Anti-Semitism and Nazi Germany

This set of flashcards contains terms and definitions related to Anti-Semitism and Nazi Germany, intended to help students prepare for their exam.

Saul of Tarsus

Also known as Paul; a Jew who converted to Christianity and spread its message.

10 – 65 AD

Saw a vision of Jesus and realized Jesus was messiah, introduced two changes: 1. Allowed Gentiles (non-Jews) into Christianity, 2. Judaic rituals were no longer necessary

Deicides

Means 'God killers'; refers to Jews being responsible for Jesus's death.

St. Augustine

Fifth century theologian who formulated church policy regarding Jews. Said that Jews should not be persecuted, but their rejection of Christ led to their suffering, doomed to wander.

Kiddush ha-Shem

Jewish martyrdom; means 'Sanctification of the name'. Applies to going to death without fighting back during crusades.

Blood libel

The myth that Jews killed Christian boys for rituals by reenact the crucifixion and draining them of blood; first noted in 1144. Thought they put blood in Passover Matzoh.

This false accusation fueled anti-Semitic violence and persecution throughout history.

Transubstantiation

The belief that bread and wine transform into Christ's body and blood during communion, also known as the eucharist.

Relates to desecration of the host, the idea that Jews would mess with the Eucharist to hurt christians. Idea led to massacres of jews during middle ages

Conversos

Spanish Jewish converts. Not believed to be sincere. 

Commonly connected with the 1390 Jewish Massacre in Seville where Jews were forced to convert or die, and 100,000 converted. 

Purity of blood laws

First law passed in 1449

Laws requiring individuals to prove Christian ancestry for political and economic eligibility.

Haskalah

The Jewish Enlightenment aimed at harmonizing Judaism with European culture.

Idea of “___ of mosaic faith” , that Jews are a religion that can integrate with modern society while preserving their heritage.

Moses Mendelssohn

(1729-1786) – Berlin

Key leader of Jewish Enlightenment, proposed Jews as Germans of Mosaic faith. 

Germans of the Mosaic faith

A concept by Moses Mendelssohn, portraying Jews as a religious community only.

Religion = Judaism nationality = French, German, British, etc.

This idea emphasized that Jewish identity is based on religious beliefs rather than ethnic nationality, encouraging integration within European societies.

Ethno-nationalism

A movement emphasizing racial and cultural identity over civic nationalism. Emerged from the Romantic movement that rejected the  Enlightenment. 

European nationalist movements celebrated medieval warriors, nature

Modern liberalism and capitalism leads to cultural degeneration

The Pale of Settlement

a designated area in Imperial Russia where Jews were restricted to reside 1791-1917, reflecting a reversal of prior emancipation efforts and enlightenment principles. This region witnessed significant anti-Jewish violence, including widespread pogroms during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

These jews were first victims of the holocaust.

1881-83 pogroms: 200 Pogroms but only 40 people killed

1918-1921 – Civil War, conflict, pogroms in the former Pale of Settlement

Wilhelm Marr

1819-1904. Influential figure who contributed to modern antisemitism, coined 'anti-Semitism', and wrote The Victory of Judaism over Germandom in 1879

Aryans

A racial category in Nazi ideology associated with the ideal Nordic race.

Was positioned in competition and contrast with the semite/Jew.

Miscegenation

Interbreeding between different racial groups, feared by antisemites who didn’t want the Jewish race to spread.

The Victory of Judaism over Germandom

1879, written by Wilhelm Marr. Posed that the jewish race and Ayran race have ben in an epic battle since the beginning of time. Now jews are able to triumph because conditions of modernization allow it due to economics becoming more important and Jews being positioned to succeed with this.

Richard Wagner

Antisemite and Hitler’s favorite composer whose music was played in Holocaust.

Wrote “Jewry in Music” in 1850 which argued Jewish inferiority could be seen in German culture since they couldn’t capture their culture in art.

Übermensch

Idea posed by Friedrich Nietzsche. Concept of a 'superman' who will rise up and lead the feeble masses and society. This idea is accociated with Facism and Hitler was seen as this figure to Nazis.

Houston Stewart Chamberlain

British writer who promoted the idea of racial conflict between Aryans and Jews.

Argued that Aryans were destined to rule and that Jews posed a threat to their superiority. Chamberlain's views significantly influenced Nazi ideology.

Karl Lueger

Elected mayor of Vienna, 1897 on anti-Semitic platform. Hitler lived in Vienna at this time, which influenced his ideology. He said his eyes were open to the “Jewish Problem” here. 

The Dreyfus Affair

A political scandal in France highlighting antisemitism against Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus.

Pogrom

Pogroms = to chase , Mobs started to kill Jews

1881-83 – pogroms in the Pale of Settlement (200 progroms)

1903 – The Kishinev Pogrom

1918-1921 – Civil War, conflict, pogroms in the former Pale of Settlement

1917 – pogrom in Leeds

Kristallnacht Nov. 9-10, 1938

The Jew Count

Number of Jews???

The Beilis Affair

A blood libel trial in 1911-1913 Russia. The trial involved the wrongful accusation of Jewish man Mendel Beilis for the murder of a Christian boy, which was fueled by antisemitic beliefs and propaganda.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Fabricated document from 1896-98 proposing a secret meeting of Jewish leaders to discuss how to take over the world. Explains how they already have all the power and will continue to gain power. 

Jingoism

Extreme patriotism that encourages aggressive foreign policies.

Sir John Monash

Highest-ranking Jew in WWI, served in the British Army.

Ostjuden

Eastern European Jews, often viewed as less assimilated by their Western counterparts.

The Armenian Genocide

The mass extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

The Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that ended WWI, placed heavy reparations on Germany.

The Weimar Republic

The democratic government established in Germany after WWI.

Fascism

A far-right political ideology characterized by authoritarian power and nationalistic tendencies.

Social Darwinism

A belief that social evolution involves survival of the fittest among human groups.

Eugenics

The science of improving a population by controlled breeding for desired traits.

Mussolini

Leader of fascist Italy; led the country during WWII.

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei

Hitler's party known as the Nazi Party, formed in 1920.

Swastika

Symbol adopted by the Nazi Party, representing Aryan identity.

The Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler's failed coup to take power in Germany in 1923.

Mein Kampf

Hitler's book outlining his political ideology and plans for Germany.

The Great Depression

The global economic downturn that began in 1929, significantly impacting Germany.

Reichstag fire

The 1933 arson attack used by Nazis to justify severe restrictions on civil liberties.

The Enabling Act

The 1933 law that gave Hitler the power to enact laws without Reichstag consent.

Schutzstaffel

The SS, a major paramilitary organization under Hitler.

Heinrich Himmler

Leader of the SS and architect of the 'Final Solution'.

The April 1 Boycott

Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses initiated in 1933.

Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service

The first antisemitic law passed by Hitler in 1933.

Kulturbund

An organization to segregate Jewish artists from German culture.

The Law for the Prevention of Genetically-Diseased Offspring

Nazi law aimed at sterilization and eugenics.

The Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws that defined Jewish identity and limited Jews' rights in Germany.