The Holocaust. Notes to accompany the PowerPoint (2007)

Table of Contents

Slide #

Slide Title

Page #

The Holocaust: Introduction

Definition of the Holocaust

The Holocaust Was Unique

Map: Two Thousand Years of Jewish Life in Europe by 1933

Graph: Jews in the World in the Early 19^th and 20^th Centuries

7-10

Photos: Jewish Life Before the War

Perspectives Triangle: Victims

The Victims

Pyramid of Holocaust Progression

Who Was Hitler?

- Born in Austria

- Hitler’s Family Tree

- Reared Catholic

- Aspired to be an Artist

- Exposed to Antisemitic Influences While in Vienna

- Moved to Germany to Avoid the Draft

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis

26-27

- Treaty of Versailles

- Economics

▪ Unemployment in Germany 1928-1933

32-33

▪ Inflation in Germany

▪ Worldwide Depression 1929

- German Nationalism

- Antisemitism

Hitler’s Rise to Power

- Birth of the Nazi Party

- The Weimar Republic

- Beer Hall (Munich) Putsch - November 8-9, 1923

- Mein Kampf

- Chart: Reichstag Deputies 1919-1933

49-50

- Nazi Election Posters

- Hitler Appointed Chancellor

- Reichstag Fire (Feb. 27, 1933) / Emergency Decree

- Enabling Act (March 23, 1933)

- Night of the Long Knives (June 30, 1934)

- Hitler Becomes Führer

What the Nazis Believed

- Listing of Beliefs

- Dr. Seuss Editorial Cartoon, “Second Creation”

- Racial Science

- Nazi Platform

- Nazi Symbols

Perspectives Triangle: Perpetrators

The Perpetrators

Chart of Occupational Background of Nazi Leaders

Crucial Divisions of the Nazi Party

Slide #

Slide Title

Page #

Nazi Intentions Revealed

- Anti-Jewish Policies

▪ Laws Restricting Civil Rights

77-79

▪ Laws Restricting Personal Rights

▪ Laws Restricting Education

▪ Laws Restricting Occupation

▪ Laws Restricting Private Property and Business

▪ Quote Noting the Progression of Restrictions

- Boycott of Jewish Shops (April 1, 1933)

- Nazi Book Burning (May 10, 1933)

- Nuremberg Laws (September 15, 1935)

- The November Decree (November 14, 1935)

Nazi Propaganda

- The Hitler Youth

- Education in Nazi Germany

▪ The German National Catechism

▪ Typical School Day

▪ Changes in the Curriculum

▪ Excerpt from Biology Textbook

100

▪ Math Lesson for First Grade

101

▪ The Poisonous Mushroom

102

▪ “Juden-Raus!” (Jews Out)

▪ Additions to the Curriculum

103

- Teaching Racial Ideology

104

- Teaching War Oriented Sports

105

- Media

106

▪ Newspaper

107

▪ Radio

108

▪ Film

109

▪ Posters

111

- 1936 Olympics in Berlin

112

Violations of the Treaty of Versailles

112

- Map

114

- The Rhineland Falls (March 1936)

116-117

- Anschluss of Austria (March 13, 1938)

119

- Sudetenland Falls (September 1938)

120

Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938)

121

- Photos of Burning Synagogues

122

- Photos of Destruction of Property

123

- Photos of Victims

124

- Map: Jews Sent to Concentration Camps, November 1938

125

Jewish Emigration

126

- Chart: Jewish Emigration from Nazi Territories 1933-1941

128

- Why Not Leave?

130-131

- Evian Conference (July 6-15, 1938)

133

- Map: German Jews Find Refuge, 1933-1938

135

- Chart: American Immigration 1820-2000

137

- Kindertransport / Children’s Transport (1938-1940)

139

- The S.S. St. Louis, “Voyage of the Damned” (May 13, 1939)

141

- Palestine Shuts Its Doors

iii

Slide #

Slide Title

Page #

142

German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (August 23, 1939)

143

World War II Begins

143

- Map: World War II, 1939-1942

145

- The German Invasion of Poland (Sept. 1, 1939)

147

- Map: Poland’s Jewish Communities on the Eve of War

149

- The Blitzkrieg of Poland

151

- The Division of Poland

153-155

- Germanization of Polish Gentiles

100

157

- Isolation of Polish Jews

102

158

▪ Humiliation and Terror

103

160

▪ Forced Labor

104

162

▪ Expulsion

105

164-165

▪ The Jewish Badge

106

166

The Ghettos

108

167

- Map: Ghettos in Occupied Europe 1939-1944

108

168

- Chart: Major Jewish Ghettos

108

169

Ghetto Life

109

170

- Judenrat

109

172

- Arrival

110

173

- Map of Lodz Ghetto / Building Ghetto Walls

110

175-177

- Daily Life

111

179

- Jewish Life

112

181

- Conditions

113

183

- Smuggling

114

185

- Forced Labor

114

187-189

- Liquidation / Resettlement

115

190

- Drawing: “The Ghetto” by Samual Bak

116

191

Attack in the West

118

193

- Invasion of Denmark & Norway (April 9, 1940)

118

195

- Invasion of the Lowlands (May 10, 1940)

121

197

- Invasion of France (May 13, 1940)

124

198

▪ Hitler Tours Paris

125

199

▪ Armistice (June 22, 1940)

125

200

▪ “Stamps” - Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

127

201

- Italy Joins the Axis (June 10, 1940)

128

203-204

- The Battle of Britain (July 10, 1940)

129

205

The Tripartite Pact

130

206

Attack in the South (April 1941)

131

207

Dr. Seuss Political Cartoon, “Pulling in Russia”

134

208

Attack in the East

134

209-210

- The Invasion (June 22, 1941)

134

212

- Soviet P.O.W.’s

136

214-216

- Einsatzgruppen

138

218

- Bialystock Massacre (June 27, 1941)

142

220

- Babi Yar Massacre (September 28-29, 1941)

143

221

- Elegy for the Jewish Villages

144

Slide #

Slide Title

Page #

222

Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

145

223-224

Wannsee Conference (January 20, 1942)

146

225

The Evolution of Death

148

226

Deportations

150

227

- Drawing: “In the Railway Car” by Ella Shiber

153

228

- “Written in Pencil in a Sealed Railway Car” by Dan Pagis

154

229

- Map: Deportations to Auschwitz

155

230

The Camps

156

231-233

- Types of Concentration Camps

156

235

- The Extermination Camps

158

237

- Treblinka

164

239-243

- Auschwitz

167

245

▪ Arrival

168

247-249

▪ Selection

169

251

▪ “Canada”

172

253-254

▪ Registration

173

256

▪ Daily Life

176

256

- Barracks

176

258-259

- Roll Call

177

261-262

- Food

178

264

- Slave Labor

179

266

- Brutality

181

268

- Survival

182

270

▪ Medical Experiments

184

272

▪ Extermination

185

274-276

- Gassings

186

278-279

- Crematorium I

189

281

- Crematorium II

190

283

- Crematorium III

191

285

- Crematorium IV

192

287

- Crematorium V

193

288

- Artwork: “In Memory of the Czech Transport”

193

290

- The Value of Life

194

291

▪ Calculation by the SS of Profit Value of Prisoners

194

292

▪ Quote: Primo Levy Describes the Camps

194

293

Resistance

195

294

- Obstacles to Resistance

195

296

- Jewish Resistance

197

298

- Non-Jewish Resistance

199

300-302

- Resistance in the Ghettos and the Camps

201

304-305

- Partisan Activity

204

306-307

The Final Stages of War

205

309-310

- Allied Invasion at Normandy, D-Day (June 6, 1944)

205

312-313

- The Allies Close In

206

315-317

- Death Marches

207

319-322

- Liberation

209

324

- Yalta (Crimea) Conference (February 4-11, 1945)

214

326

- Hitler’s Last Days

216

328

- The Fall of Berlin (May 2, 1945)

217

330

- Surrender in the West (May 8, 1945)

218

332

- Allied Occupation and Denazification

220

Slide #

Slide Title

Page #

333

The Aftermath

222

334

- Jewish Losses

222

336

- Displaced Persons (DP’s)

227

338

- Potsdam Conference (July 17 - August 2, 1945)

229

339

- Map: Europe after World War I and World War II

231

341-345

- The Nuremberg Trials (November 20, 1945-October 1, 1946)

231

346

Perspectives Triangle: Bystanders

239

347-348

Bystanders

239

349

Perspectives Triangle: Rescuers

240

350

Rescue

241

351

- What Motivated Rescuers?

241

353

- Methods of Rescue

242

355

- Individuals Who Rescued

242

357

- Diplomats Who Rescued

246

359

- Governments That Rescued

250

361

- Righteous Among Nations

252

362

▪ American Righteous Gentiles

253

363

▪ Avenue of the Righteous, Yad Vashem

254

364

America and the Holocaust

255

365

- Antisemitism in the U.S. / Emergency Rescue Committee

256

367

- Bund Report / The Riegner Telegram

259

369

- The Bergson Group

262

371

- Jan Karski / War Refugee Board

264

373

- Why Auschwitz Was Not Bombed?

268

375

- The New York Times

270

376

Monuments and Memorials

272

376

- Yad Vashem’s Memorial to the Deportees

272

377

- Janusz Korczak

272

378

- Treblinka

273

379

- Plaszow Memorial

273

380

- Sculpture of Love & Anguish / Miami Beach, FL

274

381

- Shoes on the Danube Bank / Budapest, Hungary

274

382

- Rosenstrasse Memorial

275

383

- Yad Vashem’s Valley of the Communities

276

384-385

Survivors

277

386

The Children “A Loss of Infinite Possibilities”

278

387-389

Works Cited

279

Slide 1

How to Navigate PowerPoint

Slide 2

The Holocaust: Introduction

The Holocaust is often taught in terms of dictators, war, suffering and death; however, in order to more

fully process the implications of the Holocaust, one must also consider the sorrows and the joys of the

people who experienced this tragic event.

Recognizing that the Alabama Course of Study minimally addresses issues regarding the Holocaust

and its relevance to today, and recognizing that resources can be both difficult to locate and

overwhelming, this presentation seeks to assist teachers by providing them with an extensive, yet

user-friendly format for middle and high school instruction that incorporates multi-disciplinary

information.

