The Nazi's Rise to Power
Hitler was voted in as Chancellor of Germany in 1933. As leader of the Nazi Party he promised many things for the Germans. The Treaty of Versailles, the treaty created after WWI, had angered and devastated the Germans because it had placed blame of the war on them, had appointed an unnecessarily, complicated government, and the reparations that were set had lead to a hyperinflation.
Adolf Hitler was very charismatic to the German population. He promised to fix many of Germany's problems. Hitler used the Jewish as a scapegoat, a blame, for all of their problems. He soon became succesfull in gaining popularity with the Germans. Adolf Hitler became the most powerful man in Germany. He was cruel yet promising. By 1939, he almost eradicated unemployment in Germany. He stopped obeying the rules of the Treaty, and he started using funds to create an army. Hitler frequently spoke of the "Aryan" race, the superior human being, and of world domination. Being in total control of the Facist government, he and the Nazi government were successfull in eliminating disent against the government. Once he was Chancellor and soon Fuhrer, meaning dictator with absolute power, he had started his campaign agaisnt the Jews. "For to be a leader means to be able to move |
Hitler being appraised by his supporters
"Adolf Hitler." Adolf Hitler. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
Adolf Hitler's first speech to the German public as Chancelor
Transcript "Hitler's Proclamation to the German Nation - 1933 (Speech at Berliner Sportpalast) HQ Video" Youtube, uploaded by Empire, 12 Dec. 2016
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The Sturmabteilung (SA)
Brownshirts marching in the streets of Nürnberg, Germany
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "SA." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 13 May 2015. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
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Also called Storm Troopers, Brownshirts, and translating into "Assault Division" from German, they were a paramilitary group who frequently used violence and fear for the Nazi Party. Members had a vital role in the rise of Adolf Hitler, and the execution of the first steps of the Nazi campaign against the Jewish religion. They were the ones responsible for committing crimes that went unnoticed by the authorities, setting up signs, and rallying for support in the Nazi cause early in it's rise to power. In 1934, Hitler used his secret army, the SS, to remove the leadership of the SA as interest soon grew apart from Hitler's ideals in what was called as the "Night of the Long Knives." Although reduced in numbers, the Sturmabteilung were vital in changing the views of the German population.
Hitler's rally cry to the Sturmabteilung
"SturmAbteilung Rally 1933" Youtube, uploaded by EagleAndShield, 14 December, 2016
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Steps To Nazi Genocide
The Nazi used a series of steps to slowly to deport and execute the Jews. The first step was to begin with a boycott the Jewish goods and services. This was aimed to turn the public against the Jews. The next step was to destroy their businesses and signings. This was meant to break their moral. The third step was to seize all Jewish assets. They would strip them of everything valuable that they owned. By this point they had their businesses destroyed, most prized possessions taken, and their neighbors turned against them. The next step was to make all of the Jews register themselves by getting a stamp on their passport and making them wear the Jewish Star of David. The final step of their plan was to move them into the ghettos. The final step was to extermination. They deported the Jews to the concentration camps to be killed.
Boycott
SAs standing in front of a shop with a sign that says "Germans Beware. Don't buy from Jews"
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A boycott is a method of protest that has participants refuse to buy or acquire services. Once Hitler became Chancellor, a nationwide boycott was imposed on Jewish businesses in Germany. Nazi supporters and brownshirts alike set up signs, urged others not to buy, and occasionally, violence would occur over Jewish property. It was uncommon the police to get involved. Although many of the German population ignored them and continued to shop in these stores, "it marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi party against the entire German Jewish population." (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
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Kristallnacht
Also known as the "Night of the Broken Glass". From November 9 to 11, 1938, Jewish synagogues, business, and homes were torched and burned down by various Nazi supporters, including the SA. Policemen and other authorities barely intervened. This was due to the propaganda, boycotts, and Hitler's speeches taking an effect on the German population. Anti-semitism, hatred against the Jews, was spreading. The campaign was succeeding.
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Aryanisation
The anti-Jew sentiment gave pressure to Jewish business owners. The boycotts and riots against the these Jews forced them to sell their business to Aryans in a process called "Aryanisation". Not only the owners were affected, Jewish laborers were dismissed or transferred. This led to the “Decree on the Exclusion of Jews from German Economic Life” to be legislated. The law made it impossible for the Jews to make a living. This step rendered the Jews powerless, and it was the prelude to the next steps.
Registration
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As the government was trying to exempt the Jews from "economic sphere of Germany by preventing them from earning a living" (Holocaust Encyclopedia). They started to "register" them. This mean't that it was mandatory for the Jews and their property to be identified. Passports without "J"s were invalidated and a Star of David patch was to be worn by identified Jews. The Jewish population had mixed feelings about the identification badges, marked passports, and the patches. After they were registered, they were told to report to the ghettos.
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Ghettosiation
The ghettos were restricted parts of towns that was only reserved for the Jewish population. Each city or town under Nazi occupation would have ghettos. The residents weren't allowed to leave, and supplies would be given by the Nazi government. In the ghettos, the Jews' worries disapeared after they all were together. They were alright with the idea of being secluded from the rest of Germany. This was due to being separated from the anti-Semitic atmosphere of the rest of Germany. Ultimately, these parts of towns was a way of suppressing dissent against the Nazis, and it was to group them together for the deportation.
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