German Anti-Semitism
Nazi anti-Semitism is remembered as horrific and unprecedented. However, the Nazis merely built upon anti-Jewish beliefs and policies that had already existed in Germany. In 1895, the Reichstag discussed a proposal by anti-Semites to begin excluding Jews. The speaker, Ahlwardt, revealed that his view of the Jews was basically a duplicate of Martin Luthers’ that had existed 350 years before. Jews were criminals and infectious germs that damaged the German quality of life (Hilberg, 17). Ahlwardt also discussed a relatively new idea that Jews were no longer simply followers of a different religion, but a completely different race of people altogether. The beginnings of anti-Jewish racism had developed in the seventeenth century and by the nineteenth century racists argued that cultural traits were a result of physical traits. Physical traits could not change so neither could social behavior or cultural practices. Therefore, the Jews were viewed as a separate race (Hilberg, 19).
The widespread acceptance of anti-Semitism by the German people permitted Hitler’s rise to power. Anti-Jewish ideas were expanded and repeated by the Nazis through speeches and propaganda. In 1920, an article in a Nazi newspaper argued that “Jewish vermin” should be swept away with an “iron broom” (Voelkischer Beobachter, 20). In 1922, a German audience applauded Gustav Seifert, a local Nazi leader, after he publicly blamed Eastern Jews for all of Germany’s problems (Kater, 6).
Although the idea of destroying the Jews had already been thought of by anti-Semites long before Hitler, it was Hitler that “turned the fantasy into reality” (Dawidowicz, 26). Hitler was able to take political power, organize the nation’s resources, and institutionalize Jewish racism. His speeches and writings show his commitment to the goal of destroying the Jews. He viewed them as children of the devil and a dangerous enemy. As speaker of the Nazi Party, Hitler argued that the Jews’ betrayed Germany and could not be trusted. In 1923, he began writing Mein Kampf, which expressed his hatred and struggle against the Jews (Dawidowicz, 27). In a 1940 speech, he referred to the Jews as a “satanical power” that had influences all over the nation (Hilberg, 17). Lucy Dawidowicz, a Jewish historian, argues that Hitler launched World War II as a means to carry out his premeditated “war against the Jews” (Browning, 9). Whether or not this is true, Hitler was clearly committed to his Jewish hatred. Prior to the war, he predicted the destruction of the Jews in a speech to the Reichstag. He continued to discuss the Jewish people as the “universal poisoners of all people” in his final political statements before he committed suicide in 1945 (Dawidowicz, 33). Hitler’s anti-Semitism was not unique in its philosophy but unique in its efficiency by facilitating the death of six million European Jews.
Image: Hitler saluting SS troops with Himmler to his left.
Source: Jewish Virtual Library
The widespread acceptance of anti-Semitism by the German people permitted Hitler’s rise to power. Anti-Jewish ideas were expanded and repeated by the Nazis through speeches and propaganda. In 1920, an article in a Nazi newspaper argued that “Jewish vermin” should be swept away with an “iron broom” (Voelkischer Beobachter, 20). In 1922, a German audience applauded Gustav Seifert, a local Nazi leader, after he publicly blamed Eastern Jews for all of Germany’s problems (Kater, 6).
Although the idea of destroying the Jews had already been thought of by anti-Semites long before Hitler, it was Hitler that “turned the fantasy into reality” (Dawidowicz, 26). Hitler was able to take political power, organize the nation’s resources, and institutionalize Jewish racism. His speeches and writings show his commitment to the goal of destroying the Jews. He viewed them as children of the devil and a dangerous enemy. As speaker of the Nazi Party, Hitler argued that the Jews’ betrayed Germany and could not be trusted. In 1923, he began writing Mein Kampf, which expressed his hatred and struggle against the Jews (Dawidowicz, 27). In a 1940 speech, he referred to the Jews as a “satanical power” that had influences all over the nation (Hilberg, 17). Lucy Dawidowicz, a Jewish historian, argues that Hitler launched World War II as a means to carry out his premeditated “war against the Jews” (Browning, 9). Whether or not this is true, Hitler was clearly committed to his Jewish hatred. Prior to the war, he predicted the destruction of the Jews in a speech to the Reichstag. He continued to discuss the Jewish people as the “universal poisoners of all people” in his final political statements before he committed suicide in 1945 (Dawidowicz, 33). Hitler’s anti-Semitism was not unique in its philosophy but unique in its efficiency by facilitating the death of six million European Jews.
Image: Hitler saluting SS troops with Himmler to his left.
Source: Jewish Virtual Library