Many students study historical events with the expectation that a closer examination will provide

greater knowledge, understanding, and ultimately, a sense of closure. The study of the Holocaust

often defies this notion by raising more questions than answers, and by leading students to grapple

with important ethical issues such as:

- the importance of tolerance

- the dangers of being a bystander

- the qualities of a rescuer

- learning to speak out

- moral responsibility

- the power of ONE

- the dangers of indifference

- making our own decisions

- caring for our fellow man

- the power of hope

These questions, and the issues they raise, are important for students to ponder, but such study does

not lead to a neat, orderly conclusion about the Holocaust.

Teaching about the Holocaust is not only a matter of teaching facts, but also cultivating empathy and

sensitivity for others. The purpose of this presentation is to assist the classroom teacher in his/her

efforts to provide a sound foundation for the study of the Holocaust. Included are the following:

* Historical information

* Maps, charts, graphs

* Quotes

* Artwork

* Photographs

* Political cartoons

* Primary and secondary sources

Although some primary testimony is included, additional sources selected by the classroom teacher

will enhance the student’s ability to make personal connections with this atrocity.

Slide 6

Graph: A Comparison - Jews in the World in the Early 19^th C and Early 20^th C

By 1933 there were approximately 9.4 million Jews in Europe, with more than 78% living in Poland,

the Soviet Union, Romania, and Hungary.

Poland

3.1 million

U.S.S.R.

2.5 million

Romania

750,000

Hungary

440,000

The position of Jews in West and Central Europe (the latter including Germany, Czechoslovakia,

Austria, and Hungary) was quite different from that of those in Eastern Europe.

Western Europe

In the developed countries of the industrialized West, the Jews were, by and large, an economically

well-integrated group of merchants, industrialists, craftsmen and professionals.

Eastern Europe

In the East, with its relatively backward economic structure, there were no large-scale industries to

absorb the Jewish working class or to support a commerce that would provide employment to Jewish

traders. The peasants, the majority of the population, panicked by the economic crises, turned against

the Jewish traders who sold their produce and provided them with industrial products. As urbanization

increased, peasants settled in towns to compete with Jews in crafts and trade. Fired by economic

competition and nationalistic slogans, the middle classes once again viewed the Jews as foreign

competitors who had to be suppressed by the government.

The governments in Poland and Romania complied. Although the Jewish population of Poland was

about 10%, these Jews paid 40% of the taxes. Although the Jews were 27.3 % of the Polish urban

population, their participation in municipal administration was only 3.4% in 1931. Because they failed

tests in Polish history, geography, and language, thousands of Jewish shoemakers and tailors were

deprived of their licenses in 1927. When Poland nationalized the railways in the late 1920’s, 6,000

Jews were dismissed. By 1931, 48.86% of Polish Jews had an income of less than $10/week. An

economic crisis hit everyone, not only the Jews, but 1/3 of Polish Jewry was on the verge of starvation

or beyond in the 1930’s.

Despite all this, there was a flourishing social and cultural life in Jewish Eastern Europe, especially in

Poland: political parties, schools, theaters, orchestras, newspapers and books. The Polish and

Romanian governments even tried to persuade the Western countries to permit Jewish immigration,

but were not successful. This prelude to the Holocaust may serve to explain, in part at least, why the

mass destruction that followed succeeded.

Slide 7

Jewish Life Before the War: Photos

Questions to consider:

• Why do adults save pictures of children?

• When people gather to look at picture of family members and friends, what do they usually talk

about and notice?

• What do you notice about the facial expressions of the people in the pictures? The clothing?

The objects?

• How are the children in these photographs different from you? How are they similar?

• Normally adults protect children, but many of the children shown here were killed during the

Holocaust. Why would the Nazi regime kill children?

• Why did so many people who were victimized and persecuted during the Holocaust hide and

save photographs such as the ones shown here?

Activity:

Using Holocaust photos online, have students find a pre-war photo of a Holocaust victim that is similar

to one of their personal family photos.

_______________________________________________________________________________

These photographs enable us to glimpse the ordinary lives of Jews during the interwar period. We

see a world of family celebrations, rites of passage, vacations and home life.

Jewish life was also intertwined with the life of the nations among whom the Jews lived. By the

opening years of the 20^th century, many Jewish homes and livelihoods were as secure as they had

ever been, yet there were still large areas of poverty, particularly in eastern Poland and western

Russia. Anti-Jewish prejudice, however, had not disappeared, even in the most modern and cultured

states of Europe.

This is a good chance to instruct students on the differences between Orthodox Jews with their

traditional dress and the more Reform Jews whose dress reflects their assimilated lifestyle.

Slide 8

Jewish Life Before the War: Photos

Slide 9

Jewish Life Before the War: Photos

Slide 10

Jewish Life Before the War: Photos

Slide 11

Perspectives Triangle: Victims

Teacher Notes:

● It is beneficial to examine the different roles that participants played in this complex event. These

various roles were not always clear-cut, and in many instances were a result of choices made.

Students need to understand the impact of the choices that were made.

● Later in the presentation we will re-visit the “Perspectives Triangle” from the different perspectives.

See slides:

#70 Perpetrators

#346 Bystanders

#349 Rescuers

● Discuss the following quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.:

The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and

convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The victims were human beings, even though their human dignity was cruelly stripped away from

them. The perpetrators were human beings, even though they committed inhuman acts. There were

also many bystanders to these crimes, yet only a few became rescuers. The relevance, and indeed

urgency, of the Holocaust and its most crucial issues are consequently not limited to Jews alone. It is

a history that demands the attention of everyone who is a part of the human race.

Victims

This includes the approximately 6 million Jews and 6 million others who perished at the hand of the

Nazis as well as all those who suffered.

Bystanders

Ordinary people who played it safe by complying with the law and avoiding terrorizing activities.

It is sometimes difficult to draw the line that divides the bystander from the perpetrator. This raises the

question whether there is such a thing as a passive onlooker. Perhaps not taking action is also a

decision, and therefore a form of action in itself. After all, non-action has ramifications and effects the

outcome.

What was the responsibility of those who knew what was happening and chose not to get involved?

Rescuers

Those who, at great personal risk, actively helped members of the persecuted groups during the

Holocaust in defiance of the Third Reich policies. They were ordinary people who became

extraordinary because they acted in accordance with their own belief system, while living in an amoral

society.

Perpetrators

Those who committed crimes against the Victims for many reasons: power, profit, ideology, or even

following orders. Perpetrators were Nazi leaders, bankers, professors, military officials, doctors,

journalists, engineers, judges, authors, lawyers, salesmen, police and civil servants.

One might ask, at what particular point did these people choose to become killers? What influenced

such choices? To what extent do we share human traits with these men and women? What does this

show us about the potential in all of us?

Slide 12

The Victims

Teacher Notes:

There is a tendency to associate the Holocaust with only the Jews. Please emphasize that other

groups were targeted, but only the Jews were targeted for complete annihilation.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Jews

Jews were targeted for complete annihilation. Others in this list suffered restrictions, imprisonment,

and/or death.

Political Opponents

These were some of the first prisoners in the early concentration camps. Remnants of the Communist

and Socialist parties as well as members of the trade unions who resisted the Nazi regime. At the end

of July 1933, about 27,000 political prisoners were being held in “protective custody.” (80,000 were

killed)

Communism, and its specific Soviet form, Bolshevism, were in fact the ideological creations of the

Jewish race, Hitler maintained. He suggested that it was intentionally designed to infiltrate other

human races, to weaken them from within, and finally to facilitate Jewish domination of the world.

Unlike the Jews, political prisoners were sent to the camps not to die, but as punishment and to

“encourage” change in their behavior.

Habitual Criminals

Social criminals found in public jails were ultimately moved to concentration camps. Thus among the

prison population in the camps, one could find murderers, thieves and rapists.

Handicapped

These people threatened the Nazi plan for human perfection. The Nazis did not want them to

reproduce and did not want to be burdened financially with their care. Estimates exist that 200-

250,000 were murdered under the T-4 and other euthanasia programs.

Homosexuals

The Nazi campaign against homosexuality targeted the more than one million German men who, the

state asserted, carried a "degeneracy" that threatened the "disciplined masculinity" of Germany.

Denounced as "antisocial parasites" and as "enemies of the state," more than 100,000 men were

arrested under a broadly interpreted law against homosexuality. Approximately 50,000 men served

prison terms as convicted homosexuals, while an unknown number were institutionalized in mental

hospitals. Others-perhaps hundreds-were castrated under court order or coercion. Analyses of

fragmentary records suggest that between 5,000 and 15,000 homosexual men were imprisoned in

concentration camps, where many died from starvation, disease, exhaustion, beatings, and murder.

In the racist practice of Nazi eugenics, women were valued primarily for their ability to bear children.

The state presumed that women homosexuals were still capable of reproducing. Lesbians were not

systematically persecuted under Nazi rule, but they nonetheless did suffer the loss of their own

gathering places and associations.

Nazi Germany did not seek to kill all homosexuals. Nevertheless, the Nazi state, through active

persecution, attempted to terrorize German homosexuals into sexual and social conformity, leaving

thousands dead and shattering the lives of many more.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Nazi ideology required complete allegiance. This religious group refused to recognize any supreme

authority other than Jehovah. When asked to sign documents of loyalty to the Nazi party, they refused.

Approximately 2,000-2,500 Jehovah Witnesses were sent to concentration camps. They were unique

in that they were “voluntary prisoners.” If they recanted their beliefs, they could be freed. Of those

interned, approximately 1,400 perished. Several hundred were executed by German military tribunals

for refusing to serve in the German military.

Roma & Sinti (Gypsies)

This group most closely paralleled the experience of Jews in Germany.

These nomadic people were viewed as asocial and racially inferior. Their existence was seen as a

threat to “Aryan” blood purity. Gypsies were killed by the Einsatzgruppen as well as in the

extermination camps. At Auschwitz II (Birkenau), a special camp was built to house Gypsy inmates.

Gypsy children were subjected to brutal “medical experiments” by Dr. Mengele and his staff. It is

estimated that 220-500,000 were murdered out of a total population of about 1 million before the war.

Poles

Poles were considered a subhuman race that was nothing more than an obstacle to gaining territory

necessary for the superior German race. As such, they were often used as slave laborers in Germany,

the ghettos and the camps. (3 million died)

Freemasons

Although there is no agreement about the origins of Freemasonry, one long-held belief is that it

originated in England and Scotland during the early Renaissance with the cathedral building guilds.

