Nazi Persecution: Ideology, Laws, and Atrocities

Nazi Racial Ideology and Early Persecution

Defining the "Aryan Race" and "Sub-Humans"

Adolf Hitler propagated the belief that the "Aryan race" represented the ideal human form: blond hair, blue eyes, tall, and athletic. Conversely, he declared that Jewish people and Roma (often referred to as "Gypsies") were "sub-human" and undeserving of life.

The 1933 Sterilization Law

The Nazi regime swiftly implemented its discriminatory policies. In 1933, the Sterilization Law was passed, authorizing the forced sterilization of individuals deemed to have hereditary illnesses, such as mental disabilities. This horrific practice also extended to "tramps" and beggars. It is believed that approximately 700,000 people were forcibly sterilized under this law.

Expansion of Persecution and Concentration Camps

By 1936, the scope of persecution broadened significantly. Juvenile delinquents, "tramps," homosexuals, and Jewish people began to be sent to concentration camps. From 1938, Roma people were also included in these forced deportations. Further discriminatory legislation was enacted in 1935, banning intermarriage between Roma and Germans, and later, between Black people and Aryans.

Banning Intermarriage and Euthanasia Program

The Nazis firmly believed that mental illness was hereditary. This belief tragically led to the implementation of a systematic euthanasia program from 1939. Initially, victims were killed by starvation or lethal injection, but later, gas chambers were employed. Approximately 70,000 people were murdered through this program.

The Persecution of Jewish People

Early Discrimination and Boycotts

At the time, approximately 1% of Germany's population was Jewish. Their distinct customs and religion made them appear 'different' to some, a perception exploited by Nazi propaganda. Hitler falsely claimed that the defeat in World War I was the fault of the Jews. In April 1933, the Nazi government organized a nationwide boycott of Jewish shops and businesses. Jewish people were systematically banned from various professions, including:

• Government employment
• Medicine
• Teaching
• Journalism

By 1935, Jews were further banned from public places such as parks, cinemas, swimming pools, and even the army.

The Nuremberg Laws of 1935

A pivotal moment in the escalation of persecution occurred in September 1935 with the introduction of the Nuremberg Laws. These laws fundamentally stripped Jewish people of their rights and citizenship:

• The Reich Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour explicitly prohibited marriage between Jews and Aryans.
• The Reich Law on Citizenship declared that only individuals of "German blood" could be German citizens.

Consequently, Jewish people could no longer vote or hold a German passport. Many attempted to emigrate to escape the escalating persecution. While the Nazis banned emigration in 1941, by this time, two-thirds of the Jewish population had already fled the country. The remaining 160,000, unable to leave, tragically suffered under the "Final Solution", implemented from 1941.

Intensification of Persecution: 1938

Increased Control and Professional Bans

The year 1938 saw a further tightening of control over Jewish lives. All Jewish possessions had to be registered with the government, and Jewish people were compelled to carry identity cards at all times. Jewish professionals, including doctors and lawyers, were prohibited from working for non-Jews.

Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass

In November 1938, a German official was murdered by a Jewish man, which the Nazis used as a pretext for a nationwide pogrom. On the night of November 9-10, 1938, known as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), widespread violence erupted:

• Over 800 Jewish-owned shops were destroyed.
• 191 synagogues were vandalized or set on fire.
• Many Jewish homes were attacked.
• 91 Jews were killed.
• 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Adding insult to injury, the Nazis decided that the Jewish community itself had to pay 1 billion Reichmarks for the damage caused during Kristallnacht.