Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Persecution of Minorities (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Jewish Persecution Before the Second World War - Timeline & Summary
In pursuit of their aim to establish a Third Reich, Hitler and the Nazis were determined to create a strong and ‘pure’ society that followed Nazi beliefs. Germany in the 1930s was home to an assortment of minorities, many of whom considered themselves to be German. However, the Nazis believed in a hierarchy of races with the Aryan race at the top. Policy soon became directed towards the persecution of other minorities, to ensure that they did not reproduce or intervene with Hitler’s vision for Germany. Homosexuals and people with disabilities were also targeted. Jewish people faced increased discrimination and persecution throughout the 1930s in Germany. Beginning with the boycotts of 1933, the Nazis soon stripped away the German citizenship of thousands of Jewish people through the Nuremberg Laws of 1935. Following Kristallnacht in 1938, Jewish communities were attacked and forced into concentration camps. While many German citizens disliked what was happening to Jewish communities and other minorities, the use of censorship and the police forces reduced the level of opposition. |
The Treatment of Minorities in Nazi Germany
The Nazis aimed at making Germany as ‘strong’ as possible:
Policies towards women, children, the Church and culture were all to strengthen the state
Their beliefs in eugenics and racial hygiene showed that they also wanted the German population to be strong:
Hitler outlined his belief in a racial hierarchy in his book, Mein Kampf. Hitler stated that:
Aryans were the superior race - blonde, blue-eyed and athletic
Other white Western races were respected, but lower than Aryans
Races of Eastern Europe like Slavs were seen as Untermenschen (sub-humans)
Jewish people and Roma were considered unworthy of life
The Treatment of Minorities
The Nazis persecuted a number of minorities throughout the 1930s:
Slavs
Described as Untermenschen (sub-human) in schools
Considered to be of a different origin from Aryan Germans
The Nazis wanted to invade Slav countries like Russia to acquire Lebensraum (living space) for the German people
Roma
There were around 26,000 Roma in Germany in the early 1930s
The Nazis did not believe they worked enough or contributed enough taxes
They were not seen as racially pure
To ‘clean up’ Berlin before the 1936 Olympics, Roma in Berlin were arrested and moved to Berlin-Marzahn concentration camp
Homosexuals
The Nazis believed that homosexuals lowered moral standards as they could not procreate or be part of a traditional family unit
Laws against homosexuals became more severe after 1935
Around 5,000 German homosexuals died in concentration camps
Around 400-800 men were threatened with voluntary castration
People with disabilities
The Nazis believed that people with disabilities were a burden on society
The Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring (1933) made it compulsory for people with varying disabilities to be sterilised
Around 5,000 babies and children with severe disabilities were killed as part of the T4 Programme
Anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany
Anti-Semitic feelings had been common for centuries:
Some Christians blamed them for the execution of Jesus Christ
Jewish people were blamed for starting the Black Death by poisoning water wells
Many people were jealous of Jewish people for their success in business and finance
Anti-Semitism was strong in Germany throughout the 1920s and 1930s:
They were blamed in part for the surrender of Germany during the First World War
Some of the politicians who signed the armistice were Jewish
A myth existed that many communists were Jewish
Many Germans feared communism and, as a result, feared the Jewish community
Germany’s failings during hyperinflation and the Great Depression were often blamed on Jewish people
Many people - including Hitler - had been influenced by speakers like Karl Lueger, who spoke about the dangers of Jewish people
The Persecution of Jewish People in 1933
There were only 437,000 Jewish people in Germany by 1933, less than 1% of the population
When Hitler became chancellor in 1933, persecution against Jewish people began immediately
Nazi policies against Jewish people in 1933
The Nazis used propaganda and censorship to target Jewish culture
Children were taught in schools how to identify Jewish people and that they were Lebensunwertes (unworthy of life)
More restrictions on Jewish people followed:
From 1934, some councils banned them from parks and swimming pools
From 1935, Jewish people could not join the army
The Nuremberg Laws, 1935
The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 included two laws that drastically increased the persecution of all Jewish people in Germany
Key features of the Nuremberg Laws
Anyone with three or four Jewish grandparents was considered Jewish, regardless of whether they practised Judaism
Many people who had converted to Christianity still faced persecution
From 1938, Jewish people had to register their possessions and also had to carry identity cards
The Events of ‘Kristallnacht’
Persecution of Jewish people became much worse in November 1938 following an event known as ‘Kristallnacht’ (Night of Broken Glass)
The key events of 'Kristallnacht’
Jewish people were punished for causing ‘Kristallnacht’:
They had to pay a combined total of 1 billion marks to repair the damage
By 12 November, around 20,000 Jewish people had been sent to concentration camps like Dachau
Worked Example
Give two things you can infer from Source A about the treatment of Jewish people during ‘Kristallnacht’
4 marks
Source A: From an interview published in a British newspaper, in November 1938. The Jewish woman interviewed was from England and had recently visited Germany. Here she is describing her experience of Kristallnacht. "At 2:30 in the morning Nazis in uniform broke down the door of the house where I was staying. We were ordered to get dressed quickly with the bedroom door open. We were marched through the streets. Nazis were knocking down the synagogue and all the Jewish shops had been broken into. In the town square, Jewish people were lined up and were made to stand for over three hours. Two old men had their walking sticks broken by Nazis. The Nazis had a register to check that all the Jews in the town were there" |
Answers:
(i) What I can infer:
They were treated harshly (1)
Details in the source that tell me this:
‘Two old men had their walking sticks broken by Nazis’ (1)
(ii) What I can infer:
The persecution was organised in advance (1)
Details in the source that tell me this:
‘The Nazis had a register to check that all the Jews in the town were there’ (1)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, an inference is an educated guess based on the source you are provided with. It might appear overly simple to infer that the treatment of Jewish people was ‘harsh’ or that they were ‘humiliated’. However, Source A does not state either of these points. Therefore, they are reasonable inferences to include in your answer.
How did People React to Jewish Persecution?
After April 1939, all Jewish people were ordered to leave their homes and prepare to be deported from Germany
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You will have learned more about the treatment of Jewish people during the Second World War, including their transportation to ghettos and other events that make up the Holocaust. However, you will only need to include knowledge up to 1939 about Jewish persecution in your exam.
The treatment of Jewish people was known by most German people from 1933-39:
Many people were horrified at the acts of violence and discrimination towards Jewish people but were scared to help because of groups like the SS and Gestapo
Other people took part in acts of persecution, like during the boycotts in 1933 and ‘Kristallnacht’ in 1938
Some chose simply to ignore the acts of violence or believed them to be justified
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