Freemasons were a secret fraternal order whose Masonic lodges were regarded by antisemites as a

cover for a Jewish conspiracy to destroy Christianity. Freemason lodges were open to Jews, and

hence of added fascination to the antisemites.

Under Nazism, Freemasons were regarded as an ideological foe of the Third Reich as well as part of

the Jewish problem. The Nazis believed that Jews exploited the Freemasons’ international

connections to achieve world domination. In his political testament, Mein Kampf (1925), Nazi party

leader Adolf Hitler repeated the charge that the Jews used Freemasonry to achieve their political ends.

Nazi persecution of Freemasons was inconsistent. Masonic lodges dissolved themselves “voluntarily”

or were closed by force. Freemasons were removed from the Civil Service. As the campaign against

Jews intensified, the persecution of Freemasons slackened. Because many of the Freemasons who

were arrested were also Jews and/or members of the political opposition, it is not known how many

individuals were placed in Nazi concentration camps and/or were targeted only because they were

Freemasons.

Immigrants

Immigrants did not comply with the Nazi Party platform which stated that Germany was for Germans

only.

Soviet P.O.W.’s

From the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 to the end of World War II in

May 1945, between 2-3 million Soviet prisoners of war (P.O.W.’s) died at the hands of the Germans as

a result of mass executions, brutal mistreatment, intentional starvation, and lack of clothing or shelter.

Most died during the first year of captivity. Comparatively, 57% of all Soviet P.O.W.’s died during their

incarceration by the Germans as opposed to 3.6% of Anglo-American P.O.W.’s in German custody. In

1942, when the P.O.W.’s became essential to the German war economy, that death rate decreased.

By 1943, ½ million Soviet P.O.W.’s were working as slaves. The fate of Soviet P.O.W.’s was doubly

tragic because they were a disgrace at home. Stalin believed that no Soviet soldier should have ever

allowed himself to be taken prisoner.

Second only to the Jews, Soviet prisoners of war were the largest group of victims of Nazi racial

policy.

American P.O.W’s

Often not thought of as a victim. Almost 5,000 American P.O.W.’s were imprisoned in German

concentration camps.

African-Germans

The fate of black people in Nazi Germany and its occupied territories ranged from isolation to

persecution, sterilization, medical experimentation, incarceration, brutality, and murder. The number

of black people living in Nazi-occupied Europe was relatively small and there was no systematic

program for their elimination.

There were approximately 20,000 Germans of African descent in Germany when the Nazis came to

power. Most did not hold German citizenships and therefore left when the environment became

hostile. Approximately 1,200 Germans of African descent were mixed race offspring of the French-

African forces that guarded the Rhineland after World War I and German wives…the so called

“Rhineland Bastards.” The Nazis viewed the “Rhineland Bastards” as a threat to the purity of the

Germanic race. There was no systematic attempt to identify this group nor systematic laws dealing

with them. They were not subject to automatic arrests or deportations. Informally, there was a

practice of tracking them down for forced sterilization. It is estimated that 500 such persons were

sterilized in this manner.

Slide 13

Pyramid of Holocaust Progression

Teacher Notes:

● The Holocaust for the Jews was not pre-destined to the endpoint of extermination. When Hitler

came to power, the Jews had no place in the future Reich, but their fate had not been determined.

The Nazis did not start out with a pre-conceived concept of exterminating all of the Jews. It was a

step-by-step process in which major turning points were made according to the situation at hand. This

is a very important for students to understand.

● Each step of this pyramid, beginning with “Identification,” happened sequentially, in Germany and

ultimately all countries taken over by the Nazis. While we know that the process occurred in this

order, it is not true that one step ended before another began. For example, there were still some

ghettos still in existence while the extermination process was occurring.

● Hindsight is 20/20. Students need to approach these lessons without the benefits of hindsight.

That is, have your students place themselves in the moment you are studying and forget all that they

know will happen. If the Jews had realized that their ultimate fate was complete annihilation, many

more would have left Europe immediately.

● As you continue, it might be beneficial to refer back to this pyramid as needed.

Slide 14

Who Was Hitler? (opening breaker slide)

Slide 15

Who Was Hitler?

Born in Austria

Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889 in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria, a small town near Linz on the German

border. The Austrians from this area spoke German and many considered themselves as Germans.

At the age of 3, Adolf’s family moved to Passau, along the Inn River, on the German side of the

border. The family moved once more in 1895 to the farm community of Hafeld, 30 miles southwest of

Linz.

Hitler became a German citizen on February 25, 1932, just in time to run for President of Germany.

Slide 16

Who Was Hitler?

Hitler’s Family Tree

Teacher Notes:

There are rumors hinting that Hitler’s grandfather was Jewish. Few reputable historians on the

Holocaust believe that this is so. It is more likely that Hitler tried to keep the murky history of his family

quite secret because there was a high incidence of insanity and feeble-mindedness among his

ancestors.

This rumor arose during the Nuremberg Trials in 1945-46 when Hans Frank declared that Johann

Hiedler was not the father of Alois Hitler. Anna Maria Schicklgruber was working in the town of Graz

as a servant in the home of the Frankenberger family (Jewish) when she became pregnant with Alois.

Frank claimed that Anna Maria was seduced by someone in the household and that Hitler’s

grandfather was the result of this liaison.

Later investigation by Simon Wiesenthal disclosed no evidence of any Jewish family named

Frankenberger ever living in Graz.

________________________________________________________________________________

Klara Polzl, Adolf’s mother, was the daughter of Johann Polzl and Johanna Heidler. She was born

next door to the house where her future husband, Alois Hitler, grew up under the care of her

grandfather. Klara’s grandfather, Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, was her future husband’s step-uncle, and

possibly his real father. She never got out of the habit of thinking of Alois as her uncle, not her

husband. She was 23 years his junior. After they were married, she continued to call him “uncle.”

Alois Hitler, Adolf’s father, was a customs official for the Austro-Hungarian empire. He was the

illegitimate son of Anna Maria Schicklgruber. His name at birth was Alois Schicklgruber. When Anna

Maria married Johann Hiedler, Alois was adopted and his name was changed. The priest spelled the

name Hitler.

Alois Hitler had been married twice before marrying Klara Polzl. He had 2 previous children from his

second marriage: Alois Jr. and Angela. His second wife had died by the time he and Klara married so

Alois Jr. and Angela grew up with Adolf as his step-brother & step-sister. Angela’s daughter, Geli,

later came to have a very close (some say incestuous) relationship with her Uncle Adolf. Geli

ultimately committed suicide.

Adolf was the 4th of 6 children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. Alois and Klara’s first two children,

Gustav and Ida, died of diphtheria. A third child, Otto, died at birth. Adolf’s younger brother, Edmund,

died at the age of 6 of the measles. Only Adolf and a younger sister, Paula, survived to adulthood.

In 1936, Adolf made Paula change her name from Paula Hitler to Paula Wolff and asked her to remain

incognito (“Wolff” was Adolf Hitler’s nickname.). From 1929-1941 Paula saw her brother only once a

year. Each year Adolf sent his sister a ticket to the impressive Nuremberg Rally. Until the last weeks

of the war, Paula Hitler lived in Vienna where she was arrested by U.S. Intelligence officers in May

1945. Paula was released and returned to Vienna to work in an arts and crafts shop. On December

1, 1952, she moved to a two-room flat near Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s mountaintop retreat on the

German-Austrian border, where she lived in seclusion under the last name of Wolff until her death on

June 1, 1960.

While Alois was very strict and abusive towards his son Adolf, Klara was totally devoted - so much so

that she was unwilling or unable to acknowledge his unstable emotional behavior. Even at a young

age, Adolf exhibited asocial characteristics.

As a young child, Adolf’s family moved seven times, and Adolf attended five different schools. Even at

a young age he exhibited anti-social characteristics. When he was 11, Adolf entered a private high

school in Linz and discovered his talent for drawing. This did not please his father who wanted him to

become a civil servant.

Adolf’s father died in January 1903 of a pleural hemorrhage. Adolf dropped out of school in 1905.

The only subjects in which he excelled were freehand drawing and gymnastics. He failed to take the

final examinations and never received a diploma.

Slide 17

Who Was Hitler? (breaker slide)

Slide 18

Who Was Hitler?

Reared Catholic

Adolf Hitler was reared Catholic.

Hitler’s parents are buried in the cemetery adjoining St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

Slide 19

Who Was Hitler? (breaker slide)

Slide 20

Who Was Hitler?

Aspired to be an Artist / Rejected by Vienna Academy of Arts / Never Attended College

In 1907, Hitler persuaded his mother to allow him to go to Vienna to apply for admission to the Vienna

Academy of Fine Arts. He was rejected; his drawings were judged unsatisfactory. He stayed in

Vienna, living on money sent by his mother, and applied again the following year. This time he was

not even admitted to the test.

Meanwhile his mother had developed breast cancer. She was a patient of a devoted Jewish doctor,

Dr. Eduard Bloch. On December 21, 1908 she died, and Hitler came home for the funeral.

A few weeks later, Adolf left home for good and returned to Vienna where he would live in anonymity

for 4 cheerless years, relying on his orphan’s pension for support.

Slide 21

Who was Hitler? (breaker slide)

Slide 22

Who Was Hitler?

Exposed to antisemitic influences while in Vienna

By autumn 1909, Adolf was broke. He couldn’t pay the back rent on his room. Soon he was sleeping

on park benches and standing in line for free soup from church kitchens. Finally he was given a bed in

a homeless shelter. At first he begged for handouts but then started to copy watercolors from photos

of Viennese landmarks and peddled them to tourists, even selling some of his paintings to Jewish art

dealers.

At the time, Vienna was a hotbed of antisemitic politics, organizations, writing, and propaganda.

Although a starving artist, Hitler is known to have purchased an ebony walking stick and strutted

around Vienna like an aristocrat. He discovered the operas of Richard Wagner and identified with

Wagner’s writings which were violently antisemitic. In addition, he attended meetings and listened to

speeches by Vienna’s Mayor, Karl Lueger, and began to agree with Lueger’s antisemitic theories. The

newspapers he read and the pamphlets he perused for his self-education were antisemitic.

