Nazi persecution

Focus Task 9.13

Groups persecuted by Nazis Why were the groups Nazi actions towards them
targeted? and what happened to them
The Jews The Jews were targeted by Throughout the war,
the Nazis for racial reasons. millions more Jews came
All the Jews of Europe were under German control. Anti-
systematically targeted for Jewish policy evolved into
murder by the Nazi regime. mass murder, then
The Nazis considered Jews a systematic genocide. Not
“mortal threat” to the only German Jews, but all
German “race.” Jews were Jewish men, women, and
not only viewed in Nazi children who came within
ideology as alien and Nazi Germany’s reach were
biologically “subhuman.” systematically targeted for
They were also considered murder. This measure was
to be a “mortal enemy.” The referred to as the “Final
Nazis believed that Jews Solution to the Jewish
were harmful to the strength Question in Europe.” Two-
and purity of the German thirds, or six million, of
race. In the Nazis’ view, Europe’s Jews were killed
Jews needed to be destroyed by Nazi Germany and its
to ensure the long-term collaborators. Jewish
survival of “German- businesses were boycotted
blooded” people. In the as well.
1930s, this meant the forced
emigration of Jews from
Germany and annexed
Austria. Efforts evolved
during World War II.

The Communists/political On the evening of February Hitler saw a chance to get

opponents 27, 1933, alarms suddenly rid of what he considered
rang out in the Reichstag as the Nazis’ most immediate
fire destroyed the building’s rival—the Communists—so
main chamber. Within 20 he ordered the arrest of
minutes, Hitler was on the anyone with ties to the
scene to declare: “This is a Communist Party. Within
God-given signal! If this days, the Nazis had thrown
fire, as I believe, turns out to 4,000 Communists and their
be the handiwork of leaders into hastily created
Communists, then there is prisons and concentration
nothing that shall stop us camps. By the end of March,
now from crushing out this 20,000 Communists had
murderous pest with an iron been arrested, and by the
 fist". Hitler believed the end of that summer more
communists were the than 100,000 Communists
reasons were imprisoned. Political
opponents in Germany were
the first prisoners of Nazi
concentration camps. This
prisoner category included
anti-Nazi activists,
outspoken dissidents, and
members of European
resistance groups. It also
came to include persons who
were only suspected of anti-
Nazi sentiments or who
privately criticized or
mocked the Nazi regime. An
undetermined number of
men and women who were
imprisoned as political
prisoners died or were
killed.
Homosexuals Homosexuals—gay men— Between 1933 and 1945, an
were viewed by the Nazis as estimated 100,000 men were
socially “deviant.” The arrested in Germany under
Nazis considered them a Paragraph 175 of the
danger to Nazi policies German Criminal Code. Of
aimed at raising the German the 50,000 men sentenced as
birth-rate. “175ers,” 5,000 to 15,000
individuals were imprisoned
in concentration camps.
Hundreds, possibly
thousands, died from harsh
treatment.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Jehovah’s Witnesses were a Approximately 1,900
religious organization. There Jehovah’s Witnesses died in
were about 20,000 members the camps. Most of the
in Germany in 1933. As part victims were men of
of the strictures of their German nationality. Within
faith, they refused to swear months of the Nazi takeover,
allegiance to any worldly regional governments,
government and would not primarily those of Bavaria
bear arms for any nation. and Prussia, initiated
Small as the movement was, aggressive steps against
it threatened Nazi demands Jehovah's Witnesses,
for total loyalty to Hitler and breaking up their meetings,
the state. ransacking and then
occupying their local
offices. By April 1, 1935,
the Reich and Prussian
Minister of the Interior
ordered the responsible local
officials to dissolve the
 Watchtower Society.A
special unit of the Gestapo
View This Term in the
Glossary (secret state police)
compiled a registry of all
persons believed to be
Jehovah's Witnesses.
Gestapo agents infiltrated
Bible study meetings. While
Jehovah's Witnesses as such
were not banned, many of
the activities which were
basic to the exercise of the
faith increasingly came
under attack. A special unit
of the Gestapo View This
Term in the Glossary (secret
state police) compiled a
registry of all persons
believed to be Jehovah's
Witnesses. Gestapo agents
infiltrated Bible study
meetings. While Jehovah's
Witnesses as such were not
banned, many of the
activities which were basic
to the exercise of the faith
increasingly came under
attack.
Soviets and Poles The Nazis aimed to prevent Poles were viewed as
organized Polish resistance “subhuman” Slavs. They
following Germany’s suffered a brutal German
invasion of Poland in occupation. Tens of
September 1939. This is the thousands of members of the
reason they were persecuted Polish elites were killed or
by Nazi Germany. Hitler imprisoned as potential
saw the soviet and poles as leaders of the Polish
political and social threat to resistance. Captured Soviet
the regime. soldiers were viewed as
“subhuman” Slavs. The
Nazis believed they were
linked to the “Judeo-
Bolshevik threat.” 3.3
million Soviet soldiers died
in executions or through
intentional starvation and
mistreatment. As part of this
policy, Nazi forces killed or
imprisoned tens of
thousands of men and
women from the Polish
elites. The victims included
 wealthy landowners,
clergymen, government
officials, teachers, doctors,
dentists, military officers,
and journalists. Less
educated Polish citizens,
including many young men
and women, were
transported to Germany for
labor, most of them against
their will. There, the
approximately 1.5 million
Poles, along with other
eastern Europeans, were
subject to harsh
discrimination. Hundreds of
Polish men were executed
for having sexual relations
with German women. The
Nazis viewed these acts as
“racial defilement.”

