antisemitism.

Short hair and skirts

Symbol of societal change in 1920s Germany.

Nazis' perception of art

Associated with Jewishness, felt threatened by it.

Rise of dictatorships

Emergence of authoritarian regimes in Europe.

Bolshevik Soviet Union

Communist state established after 1917 revolution.

Fascist Italy

Established in 1922 under Mussolini's rule.

Fascist Spain

Dictatorship established in 1935 under Franco.

Authoritarian regimes

Eastern European governments suppressing dissent.

NSDAP

National Socialist German Workers Party, Hitler's political party.

Beer Hall Putsch

Failed coup attempt by Hitler in 1923.

Mein Kampf

Hitler's autobiography outlining his ideology.

Nazi propaganda

Used pageantry and force to gain support.

Lower middle class support

Feared unemployment, turned to Nazis for solutions.

Protestant majority

Nazi support base was predominantly Protestant.

End of Depression promise

Hitler promised economic recovery to prevent revolution.

Hitler's views on Jews

Described as insidious, cancerous to society.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Antisemitic text influencing Nazi ideology.

1939 speech

Hitler indicated intent to annihilate Jews.

Reichstag Fire

Event allowing Hitler to claim dictatorial powers.

Dictatorial powers law

Passed under the pretense of a communist threat.

Dismissal of coalition partners

Consolidation of Nazi power in government.

Civil service positions

Nazis placed in top roles within government.

Gleichschaltung

Nazi policy for political coordination and control.

Fuhrer

Title for Hitler, meaning 'leader'.

Gauleiters

Nazi leaders overseeing districts in Germany.

SA

Storm troopers, paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party.

SS

Security service, involved in Holocaust and policing.

Heinrich Himmler

Leader of the SS and key Holocaust architect.

Waffen SS

Armed wing of the SS, parallel to the army.

Economic and Administrative Main Office

Ran concentration camps under Oswald Pohl.

Reinhard Heydrich

Key figure in the Holocaust and SS leadership.

Gestapo

Secret police of Nazi Germany, enforcing state security.

Adolf Eichmann

Organized deportations of Jews during the Holocaust.

Concentration camps

Detention centers for political enemies, starting 1933.

Night of the Long Knives

Purge of SA leadership to consolidate Hitler's power.

Autobahn

Highway system, part of Nazi public works projects.

Treaty of Versailles

Post-WWI treaty imposing reparations on Germany.

Remilitarization

Rebuilding Germany's military, starting with the Rhineland.

Aryan race

Nazi ideology promoting racial superiority of Germans.

Lebensraum

Concept of living space for Germans in Eastern Europe.

Judensrein

Term for areas cleansed of Jewish presence.

Fuhrer-state

Totalitarian state centered around Hitler's authority.

Intentionalists

View that Nazis always intended to murder Jews.

Functionalists

View that decisions to murder Jews were opportunistic.

1930s Nazi Policy

Persecuted Jews without immediate intent to kill.

Cultural Removal

Efforts to exclude Jews from German society.

Final Solution

Nazi plan for systematic extermination of Jews.

Intentionalism

Historical view emphasizing Nazi premeditated genocide.

Functionalism

Historical view focusing on evolving Nazi policies.

Gas Chambers

Facilities used for mass murder of Jews.

Redemptive Antisemitism

Belief that Nazis would save world from Jews.

Aryanization

Removal of Jews from German economy and society.

Tactical Considerations

Factors influencing Nazi actions in the 1930s.

Boycott of Jewish Businesses

1933 protest to remove Jews from economy.

SA Stormtroopers

Nazi paramilitary group enforcing anti-Jewish measures.

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws defining and segregating Jews.

Reich Citizenship Law

Only Aryans recognized as German citizens.

Law for Restoration of Civil Service

1933 law firing Jewish civil servants.

Law concerning Admission to Legal Profession

1933 law barring Jews from legal practice.

Decree Regarding Physician's Services

1933 law limiting Jewish doctors' government reimbursement.

Hereditary Farm Land Law

1933 law preventing Jews from owning land.

Chambers of Culture

Institutions excluding Jews from cultural production.

Law against Overcrowding of Schools

Quota limiting Jewish students in schools.

Kristallnacht

1938 pogrom marking escalation of anti-Jewish violence.

Voluntary Aryanization

Pressure on Jews to sell businesses to Gentiles.