Vienna at the time had a population of 2 million (175,000 Jews or 8.6%). Some Jews were prominent

in the fields of education, medicine, journalism and performing arts. Most, however, were poor,

orthodox Jews from the empire’s rural provinces who lived in the city’s two ghettos. There were two

political parties with antisemitic platforms and Adolf attended meetings of both.

As the decisive event of his transformation into an antisemite, Hitler mentions in Mein Kampf an

encounter with an Eastern Jew. The “apparition in a black caftan and black hair locks” merely made

him wonder: “Is this a Jew? was my first thought”…and “Is this a German?...Wherever I went, I began

to see Jews, and the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the

rest of humanity.”

Hitler would later re-formulate these views and blame the Jews for all that was wrong with Germany.

Slide 23

Who was Hitler? (breaker slide)

Slide 24

Who Was Hitler?

Moved to Germany to avoid Austrian draft. Fought for Germany in World War I

Teacher Notes:

● (Photo) Hitler is seated, far left.

● It is important to point out that Jews served in World War I alongside their fellow countrymen. Once

Hitler came to power, Jewish names were removed from all war memorials.

_________________________________________________________________________________

In 1913, after receiving the inheritance from his father as a result of reaching his 24^th birthday, Hitler

moved to Munich to avoid being drafted into the Austrian army. Although born in Austria, he had

always considered himself German.

Hitler enlisted in the German army and rose to the rank of lance corporal but was denied further

promotion because he was not considered a potential leader. He served at the front as a dispatch

runner. Hitler narrowly escaped death several times during the war and received the Iron Cross,

Second Class after being wounded and then the Iron Cross, First Class, for an unknown act of

bravery. The latter decoration was proposed by his Jewish commander.

In 1918, he was temporarily blinded by mustard gas. He was in the hospital when Germany

surrendered in November. Like other disillusioned ex-soldiers whose only profession had been to fight

and kill, Hitler joined in the search for the lost security of a hierarchical, authoritarian system that had

collapsed.

Slide 25

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis (opening breaker slide)

After World War I, the Weimar government was not able to meet the needs of the people: i.e. jobs,

food, shelter. As shown in the following slides, the country was in a downward spiral. The German

people were looking for someone with fresh ideas, and that was the Nazi party.

Slide 26

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Treaty of Versailles - Map of New Nations Formed

Drafted by Great Britain, France and the U.S. at the end of World War I. Germany was not even

allowed to attend negotiations.

League of Nations was formed

Most Germans condemned the government for signing the treaty. It destroyed the German people:

- emotionally (see “War Guilt Clause”)

- financially (see “Reparations”, “Lost Resources”)

- nationalistically (see “Loss of Military”, “Loss of Lands”)

War Guilt Clause -

Germany had to admit 100% guilt for the start of the war.

Reparations -

Germany had to pay reparations to the allied countries for civilian damages

caused by the war; the bill was set in 1921 at $33 billion to be paid at 6%

interest over 37 years. This was said to be three times the amount the

country could afford.

Lost Resources -

Rich coal region of the Saar Valley was placed in French hands for 15 years.

Loss of Military -

German army restricted to 100,000 men (all munitions had to be

surrendered).

Navy restricted to 36 ships. No air force, tanks or submarines allowed.

No troops allowed in Rhineland between France and Germany.

The Reichswehr (National Defense) was the term for the military organization

of Germany from 1919 until 1935. In 1935 it was renamed the

Wehrmacht (Defense Force).

Loss of Lands -

Germany lost about 13% of its pre-war territory and all her overseas colonies.

This amounted to about 10% of her population (6.5-7 million Germans)

The productive German province of Alsace-Lorraine was given to France and

the Sudetenland (3 million Germans lived here) was given to Czechoslovakia.

The Saar Valley, with rich coal deposits, was placed in French hands for 15

years.

Poland received the “Polish Corridor,” the narrow strip of land that cut off East

Prussia from the rest of Germany and extended to the Baltic Sea near

Danzig. The city of Danzig became a “free city,” politically independent, but

economically available to Poland.

A large number of Germans found themselves living in Poland and

Czechoslovakia. Polish citizens of the newly re-created Poland were as

nationalistic as their German neighbors. They wanted a Poland for the Poles:

a nation with a shared language, culture and history, not a multicultural

society. And yet, one third of the population of the new Poland was not even

Polish. They were Ukrainians, Jews, Byelorussians, and Germans.

Belgium received Eupen and Malmedy.

Denmark received northern Schleswig.

Many Central and East European nations won independence from what had

been Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary: Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungary,

Czechoslovakia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Slide 27

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Treaty of Versailles - Map of German Territorial Losses

Slide 28

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis (breaker slide)

Slide 29

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis: Economics (breaker slide)

Slide 30

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Economics - Unemployment in Germany 1928-1933

Note the steady rise in unemployment after World War I (1919) and then the massive jump after the

“Crash of 1929.” This provided the open door that Hitler needed.

After Hitler came to power (1933) he came through with his promise of jobs. Notice the decline in

unemployment.

Slide 31

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis: Economics (breaker slide)

Slide 32

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Economics - Inflation in Germany

Germany was faced with a reparation bill of $33 billion. An initial payment of $250 million was made in

September 1921. By 1922 the value of the mark had dropped considerably and the German

government had to ask for a postponement of payments.

By 1923, the German mark had become almost worthless:

A penny postage stamp was 5 million marks.

One egg was 80 million marks.

One pound of meat was 3.2 billion marks.

Germans lost their life savings. Hunger riots broke out.

On Friday afternoons in 1923, long lines of manual and white-collar workers waited outside

the pay-windows of the big German factories, department stores, banks, offices: dead-tired

working men in grimy shirts open at the neck; gentlemen in shiny blue suits, saved from

before the war, in mended white collars, too big for their shrunken necks; young girls, some of

them with the new bobbed heads; young men in puttees and gray jackets, from which the

tailor had removed the red seams and regimentals, embittered against the girls who had taken

their jobs. They all stood in lines outside the pay-windows, staring impatiently at the electric

wall clock, slowly advancing until at last they reached the window and received a bag full of

paper notes. According to the figures inscribed on them the paper notes amounted to seven

hundred thousand or five hundred million, or three hundred and eighty billion, or eighteen

trillion marks - the figures rose from month to month, then from week to week, finally from

day to day. With their bags the people moved quickly to the doors, all in haste, the younger

ones running. They dashed to the nearest food store, where a line had already formed. Again

they moved slowly, oh, how slowly, forward. When you reached the store, a pound of sugar

might have been obtainable for two millions; but, by the time you came to the counter, all you

could get for two millions was half a pound, and the saleswoman said the dollar had just gone

up again. With the millions or billions you bought sardines, sausages, sugar, perhaps even a

little butter, but as a rule he cheaper margarine - always things that would keep for a week,

until next pay-day, until the next stage in the fall of the mark.

- Der Fuehrer by Konrad Heiden, p. 126

Hitler felt the time was ripe for the Nazi party to make its move…the failed Beer Hall Putsch occurred

November 8-9, 1923. (see slide #45)

Slide 33

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Economics - Inflation in Germany - Photo of Children Stacking Money

Slide 34

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis: Economics (breaker slide)

Slide 35

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Economics - Worldwide Depression, 1929

By 1926 the economy of Germany was improving and unemployment was dropping. The U.S backed

Dawes Plan (1924) allowed Germany to receive loans from the U.S. to pay war reparations. The

Young Plan was initiated by the U.S. in 1929 to replace the Dawes Plan.

All seemed on the road to recovery until October 1929 when Wall Street crashed and U.S. banks

closed. The Great Depression hit.

Germany had taken huge loans from U.S. banks in order to pay their war reparations. Suddenly the

banks called in their loans and the Germans were worse off than before.

The crisis of the Great Depression created the instability that Hitler needed. He would provide the

stability that Germany longed for. Unlike the Beer Hall Putsch where the Nazis tried to take power by

force, power would be achieved by legal means this time.

Slide 36

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis (breaker slide)

Slide 37

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

German Nationalism

Teacher Note:

Reich means realm or empire.

____________________________________________________________________________

The German people had never experienced a democracy having for centuries lived in a monarchy.

They had lived for centuries under a monarchy and had thrived under its strong guidance. This new

democracy, known as the Weimar Republic, did not provide the strong leadership that the German

people had once known.

This, coupled with the blows delivered by the Treaty of Versailles that stripped the German people of

their national pride, provided a foundation for Hitler’s rise.

Hitler would offer the German people a new empire, one with a strong leader to guide them to glory

once again. He prophesized that this Third Reich (empire) would last 1,000 years. In truth, it would

only last 12.

The First Reich, also known as The Holy Roman Empire (a continuation of the Roman Empire in

Europe), started in the lands ruled by Charlemagne (Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland,

Belgium, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Eastern France, Northern Italy and Western Poland),

beginning in 800 when Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III in Rome and finishing in 1806

when Emperor Francis II gave up his throne.

The Second Reich, also known as The German Empire, was ruled by the Hohenzollern Dynasty. It

included the areas known as Prussia and Brandenburg, and lasted from 1871 to 1918, but fell at the

end of World War I. During this Reich, the "Iron Chancellor" Otto Von Bismarck united Germany and

set the roots for World War II.

From 1919 to 1933 was the period of the Weimar Republic, a fragile democracy sometimes called the

pre-3rd Reich.

The Third Reich (1933 to 1945) or Nazi Germany, was under Adolf Hitler’s control. He called it the

Third Reich because he thought that under his leadership Germany could reunite the old Holy Roman

Empire, bringing Germany back to its glorious days. This Reich was terminated with the fall of

Germany at the end of World War II.

Slide 38

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis (breaker slide)

The quote, “The Jews are our misfortune,” was coined in the 1880’s by Heinrich von Treitschke, a

German historian and antisemitic political writer. This phrase was later picked up by the Nazis and

appeared frequently in their tabloid, Der Stürmer.