A total of 3.3 million Soviet

prisoners of war (POWs),
including female soldiers,
died. They were killed by
executions, starvation,
disease, exposure, beatings,
and other mistreatment.
German treatment of Soviet
POWs violated the Geneva
Convention and every
standard of war. In
comparison, most British
and American POWs
survived German captivity.
Nazi ideology regarded
them as racial equals.

Germans with Disabilities Individuals with mental and Germans with mental and
physical disabilities deemed physical disabilities were
hereditary were targeted by considered a burden on
the Nazis. The Nazis viewed German society and the
these individuals as state. Approximately
biologically “defective” and 250,000 people were killed
a drain on national in the so-called Euthanasia
resources. They were seen Program dedicated to
as financial drains to eliminating this perceived
society. problem. Nazi propaganda
depicted them as “useless
eaters.” A 1933 law aimed
to prevent the birth of
 children with genetic
“defects.” It enacted forced
sterilization View This Term
in the Glossary of persons
diagnosed with certain
mental or physical
conditions. An estimated
300,000 to 400,000 males
and females were sterilized.
Among the persons
sterilized were many
teenaged youths. The Nazis
used the “national
emergency” of war as a
cover. In 1939 the regime
escalated their policies
against individuals with
disabilities. They targeted
for murder disabled patients
living in mental health and
other care institutions. A
total of 250,000 people were
killed in the secret “T-4”
and related “euthanasia”
programs carried out inside
Greater Germany. Most of
the victims were ethnically
German, not Jewish. Some
7,000 children were among
the victims. Victims of the
T-4 program were killed in
gas chambers disguised as
showers, the first time this
method of murder and
deception was used.
“Gypsies” The Gypsies were viewed by Between 250,000 and
the Nazis as both a racial 500,000 Roma View This
and societal problem. The Term in the Glossary and
Nazis believed that the Sinti were killed by Nazi
“Gypsies” carried Germany and its
"degenerate" blood and collaborators during the war.
criminal characteristics. Men, women, and children
were victims of the
genocide. In Nazi Germany
some individuals identified
as “Gypsies” were also
sterilized against their will.
An additional unknown
number of Roma View This
Term in the Glossary and
Sinti were imprisoned in
 concentration camps as
“asocials.”

Focus Task 9.15

Group Examples of methods Your Judgement on Evidence to support

used to control effectiveness of control your judgement
Political opponents The Nazis controlled Effective (4/5) Hitler's political
political opponents opponents were the
with fear and creating first victims of
new laws against systematic Nazi
their political persecution. Hitler
opponents. also made a new law.
The Law against the
Founding of New
Parties proclaimed the
Nazi Party as the only
political party in
Germany, which
became a one-party
dictatorship led by
him. If the Hitler got
rid of the political
parties, the Nazis
would not have any
competition and could
easily seize power.
The Enabling Act
allowed the Reich
government to issue
laws without the
consent of Germany's
parliament, laying the
foundation for the
complete Nazification
of German society.

Communist leader
Ernst Thaelmann Ernst
Thaelmann, leader of
the German
Communist Party, was
detained during a mass
arrest of Communists
following the fire that
virtually destroyed the
Reichstag (German
parliament) building.
Germany, date
uncertain. DIZ
Muenchen GMBH,
 Sueddeutscher Verlag
Bilderdienst Anti-Nazi
politicians and union
workers either fled
Germany or faced
long-term confinement
in a concentration
camp. Ernst
Thälmann, leader of
the German
Communist party
since 1925 and one-
time candidate for the
German presidency,
for example, had been
arrested after the fire
that destroyed German
parliament building in
1933. He spent more
than 11 years in the
camps. The SS killed
him in Buchenwald
concentration camp on
August 18, 1944.

On the eve of World

War II, concentration
camps held about
25,000 inmates, most
of them political
prisoners. This
increased fear among
other political
opponents which led
most of them to not
being so open about
their political
opinions. Therefor
anti-Nazi opinions
were less likely to be
spread among people.

Churches The Nazis controlled (3/5) somewhat In 1933 Hitler agreed

the churches by strict effective a Concordat with the
policies and Pope, which said that
bargaining. he would not interfere
in the running of the
Catholic Church if it
stayed out of political
matters. This helped
the Nazis stop the
Church from
interfering with the
 Nazi’s business even
though the Nazis
infiltrated the Church
and spread their
propaganda.

