Why were Groups Persecuted in Nazi Germany? | History for GCSE/IGCSE - Class 10 PDF Download

The Treatment of Minorities - Summary

• To establish the Third Reich, Hitler and the Nazis focused on creating a strong and "pure" society that adhered to 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 racial hierarchy with the Aryan race at the top. Their policies soon targeted the persecution of other minorities to ensure they did not reproduce or interfere with Hitler’s vision for Germany. Homosexuals and people with disabilities were also targeted.
• Jewish people faced escalating discrimination and persecution throughout the 1930s in Germany. Starting with the boycotts of 1933, the Nazis soon stripped away the 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 persecution intensified during the Second World War, as German expansion eastward increased the number of Jews in Nazi-occupied territories.
• While many German citizens disliked what was happening to Jewish communities and other minorities, the use of censorship and the secret police minimized opposition.

The Aryan Race and Eugenics

• The Nazis aimed at enhancing Germany's strength through various policies concerning women, children, the Church, and culture.
• Their emphasis on eugenics and racial hygiene aimed to bolster the 'German' population's vitality.

• Aryans were considered the superior race by Hitler, characterized by being blonde, blue-eyed, and athletic.
• Hitler attributed Germany's defeat in World War I to what he termed the 'pollution' of the Aryan race.
• While other white Western races were respected, they were seen as inferior to the Aryans in the Nazi ideology.
• Races from Eastern Europe, such as Slavs, were deemed as 'Untermenschen' or sub-humans.
• Jewish people and Black individuals were regarded as the lowest races according to Hitler's beliefs.

How Did the Nazis Persecute Minorities?

Anti-Semitism and the Persecution of Jewish People

• By 1933, Germany had a Jewish population of merely 437,000, constituting less than 1% of the total population.
• Upon Hitler assuming chancellorship in 1933, the persecution of Jewish people commenced immediately.

• The Nazis employed propaganda and censorship as tools to undermine Jewish culture.
• In educational institutions, children were indoctrinated to identify Jewish individuals and view them as 'Lebensunwertes' or unworthy of life.
• Starting from 1934, certain municipalities prohibited Jewish people from accessing public recreational areas like parks and swimming pools.
  • From 1935 onwards, Jewish individuals were barred from enlisting in the army.

The Nuremberg Laws, 1935

• The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 intensified the persecution of Jewish individuals in Germany:

• Anyone with three or four Jewish grandparents was classified as Jewish, irrespective of their religious practices.
• Even those who had converted to Christianity were still subjected to persecution.
• Starting from 1938, Jewish people were mandated to declare their assets and carry identification cards.

The Events of ‘Kristallnacht’

• Persecution of Jewish individuals intensified in November 1938 during an event termed ‘Kristallnacht’ (Night of Broken Glass).

• Jewish people faced repercussions for the occurrence of ‘Kristallnacht’. 
  • They were required to collectively contribute 1 billion marks for repairing the damages.
  • By the 12th of November, approximately 20,000 Jewish individuals had been transported to concentration camps like Dachau.

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