Slide 39

Factors Contributing to the Rise of the Nazis:

Antisemitism

Notes on Drawing

Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) developed a banking institution and expanded his empire by

installing each of his 5 sons in European cities to conduct business. The Rothschilds were supporters

of the State of Israel. Baron Edmond James de Rothschild was a patron of the first settlement in

Palestine at Rishon-LeZion. In 1917, Walter Rothschild, 2^nd Baron Rothschild was the addressee of

the Balfour Declaration which committed the British government to the establishment in Palestine of a

national home for the Jewish people. As prominent Jews, active in politics as well as business, the

Rothschild family was a target for antisemitism throughout history. Many family members were

persecuted by the Nazis.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The Nazis offered up the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany’s current financial crisis, claiming that the

Jews were hoarding the wealth and reaping profits while others suffered. In reality, the suffering was

universal.

To bolster his case, Hitler reinvented the religious antisemitism of the past and added a racial

component. The end result was an antisemitism unparalleled in history.

Antisemitism is the same as delousing: getting rid of lice is not a question of ideology, it is a

matter of cleanliness.

- Heinrich Himmler

Slide 40

Hitler’s Rise to Power (opening breaker slide)

Slide 41

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Birth of the Nazi Party

After World War I, Hitler stayed in the army, which was now mainly engaged in suppressing the

various political uprisings that were breaking out across Germany.

In September, 1919, Corporal Hitler was ordered to investigate a small, potentially dangerous group in

Munich, the German Worker’s Party. In this disorganized party, Hitler saw opportunity. Its members

expressed a right-wing doctrine consistent with his own.

At the age of 30, Hitler joined as member #555 (the numbering system began at #500 to make the

group appear larger). He would later become the 7^th member of the Executive Committee of the party

(#7 represents “completeness” in Judeo-Christian theology).

It was here that Hitler discovered that he had two remarkable talents - public oratory and inspiring

personal loyalty. His pounding fists, burning eyes, hoarse cries and hysterics aroused audiences to a

fevered pitch.

In 1920 Hitler took control of the group and changed the name to the National Socialist German

Worker’s Party, National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei, NSDAP, or Nazi for short. He hoped

the word “National” would attract nationalists who wanted to rebuild Germany and the word “Socialist”

would attract socialists who wanted to improve the lives of working people in Germany. There were

about 3,000 members.

In 1922, Major Joseph Hell, a German journalist, had the occasion to interview Adolf Hitler, and he

wrote about the experience in his memoirs. Toward the end of his interview Major Hell asked Hitler,

“What do you want to do to the Jews once you have full discretionary powers?” Hitler abruptly

changed his demeanor, raising his voice and carrying on as if he were addressing an outdoor rally:

Once I really am in power, my first and foremost task will be the annihilation of the Jews. As

soon as I have the power to do so, I will have gallows built in rows - at the Marienplatz in

Munich, for example - as many as traffic allows. Then the Jews will be hanged discriminately,

and they will remain hanging until they stink; they will hang there as long as the principles of

hygiene permit. As soon as they have been untied, the next batch will be hung up, and so on

down the line, until the last Jew in Munich has been exterminated. Other cities will follow suit,

precisely in this fashion, until all Germany has been completely cleansed of Jews.

Eleven years later, on Monday, January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler, the former Austrian corporal, was

sworn in by President Paul von Hindenburg as Chancellor of Germany.

Slide 42

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 43

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

The Weimar Republic - Organizational Chart

Teacher Notes:

As you teach about this new democratic government, it is important to help students understand and

analyze how democratic values and institutions are not automatically protected. They require active,

compassionate citizenship to sustain themselves, including the ability to recognize and act when

confronting the “danger signals” of intolerance.

______________________________________________________________________________

The Weimar Republic refers to the German government that was formed at Weimar, a town in the

eastern part of the country, in February 1919, after Germany’s defeat in World War I.

The new republic replaced the previous German monarchy. It was a parliamentary democracy with a

multi-party legislature known as the Reichstag. The parties were elected by proportional

representation (i.e. 10% of the votes = 10% of the seats). Several parties had to come together in

order to achieve a majority and pass legislation.

President

Leading the government was a publicly elected President that served a 7-year term. His

responsibilities included:

- Head of the armed forces.

- Power to choose the Chancellor and had legal right to dismiss him.

- Power to dismiss the government and call for new elections.

- Article 48 of the constitution allowed him to rule independently of the Reichstag in case of

national emergency.

Chancellor

Appointed by the President. Usually the leader of the most powerful elected party of the Reichstag.

The Chancellor chose his own Cabinet from the elected Reichstag deputies. The Cabinet members

were to be approved by the President but could be removed from office by the Reichstag. The

Chancellor and the Cabinet answered to the Reichstag. Should they lose the support of the majority,

a vote of no confidence was sufficient for the President to dismiss the Chancellor and either call new

elections or appoint an alternative Chancellor.

Reichstag

The Reichstag was the main legislative body. They debated issues and voted on proposed legislation.

Once passed by the Reichstag, the legislation would then be debated in the Reichsrat, the second

German House of Parliament where it would be either ratified or rejected.

Members were elected using a system of Proportional Representation. Germany was divided into

electoral regions. Within each of these regions a political party would put forward a number of

candidates. The number of these who became deputies within the Reichstag was based on the total

number of votes the party received within that electoral region. One member could be sent for every

60,000 votes cast for the party. For this reason, the number of deputies in the Reichstag fluctuated

depending on the number of voters.

Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution

The Weimar Republic’s constitution safeguarded basic democratic human rights such as freedom of

speech and religion and even equality for women, including their right to vote in public elections (which

had not yet been given to French and English women). Yet, the Weimar Constitution was

fundamentally flawed in several ways.

The system of proportional representation was intended to avoid the wasting of votes. Instead it led to

the rise of a multitude of splinter parties representing the ends of the political spectrum. This made it

difficult for any party to establish and maintain a workable parliamentary majority. This factionalism

was one contributing factor in the frequent changes in government. In the 1930 national elections,

there were some 28 political parties. By 1933 there were 40!

The constitution allowed the President to dismiss the Chancellor, even if the Chancellor retained the

confidence of the Reichstag. Similarly, the president could appoint a Chancellor who didn’t have the

support of the Reichstag. Article 48 gave the President broad powers to suspend civil liberties with an

insufficient system of checks and balances. This presented an opportunity that Adolf Hitler was quick

to seize one he became Chancellor.

There was an unbalanced distribution of power between the Reich and the state governments.

Prussia was a disproportionately large state. Civil law enforcement was controlled by the States and

not the Reich, giving Prussia a tremendous amount of power. The Republic might have been more

stable with more power centralized in the hands of the Reich government.

Slide 44

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 45

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Beer Hall (Munich) Putsch - November 8-9, 1923

Teacher Note:

Putsch - German word that means a secretly planned and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a

government

____________________________________________________________________________

Hitler’s first attempt to take over the German government was by force.

On November 8, backed by the SA, Hitler stormed into a beer hall in the city of Munich in Bavaria (a

German state) where the Bavarian Prime Minister was meeting with 3,000 businessmen. He

kidnapped the Prime Minister and dramatically announced that the National Revolution had begun.

The next day Hitler hoped to take over the Bavarian government by force and ultimately move on to

the remainder of the German states. The Nazis were confronted by the Bavarian police. During the

ensuing battle, 16 Nazis and 4 policemen were killed. Hitler was wounded and whisked away by

comrades. He was arrested 2 days later, charged with treason.

At first Hitler considered the Putsch a disaster; hysterically, he contemplated suicide. He soon

recovered and used the ensuing trial as a vehicle for a propaganda attack on the hated democratic

regime. Hitler was sentenced to 5 years in Landsberg Prison but served only 9 months.

Note: The judge in the trial was a Nazi sympathizer and thus lessened the sentence.

Slide 46

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Mein Kampf

During his short imprisonment, Hitler dictated Mein Kampf (My Struggle) to his secretary, Rudolf Hess,

in his well-furnished prison cell. This was Hitler’s autobiography as well as his political philosophy.

The text revolved around 4 basic themes:

1. Supreme importance of race.

2. Survival of the fittest.

3. Need for a militaristic state with a dictator.

4. Destiny of Germany to be the dominant world power.

Throughout the pages, Hitler heaps abuse on the Jews. He considered Jews an “inferior race” and

blamed them for all of Germany’s troubles.

Mein Kampf became the ideological basis for the Nazi Party’s racist beliefs and murderous practices.

By 1945 the book had sold over 6 million copies and was Hitler’s sole source of income for the

remainder of his life.

After Hitler’s death, royalties from the sale of Mein Kampf have gone to various charities such as the

Red Cross. In some instances, these monies were refused on the basis of their origin.

Slide 47

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 48

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Chart of Reichstag Deputies 1919-1933

Teacher Notes:

● The Reichstag was the term for the parliament of Weimar Germany.

● Green numbers represent the largest party in each year. Notice that the NSDAP (Nazis) becomes

the largest party in 1932, but never attained the 2/3 majority of the Reichstag that was needed to alter

the Constitution.

● The red, vertical line represents the end of “free” elections in Germany.

● These are only the major political parties. In 1930 there were approximately 28 parties; by 1933,

there were 40.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Once released from prison in 1924, Hitler decided to rebuild the Nazi party as a legitimate political

party with a national organization. He would need to seize power constitutionally rather than by force.

On the chart we see the Nazis for the first time in 1924 with 32 elected Reichstag deputies.

1926-1929 were known as “The Quiet Years.” The German economy was improving; the U.S. backed

Dawes Plan had allowed Germany to receive loans from the U.S. to pay war reparations. The Nazis

achieved only 3% of the Reichstag during this time, in part because the German people were content

with the status quo…but not for long.

With the Worldwide Depression of 1929, Hitler knew his time had come. The crisis of The Depression

brought disunity to the political parties of the Reichstag. As economic conditions in Germany

worsened, Hitler and the Nazi party attracted a wider following from many different sectors of society.

Unskilled and/or unemployed manual laborers and office workers were lured by promises of new and

better jobs. Soldiers and policemen responded to promises of increased personnel and improvements

in equipment and benefits. Doctors, lawyers and businessmen were attracted by the prospect of

benefiting from the confiscation of Jewish assets or the elimination of Jewish competition. Students

were lured by the promise of more jobs and better careers. Farmers looked to the Nazis to bolster

agricultural prices. Unlike the existing political parties, the NSDAP had no proven track record of

failure and therefore offered hope.

The NSDAP stands for the opposite of what exists today. - Gregor Strasser

In preparation for the parliamentary elections of 1930, the Nazis waged a whirlwind campaign. They

shifted their strategy to rural areas and fueled antisemitism by calling for the expropriation of Jewish

agricultural property and by condemning large Jewish department stores.