The reason the method

used for control wasn’t
completed effected
was because many
churches still opposed
Hitler. Attendance at
Catholic churches
increased substantially
under the Nazis,
showing that Hitler’s
attempts to reduce the
influence of religion in
Germany was
ultimately
unsuccessful. Both
Protestant and
Catholic clergy also
played a large role in
opposing Hitler and
the Nazis.
Jews The Nazis controlled (5/5) Very effective In the first six years of
Jews with fear and Adolf Hitler's
anti-Jewish dictatorship, Jews felt
legislation. the effects of more
than 400 decrees and
regulations on all
aspects of their lives.
The regulations
gradually but
systematically took
away their rights and
property, transforming
them from citizens
into outcasts. Many of
the laws were national
ones issued by the
German
administration,
affecting all Jews.
State, regional, and
municipal officials
also issued many
decrees in their own
communities. As Nazi
leaders prepared for
war in Europe,
antisemitic legislation
in Germany and
Austria paved the way
for more radical
persecution of Jews.
The Germans wanted
to control the Jews and
stop them from
poisoning the
German’s “blood”. At
their annual party rally
held in Nuremberg in
September 1935, the
Nazi leaders
announced new laws
which institutionalized
many of the racial
theories prevalent in
Nazi ideology. These
"Nuremberg Laws"
excluded German
Jews from Reich
citizenship and
prohibited them from
marrying or having
sexual relations with
persons of "German or
German-related
blood."

In April 1933,
German law restricted
the number of Jewish
students at German
schools and
universities. In the
same month, further
legislation sharply
curtailed "Jewish
activity" in the
medical and legal
professions.
Subsequent laws and
decrees restricted
reimbursement of
Jewish doctors from
public (state) health
insurance funds. Jews
were disenfranchised
(that is, they had no
formal expectation to
the right to vote) and
could not hold public
office.

Jews who were anti-

Nazi were sent to
concentration camps.
Keeping control over
the Jews helped Hitler
consolidate his power
 and put blame on
others. The Jews were
seen as a scapegoat for
Hitler, therefor it was
important to have
control over them just
in case they tried to
rebel.
Young people The Nazis controlled Effective (4/5) From the 1920s
young people with onwards, the Nazi
propaganda. Party targeted German
youth as a special
audience for its
propaganda messages.
These messages
emphasized that the
Party was a movement
of youth: dynamic,
resilient, forward-
looking, and hopeful.
Millions of German
young people were
won over to Nazism in
the classroom and
through extracurricular
activities. In January
1933, the Hitler Youth
had approximately
100,000 members, but
by the end of the year
this figure had
increased to more than
2 million. By 1937
membership in the
Hitler Youth increased
to 5.4 million before it
became mandatory in
1939.

Schools played an
important role in
spreading Nazi ideas
to German youth.
While censors
removed some books
from the classroom,
German educators
introduced new
textbooks that taught
students love for
Hitler, obedience to
state authority,
militarism, racism, and
antisemitism.

Propaganda played a
role in brainwashing
 people from a young
age to obey Hitler and
see him almost like a
god like figure. It
definently played an
important role in
controlling young
people’s minds
Women The Nazis controlled Effective (4/5) The methods the Nazis
women by used to control women
propaganda and were effected even
praising/giving prizes though it didn’t seem
to them if they like much. German
followed the rules of women played a vital
the Nazi regime and role in the Nazi
had the traditional movement, one which
roles of a married far exceeded the Nazi
women. Party’s propaganda
that a woman’s place
was strictly in the
home as mothers and
child-bearers. Of the
estimated forty million
German women in the
Reich, some thirteen
million were active in
Nazi Party
organizations that
furthered the regime’s
goals of racial purity,
imperial conquest, and
global war. This all
shows the result of the
Nazis control over
women.

The Nazis offered

tempting financial
incentives for married
couples to have at
least 4 children.
Mothers got a gold
cross for having 8
children. Posters, radio
podcasts and more
celebrate the ideas of
motherhood and
homebuilding.
Women’s traditional
roles were also taught
in school. With all
these encouragements
the birth rate increased
in Germany.
Workers Hitler controlled the Effective (4/5) Hitler aimed for full
workers using laws to employment and self-
help them and sufficiency for
increasing their German people
wages, so they don’t through a variety of
rebel against Hitler methods. Some
(since he is profiting employers got around
their businesses and the wage controls
farms). introduced by the
Nazis by giving
Christmas bonuses.
Big businesses were
the main winners. By
1937 they controlled
over 70 per cent of
production.
Rearmament boosted
profits of big weapons
companies, and
managers of the major
industrial companies
saw their incomes rise
by 50 per cent
between 1933 and
1939.

Farmers benefitted as
well By 1937,
agricultural prices had
increased by 20 per
cent. Agricultural
wages rose more
quickly than those in
industry. The
Hereditary Farm Law
of 1933 prevented
farms in debt from
being repossessed by
banks.

Since the Nazis were

benefiting workers so
much, they kept voting
for the Nazis and
following their ideals.
They thought that
since everything was
going well in the Nazi
regime, there was no
point in voting for
communists or other
political parties.

The method used by

Hitler was effective
however there were
still some workers
(e.g., female workers)
who opposed to Hitler.