Why were Groups Persecuted in Nazi Germany? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
The Treatment of Minorities - Summary
To establish a Third Reich, Hitler and the Nazis focused on creating a strong and ‘pure’ society that followed Nazi beliefs.
Germany in the 1930s was home to multiple minority groups. Many of these minorities 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. The Nazis wanted 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 no longer safe in Germany. The Nazis sent them to ghettos and extermination camps. This only increased in the Second World War, where German expansion eastwards increased the number of Jews in Nazi-occupied territory.
While many German citizens disliked what was happening to Jewish communities and other minorities, the use of censorship and the secret police reduced the level of opposition.
The Aryan Race and Eugenics
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 to increase the strength of the ‘German’ population
In Mein Kampf, Hitler stated about a racial hierarchy:
Aryans were the superior race - blonde, blue-eyed and athletic
Hitler blamed Germany’s defeat in the First World War on the ‘pollution’ of the Aryan race
Other white Western races were respected, but lower than Aryans
Races of Eastern Europe like Slavs were seen as Untermenschen (sub-humans)
Hitler considered Jewish people and Black people as the lowest races
Group | Reason for Nazi persecution |
|---|---|
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 |
Homosexuals | The Nazis believed that homosexuals lowered moral standards as they could not procreate or be part of a traditional family unit |
Slavs | The Nazis wanted to invade Slavic countries like Russia to achieve Lebensraum for the German people |
Jewish people | Anti-semitic feelings had been common for centuries across Europe. 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 and the two economic depressions |
‘Asocials’ | The Nazis claimed that certain people were a drain on the German economy and ruined society |
People with disabilities | The Nazis believed that people with disabilities were a burden on society |
Examiner Tip
Students struggle to understand how the Nazis viewed Jewish people. Hitler and the NSDAP considered Jewish people as a race, not a religion. A race is a permanent state that you are born in. A religion can be changed if the person desires. Therefore, the Nazis wanted to view Jewish people as a race. This means that no Jewish person could escape persecution, whether they practised Judaism or not.
How Did the Nazis Persecute Minorities?
Group | Methods of persecution |
|---|---|
Racial minorities |
|
Homosexuals |
|
Physically and mentally disabled |
|
‘Asocials’ |
|
Worked Example
Describe how the Nazi regime treated minorities other than the Jews
4 marks
Answers:
Many Roma and Sinti gypsies were sent to concentration camps (1). Homosexuals were arrested and forced to wear pink triangles in concentration camps (1). The Nazis sterilised physically and mentally disabled people (1). The T-4 Programme, which began in 1939, killed 250,000 people by carbon monoxide poisoning (1).
Examiner Tip
In four-mark questions, ensure each detail you select is as specific as possible. The worked example above provides dates for and number of casualties from the T-4 Programme.
Anti-Semitism and the Persecution of Jewish People
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:
The Nazis used propaganda and censorship to target Jewish culture
Children were taught in schools:
How to identify Jewish people
That Jewish people 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:
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):
Jewish people were punished for causing ‘Kristallnacht’
They had to pay a combined total of 1 billion marks to repair the damage
By 12th November, around 20,000 Jewish people had been sent to concentration camps like Dachau
Worked Example
What impact did Kristallnacht have on the Jews?
4 marks
Answer:
Around 800 Jewish businesses were attacked and their windows broken (1). 191 Synagogues were destroyed (1). Jewish people were made to pay 1 billion marks for the damage (1). Around 20,000 Jewish people were sent to concentration camps (1).
Examiner Tip
This style of question does not require you to explain your answer. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write in your answer.
How Did Germans React to Jewish Persecution by 1939?
All Germans knew how the Nazis were treating Jewish people
Acts of violence and discrimination towards Jewish people shocked many Germans
They were too 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 Germans chose to ignore Jewish persecution
Persecution in the Second World War
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