In September 1930 the NSDAP became the 2^nd largest party, with 18% of the seats in the Reichstag.

The Nazi deputies had no intention of cooperating with the democratic government. It was to their

advantage to let things get worse in Germany, thus increasing the appeal of Hitler to an ever more

miserable people.

In March 1932 Hitler made his first attempt to run for President of Germany. In order to run in the

election, Hitler became a naturalized German citizen on February 25, 1932. The incumbent, President

Paul von Hindenburg, would have been 92 at the end of another 7-year term. He ran simply to

prevent Hitler from taking over. A runoff was required when no one received a majority (Hindenburg

49%, Hitler 30%). Hitler lost the April runoff election (Hindenburg 53%, Hitler 37%) even though he did

pick up an additional 2 million votes.

The Reichstag deputies found themselves unable to pass legislation. Without the NSDAP to help form

a majority on any vote, the Reichstag was at a standstill. Under such circumstances, new elections

were called.

In July 1932 the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag (37%). This was the peak of Nazi

popularity in a free election, yet they still did not have the majority necessary to pass legislation. The

Nazis continued to refuse to work with the other parties in forming a coalition to pass legislation. The

government remained at a standstill.

As President, it was Hindenburg’s job to appoint a chancellor, and it was customary for the leader of

the largest party to hold this office. Again, Hindenburg overlooked Adolf Hitler. He did not believe

Hitler’s agenda would serve the nation well.

In the November 1932 elections, the Nazis actually lost 34 seats. The public was getting tired of

elections; it was difficult to convince people to come out to the polls. The NSDAP was running out of

money. The Nazis were on a downward trend.

In the meantime, a group of the country’s most influential industrialists, bankers and business leaders

sent a petition to Hindenburg asking him to appoint Hitler as Chancellor. They believed Hitler would

be good for business.

After a threat of a military takeover of the government, a weary Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler

Chancellor on January 30, 1933.

After the Reichstag Fire on February 27, 1933 and the passage of the Enabling Act of February 28,

1933, the Nazis wanted to make certain that the March election would provide them with the Reichstag

majority they wanted. On March 1, 1933, the Communist Party was banned on the grounds they were

preparing a takeover. In the week between the fire and the March 5 elections, many political

opponents were arrested and taken into “protective custody.” Despite all the advantages Hitler had

created for himself, the Nazi party was still unable to achieve the 2/3 majority needed to alter the

German Constitution. Only 44% of the people voted Nazi, which did not give the Nazis a majority in

the Reichstag. Other measures would have to be taken.

Slide 49

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Nazi Election Poster - Aryan in Shackles

Note the Aryan male image, the fire as a symbol of force/destruction, the “Versailles shackles” that the

NSDAP (Nazis) wanted to burn apart.

Slide 50

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Nazi Election Poster - Work & Bread

Teacher Note:

It should be noted, from a political standpoint, Hitler met many of his campaign promises.

___________________________________________________________________________

Once Hitler assumed power in 1933, he began a series of public works programs that included the

construction of the German autobahn system. This not only provided employment for construction

workers and engineers, it simultaneously stimulated the automobile industry. In addition, the autobahn

would be helpful during the war, providing quick transport for troops and materials.

Hitler had been given a blank check from all of Germany for the war because he had said,

“Give me five years and you won’t recognize Germany anymore.” And that’s the way it was

with the building up { of Germany }. There had been 8-9 million unemployed people and that

was all done away with quickly. They were all called up for the Reich Labor Service.

Everybody was busy. Nobody was unemployed anymore. People who had gone hungry

found work. But nobody had thought that this would lead to war. My father knew better, but

not the masses. The masses had seen that they were better off economically, and that was

the main thing. And then, later on, they even had fun in this: The Young People, the

dispatching of people to the countryside { to help with the harvest }, the Strength through Joy

program, the vacation trips. The little guy was able to get something for himself, later on even

the Volkswagen. The people were at work. It was all a lot of fun. I myself had a motorcycle

and I earned a lot of money. When the war broke out, I was still a member of the National

Socialist Motor Vehicle Corps.

- Ernst Walters, from What We Knew - Terror, Mass Murder & Everyday Life

in Nazi Germany, by Eric A. Johnson and Karl-Heinz-Reuband

Life improved for the average German. Not so for the German Jews.

Slide 51

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 52

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Hitler Appointed Chancellor

Hitler was appointed Chancellor under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution which granted the

President the authority to invoke dictatorial power to protect the democratic order from overthrow, a

clause originally inserted to ensure against a feared Communist revolution.

Two other cabinet posts were given to Nazis: Wilhelm Frick became Minister of the Interior and

Hermann Goering became Minister without Portfolio & Minister of the Interior of Prussia. As Minister

of the Interior of Prussia, Goering had control of police in the largest German state.

Even with Hitler’s appointment, most high-ranking officers of the army maintained their loyalty to

Hindenburg, the revered General Field Marshall of World War I and President of Germany. Looking

down on Hitler, they considered him, an ex-lance corporal, a mere enlisted man, to be an ignorant,

uneducated, and dangerous adventurer. Still, they recognized that Hitler’s loyal SA militia, the nearly

one million jackbooted storm troopers, were dangerous adversaries to their small army, which was

restricted to 100,000 by the Treaty of Versailles.

The prevailing wisdom was that the Nazis had been tricked. They were a minority in the cabinet and

the conservatives would control them. It was actually thought that the best way to deal with the

NSDAP was to let them into power. They would then actually have to make policy. They could no

longer be everything to everybody.

On his first day as Chancellor, Hitler manipulated Hindenburg into dissolving the Reichstag and calling

for new elections on March 5, 1933. He hoped this would bring the Nazis closer to the majority they

needed in the Reichstag to pass legislation. His goal was to pass the Enabling Act, a constitutional

revision that required a 2/3 majority vote. This would allow him to abolish democracy in a legal

fashion.

Slide 53

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 54

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Reichstag Fire (February 27, 1933) and Emergency Decree (February 28, 1933)

The Reichstag was set ablaze and reduced to ashes. Without firm evidence, it was put forth that the

fire had been set by the Communists as the opening act in an attempt to overthrow the state. A Dutch

anarchist, Marinus van der Lubbe, was arrested, charged with arson and later executed.

It has also been speculated that the fire was started by a Nazi gang who entered the building by

means of a secret tunnel. Regardless, the Nazis would use this event to eliminate all political

opposition. They arrested Communist leaders and Communist Reichstag deputies.

Hindenburg was persuaded to issue an Emergency Decree, “for the protection of the People and the

State” (i.e. to protect the country from an alleged Communist revolution). The Emergency Decree

invoked Article 48 of the Constitution and gave the Chancellor the authority to impose dictatorial power

to protect the democratic order from being overthrown. This decree suspended civil rights, including

freedom of assembly and association, freedom of opinion, privacy of letter, post, telegraph and

telephone and the guarantee of private property. In addition, the national government was able to

assume the powers of the state governments. In other words, Hitler’s government was in complete

control.

On March 1, 1933, the Communist Party was banned on the grounds they were preparing a takeover.

In the week between the fire and the March 5 elections, many political opponents were arrested and

taken into “protective custody.”

With the March 5^th elections, the Nazis hoped to obtain an absolute majority in the Reichstag. Despite

all the advantages Hitler had created for himself after the Reichstag fire, the Nazi party was still unable

to achieve the 2/3 majority they needed to alter the German Constitution.

NOTE: The first concentration camp, Dachau, opened on March 22, 1933, primarily to house political

opponents of the regime. In the first few years of the regime, the concentration camps were

instruments of terror, control and punishment, used for the incarceration of political dissidents; later,

people defined by the Nazis as “asocial elements” - including the homeless, beggars, gypsies and

hardened criminals - were also taken there.

Slide 55

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 56

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Enabling Act, “Law for Terminating the Suffering of People and Nation” (March 23, 1933)

Although Hitler won the office of Chancellor in a legal fashion, he was determined to rule Germany

without the restraints of a democratically elected parliament. For this to happen, the Enabling Act

needed to be passed.

The Enabling Act was a special power allowed by the Weimar Constitution that gave the Chancellor

and his cabinet the power to pass laws by decree for a specified period of time, without Reichstag

involvement. It was only to be used in times of emergency. Because it altered the Constitution,

passing the Enabling Act required a 2/3 majority vote of the Reichstag. The Nazis would need the

support of other parties in order to get a 2/3 vote.

The Catholic Centre Party, at this point the 3^rd largest party in the Reichstag, decided to vote in favor

of the Enabling Act in return for Nazi guarantees regarding the Church’s liberties.

The Communist vote in the Reichstag was essentially non-existent because many of the Communist

Reichstag deputies had been previously imprisoned after the Reichstag Fire while others were

prevented from even entering the chamber.

When the Enabling Act came up for vote in the Reichstag, the SA lined the hallways and aisles of the

make-shift chamber chanting, “Full power, or else!” and “We want the bill or there will be fire and

murder!” These scare tactics intimidated many deputies into voting for the bill. All parties except the

Social Democrats voted in favor of the bill. The Enabling Act readily passed and was dutifully renewed

every four years, even through World War II.

Legislative powers of the Reichstag were transferred to Hitler’s cabinet for a period of 4 years. Hitler

had equipped his government with dictatorial powers. Within 4 months all political parties had either

been banned or dissolved. Germany was now a one-party state. By the time the Enabling Act expired

in 1937, the Nazi dictatorship was complete.

The disempowerment of the Reichstag is an example of the way the Nazis usurped Germany’s

governing institutions but refrained from destroying them in order to portray the dictatorship as a

soundly functioning state.

During the spring of 1933, the other political parties were forced out of existence by a combination of

threats and force. On July 14, a law was enacted declaring the Nazi party (NSDAP) the only legal

party in Germany. In effect, the government as such ceased to function.

A period of Nazi “forced coordination” immediately began in which all German institutions and

organizations were either Nazified or disbanded.

Slide 57

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 58

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Night of the Long Knives (the Roehm Putsch) - June 30, 1934

Teacher Notes:

This David Low political cartoon from July 3, 1934 shows Hitler (with a smoking gun) and Göring

(shown as Thor, the God of War) glowering at terrified SA men with their hands up (not the traditional

Nazi salute). Some SA men already lie dead on the ground. The caption reads: 'They salute with

both hands now'. Low was fiercely anti-Nazi and portrays Hitler as a brazen murderer keeping his

men in check by naked fear. Goebbels is shown as Hitler's poodle.

Sir David Alexander Cecil Low (April 7, 1891 - September 19, 1963) was a New Zealand-born political

cartoonist. He worked in his native country before migrating to Sydney, Australia in 1911, and

ultimately to London where he made his career and earned fame for his Colonel Blimp depictions and

his merciless satirizing of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Such stinging depictions led to his work

being banned in Italy and Germany.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The SA (Storm Troopers or Brownshirts) were the “thugs” who Hitler had used to help him come to

power. They were organized in 1921 as the Nazi’s private army, defending Nazi meetings and

attacking opponents. Ernst Roehm, Hitler’s good friend, became Supreme Commander in 1931. By

1934 there were 4.5 million members.

Hitler liked Roehm. He had been one of his first supporters. Roehm had taken part in the Beer Hall

Putsch and was one of those imprisoned afterwards. Although found guilty of treason, he was

released and dismissed from the German Army. Roehm had been instrumental in obtaining party

funds and the SA had played a vital role in destroying the opposition during the elections of 1932 and

1933.

By early 1934, a year after Hitler came to power, the SA's usefulness as a violent, threatening,

revolutionary force had effectively come to an end. Hitler now needed the support of the regular Army

generals and the big industry leaders to rebuild Germany after the Great Depression, re-arm the

military and ultimately accomplish his long range goal of seizing more living space for the German

people.

Powerful supporters of Hitler had been complaining about Roehm for some time. Generals were

afraid that the SA would absorb the much smaller German Army into its ranks and Roehm would

become its overall leader. Industrialists, who had provided the funds for the Nazi victory, were

unhappy with Roehm’s socialistic views on the economy and his claims that the real revolution had still

to take place. Many people in the party also disapproved of the fact that Roehm and other leaders of

the SA were homosexuals.

The average German also feared and disliked the SA brownshirts with their arrogant, gangster-like

behavior, such as extorting money from local shop owners, driving around in fancy new cars to show

off, getting drunk, as well as beating up and even murdering innocent civilians.

Hitler was aware that Roehm and the SA had the power to remove him as leader, so Hitler ordered

Roehm’s destruction in what became known as the Roehm Putsch or the Night of the Long Knives.

In the early morning hours of June 30, 1934, SS forces, followed by Adolf Hitler himself, burst into a

country inn near Munich where Roehm and his SA staff had gathered together for a general

conference. Roehm and his staff were literally dragged out of their beds and taken to Stadelheim

Prison near Munich where Roehm and the entire SA command were summarily executed.

As for Ernst Roehm - on Hitler's order he had been given a pistol containing a single bullet to commit

suicide, but he refused to do it, saying "If I am to be killed, let Adolf do it himself." Two SS officers,

one of whom was Theodore Eicke, commander of the Totenkopf (Death's Head) guards at Dachau,

entered Roehm's cell after waiting fifteen minutes and shot him point blank. Reportedly, Roehm's last

words were "Mein Führer, mein Führer!"

There was further “cleansing” in Berlin. Included were:

- Gustav von Kahr, who had opposed Hitler during the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 - found

hacked to death in a swamp near Dachau;

- Father Bernhard Stempfle, who had taken some of the dictation for Hitler's book Mein Kampf

and knew too much about Hitler - shot and killed;

- Kurt von Schleicher, former Chancellor of Germany and master of political intrigue, who had

helped topple democracy in Germany and put Hitler in to power - shot and killed along

with his wife;

- Gregor Strasser, one of the original members of the Nazi Party and formerly next in

importance to Hitler;

- Karl Ernst, leader of the SA in Berlin, who was involved in torching the Reichstag building in

February, 1933;

- Vice-Chancellor Papen's press secretary;

- Dr. Erich Klausener, Catholic leader.

The exact number of murders is unknown since all Gestapo documents relating to the purge were

destroyed. Estimates vary widely from 200 or 250, to as high as 1,000 or more. Less than half of

those murdered were actually SA officers.

The men of the SS had unconditionally and loyally obeyed orders to slaughter their comrades of the

SA. Hitler justified the murders because, he said, those killed had been scheming with a foreign

government to overthrow him. He also claimed that Roehm and others “deserved to die” because of

their “corrupt morals.”

The Night of the Long Knives, as the June 30th massacre came to be called was the Nazi regime's

baptism by fire. It secured for Hitler the German Army's gratitude and unquestioning loyalty.

Hitler rewarded the SS for its role by raising the SS to independent status as an organization no longer

part of the SA. Leader of the SS, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler now answered to Hitler and no one

else. Reinhard Heydrich was promoted to SS Gruppenführer (Lieutenant-General). Roehm was

replaced by Victor Lutze as Head of the SA, but from this time on, the SA brownshirts would be

diminished and all but disappear as its members were inducted into the regular army after Hitler re-

introduced military conscription in 1935.

On July 13, Hitler gave a long speech to the Nazi controlled Reichstag in which he announced that

seventy-four had been shot and justified the murders.

If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular courts of justice, then all

I can say is this: In this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I

became the supreme judge of the German people.

It was no secret that this time the revolution would have to be bloody; when we spoke of it we

called it 'The Night of the Long Knives.' Everyone must know for all future time that if he

raises his hand to strike the State, then certain death is his lot.

By proclaiming himself the supreme judge of the German people, Hitler in effect placed himself above

the law, making his word the law, and thus instilled a permanent sense of fear in the German people.

The German Army generals, by condoning the unprecedented events of the Night of the Long Knives,

effectively cast their lot with Hitler and began the long journey with him that would eventually lead

them to the brink of world conquest and later to the hanging docks at Nuremberg after the war.

Slide 59

Hitler’s Rise to Power (breaker slide)

Slide 60

Hitler’s Rise to Power:

Hitler Becomes Führer

Upon Hindenburg’s death on August 2, 1934, Hitler combined the offices of President (the head of

state) and Chancellor (the head of the government) and assumed the title of Führer and Reich

Chancellor (Leader and Chancellor).

The day of the President’s death, the cabinet ordered a plebiscite (direct vote) for August 19, 1934 in

order for the German people to approve the combination of the two offices. About 95 percent of

registered voters in Germany went to the polls and gave Hitler 38 million votes (90%). Hitler could

now claim he was Führer of the German nation with the overwhelming approval of the people.

The following day, August 20, 1934, the cabinet decreed the "Law on the Allegiance of Civil Servants

and Soldiers of the Armed Forces." All public employees - the military, the civil service, police,

teachers, and the judiciary - now had to take a loyalty oath not to the constitution, not to their country,

but to Hitler, the Führer. The Nazis’ top jurist proclaimed, “In the old days we used to ask, ‘What is the

law?’ Now we ask only, ‘What does the Führer want?’” Thus Hitler became the State and Germans

transferred their customary deference and loyalty from the German nation to Hitler personally.

Hitler came to power legally, but not as a result of an election victory or any wave of popular

enthusiasm. The Nazis had never won over 37% of the popular vote in a free election. Hitler

assumed the reins of government only with the assistance of the old conservative elites, who naively

continued to believe that Hitler would pay them deference. What gave Hitler his break was the

colossal miscalculation that Hitler could, as a junior politician, be tamed and used by the

Establishment. Once in office, Hitler proved to be uncontrollable. He astounded and overwhelmed

those who felt they had trapped him. Hitler made legal what others considered to be illegal. Sensible

people were sure that Hitler could not last long, that decency, rationality, and political order would

reassert themselves. What followed was a terrifying indictment of the power of human indifference

and passivity.

Slide 61

What the Nazis Believed (opening breaker slide)

Slide 62

What the Nazis Believed:

Listing of Beliefs

The Nazis valued authority and order.

Democracy as a workable system was dead. The people needed a mystical savior to lead them.

Hitler was their charismatic salvation. He was “Der Führer.”

The Führer was infallible. He gave the laws to Germany.

Referring to the Führer: “In thy service is perfect freedom.”

The Nazis quoted the German writer Goethe, “I would rather commit an injustice than endure

disorder.” Thus, the emphasis was placed on order, control, discipline, duty, and sacrifice. “Through

the door of death we enter the door of true life … He who does not risk his life to gain it ever anew is

already dead, though he still breathes, eats, and drinks. Death is only a departure for the sake of a

higher life … We are born to die for Germany.”

To justify Hitler’s decision making, the Nazis quoted Gerhart Hauptmann. “If only life would demand

no more solutions from us.” Since people did not want to make decisions, Hitler would do it for them.

The Nazis valued emotion more than reason.

Thinking was criticized. A person should act spontaneously and without question.

The Nazis referred to the educated middle class as “acrobats of the intellect,” and “intelligent beasts

with paralysis of the spine.” Hitler called them “rejects of nature.” An SS paper stated that I.Q. was

inversely proportional to male fertility. “Intellectuals validate their claim to existence within the

community by a paucity of children.”

The Nazis emphasized physical force and strength. Sports were important for developing the body to

better serve the state. As one Nazi stated, “A young man who works with a spade for six months on

the western fortifications has done more for Germany than an intellectual has done during his whole

life.”

War was the ultimate expression of man’s capacity for sacrifice, courage and greatness. “The

measure of the strength of a people is always and exclusively its readiness for military conflict.”

The Nazis valued the community rather than the individual.

The overall goal was unity; as Hitler stated: “the preservation and fostering of living beings who are

physically and mentally alike.”

As befits the term “totalitarian,” the state would largely control the life of the citizen. As Robert Ley put

it, “Our state never releases the human being from the cradle to the grave.” Individuals were to be

measured by their usefulness to the state.

The Nazis had a strong belief in the traditional family.

The family was “the germ cell of the state.”

Women were not equal to men. Their purpose, Kindersagen, to be blessed with children.

Women were encouraged not to wear make-up (which was considered a conspiracy of the Jews) or

pants.

Women were encouraged to have many children. Abortions were called “acts of sabotage against

Germany’s racial future,” and strict penalties would be given to doctors performing them. Men were

encouraged to be adulterous if their wives were barren.

The Nazis, like many in the early 20^th century, were interested in eugenics. To prevent the spread of

“bad genes,” the Nazis would recommend the sterilization of those suffering from physical

malformation, mental retardation, epilepsy, deafness and blindness.

The Nazis were strong nationalists.

The Nazis used incited appeals to German patriotism. Germany was a nation wronged by history.

To return to its rightful place, Germany should disregard any sense of “morality” in international life.

They opposed German participation in any peace organizations such as the League of Nations.

The Nazis were critical of all people except those of the “Volk.” The Poles were “racial anti-types”; the

British were worshippers of Mammon. Of the U.S., Hitler stated, “One Beethoven symphony contains

more culture than America has produced in her whole history.” To Hitler, America was a Philistine,

mongrelized community descended from convicts and the unwanted dregs of society. The Soviets

were just above the Jews.

The Nazis saw politics as a religion.

Hitler was looked upon as someone greater than Jesus.

Acts against the state would be immoral in almost a religious sense.

Nazism became a mission: “The Reich must direct the life of nations, individuals and states. The

Reich signifies a mission.”

Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s right-hand-man and overseer of the concentration camps, once wrote to a

friend:

I am to prepare a new Nazi religion. I am to draft the new Bible, the bible of the faith…The

Führer has decided that, after the victory of the Third Reich, he will abolish Christianity

throughout Germany and establish the faith on its ruins.

The latter will preserve the idea of God, but it will be very vague and indistinct. The Führer will

replace Christ as the savior of humanity.

Thus, millions and millions of people will say only Hitler’s name in their prayers, and a hundred

years from now nothing will be known but the new religion, which will endure for centuries.

The Nazis valued the concept of a select race.

The Germans were a superior race, a group they called the Aryan race.

Germany was destined to lead the world. Nature and fate would produce events to make this happen.

The Aryan people would need more territory in which to grow. This desire to expand German

boundaries was called lebensraum.

A lower race needs less room, less clothing, less food … than a higher race. The German

cannot live in the same fashion as the Pole and the Jew … More bread, more clothing, more

living room … these our race must have or it dies.

- Robert Ley, Minister of Labor

Only those of true German blood could be citizens. The Nazis called them the Volk. Concern for the

Volk led to a glorification of German “ancestry.” Great Germans of the past, from Beethoven to

Wagner, were honored. The Nazis studied Teutonic mythology and took pride in the heroic exploits of

their ancestors. Praising the past led to an admiration for the medieval peasant. The peasant virtues

of simplicity, honesty and physical labor were glorified.

As a result, Nazi education emphasized German history, biology and physical education.

One of the favorite images of the Nazis was the German painter Albrecht Durer’s “The Knight, Death,

and the Devil.” The Nazis saw themselves as heroic, loyal and racially pure knights of the Round

Table searching for the Holy Grail.

The Aryans would produce a Golden Age, a millennium which they called the “Third Reich.” The First

Reich was the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne, the Second Reich was under Otto von Bismarck.

The Third Reich would last a thousand years.

Source: Furman, Harry, Editor-in-Chief, The Holocaust and Genocide: A Search for Conscience - a

Student Anthology. New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1983.

Slide 63

What the Nazis Believed:

Dr. Seuss Editorial Cartoon - “Second Creation”

This editorial cartoon by Dr. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodor Seuss Geisel, appeared in a New York daily

newspaper, PM. This short-lived tabloid took no paid advertising. Not until the late 1950’s did Dr.

Seuss receive recognition as a children’s writer.

Depicted here is the Nazi desire to have “good” Nazis created from the same mold, i.e. appreciation of

human differences was not consistent with Nazi philosophy. Of primary importance was the quality of

blind obedience to the Reich. Those that don’t fit the mold must be destroyed.

Slide 64

What the Nazis Believed (breaker slide)

Slide 65

What the Nazis Believed:

Racial Science

Teacher Notes:

● When studying the stereotypes and justifications used by the Nazis for their ideology of racial

hygiene and mass murder, students need to be frequently reminded that just because these hateful

policies and beliefs are being discussed in the classroom does not mean that they have any basis in

scientific fact.

● Jews are not a race. Judaism is a religion that is practiced by Jews. In addition, Judaism has a

distinct culture resulting from its unique practices that sets it apart from the Christian world.

The Nazis were the first to classify the Jews as a race; Jewishness became an issue of blood rather

than religion.

The Nazis viewed Jews as a poisonous “race” which “lived off” other races and weakened them. All

Jews, including children, had to be destroyed so as not to reproduce and infect the Aryan race.

Theories of race were central to Nazi ideology which professed a hierarchy of races. At the top were

the Aryan, or Master Race. This “supposed” race included person with Nordic characteristics such as

blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, tall and physically fit. Only Aryans were capable of true civilization,

creativity and culture. At the bottom of the hierarchy were those the Nazis considered of mixed blood:

the Slavs, Gypsies and the Jews. Life was a constant struggle between the inferior and superior

races.

_______________________________________________________________________________

What the Nazis Believed - The Struggle for Existence

History is about the struggle of nations for living space and living space is about the continued

existence of a race.

A healthy, vigorous people expands its population base of racially healthy individuals and expands its

territorial base at the expense of its neighbors.

A dying people has a declining population, marred by race-mixing and territorial losses to its

neighbors.

What the Nazis Believed - The Jews

Jews are special enemies of the German people.

Unlike other races, Jews have no living space of their own.

Jews seek to dominate host peoples by destroying the nation-state and establishing Jewish world

domination.

The goals of Jews, by definition, is the genetic bastardization of all peoples and the elimination of all

states.

We have the duty to ‘depopulate,’ much as we have the duty of caring for the German

population. We shall have to develop a technique for ‘depopulation.’ You will ask what is

‘depopulation’? Do I propose to exterminate whole ethnic groups? Yes, it will add up to that.

Nature is cruel; therefore we may be cruel too.

- Adolf Hitler in The Burden of Guilt by H. Vogt, p.146

History of Eugenics

The Eugenics Movement was founded in the 19^th century by British naturalists. Taking Darwin’s

concept of natural selection one step further, the movement promoted the concept that “artificial

selection” should aid the process of “natural selection” in order to prevent the degeneration of the

human race.

In the early 20^th century this concept migrated to the U.S. and attempts were made to wipe out human

beings who were considered imperfect. The U.S. legal system supported this concept with laws

forcing sterilization, segregation and marriage restrictions. Later this concept traveled to Europe and

came to Hitler’s attention.

Now more than ever, Germany needed every citizen to be 100% productive and eugenics was

determined to be the way to accomplish this. It was the Nazis who later substituted the term “racial

hygiene” for eugenics.

Originally the U.S. applauded Nazi efforts, but as things got out of control, the U.S. reconsidered their

stance. While the American Eugenics Movement died by 1939, the Nazis pressed ahead, expanding

the concept to include euthanasia.

Early Nazi Racial Hygiene

Shortly after Hitler came to power, a law was passed permitting the government to sterilize anyone

suffering from diseases considered hereditary: schizophrenia, depression, retardation, physical

deformity, epilepsy, congenital blindness or deafness, even severe alcoholism. This was the

beginning of Nazi racial “breeding”, creation of a “perfect race.”

Following this, habitual criminals were sterilized and laws were passed prohibiting marriage or sexual

relations between Jews and Germans.

It was also at this time that the “Rhineland Bastards” were sterilized. These were children of black,

African soldiers who had been brought to Germany by the French to serve as occupation forces after

World War I. These men had married German women and fathered children that Hitler considered an

“insult” to the German nation.

Nazi Euthanasia

The loss of the right to reproduce life ultimately progressed to the notion of selectively eliminating

those lives “unworthy of life.” Unlike the widely accepted sterilization program, the Nazis never openly

declared a formal euthanasia program. The Nazi T-4 Program (referring to the address of the program

headquarters at Tiergartenstrasse 4) operated in secrecy, targeting adult patients in government

sanitariums and nursing homes who were physically and mentally handicapped. These people were

considered “useless consumers” and burdens to the taxpayer.

Victims were murdered by a variety of means and their bodies burned. The T-4 program was

responsible for approximately 70,000 deaths, including 5,000 children and a few thousand Jews.

Although the program was officially halted in 1941 because of the intervention of Protestant and

Catholic clergy, the killings continued until the end of the war.

The gassing technology developed in the T-4 Program proved to be useful later in the elimination of

“inferior races” in the extermination camps.

Slide 66

What the Nazis Believed (breaker slide)

Slide 67

What the Nazis Believed:

Nazi Platform

Teacher Notes:

● The entire Nazi Platform contained 25 points. This slide contains 10 of the key points.

● It should be noted that different people joined the party for different reasons:

1. Only 15-20% of the party members “bought” the entire Nazi platform.

2. 75-80% were represented by those who:

- reluctantly accepted the platform due to pre-existing prejudices and later

participated in mass murder

- were not motivated by the ideology, but were motivated by careerism, greed,

or blind obedience

- remained indifferent, who asked no questions, who told themselves that the

events had nothing to do with them

● Lebensraum - Once this had meant getting back the lands lost by the Treaty of Versailles so that

the German people would have enough room to live. Under Adolf Hitler, Lebensraum would

come to mean something quite different. The Nazis believed that since the Germans were

Aryans and therefore superior, they had a duty to reproduce in large numbers. Aryan

population growth was a major aim of the Nazis. Germany, even if its pre-World War I borders

were restored, was not big enough to support such a growing population. There were not

enough resources, farm land, or food. The German people would grow. The inferior people

would be enslaved or killed. There would be land and food and resources for the Aryans

Slide 68

What the Nazis Believed (breaker slide)

Slide 69

What the Nazis Believed:

Nazi Symbols

Adolf Hitler

Hitler was a powerful and spellbinding orator. He was able to exert a magnetism that persuaded even

sophisticated Germans that he was not to be underestimated. At public rallies, Hitler worked himself

up to a pitch of near hysteria, and carried his audience with him. Hitler knew how to touch his

audience, how to gain their sympathy and play on their fears.

Swastika (Hakenkreuz or Hooked Cross)

The symbol has appeared in religious art from the Byzantine Era (5^th & 6^th centuries) as well as from

Indian tribes in the Americas. Today in India, it is a symbol for the Hindus and Buddhists.

At one point in Hitler’s childhood, he lived across from a large Benedictine monastery. As a youngster,

Adolf’s dream was to enter the priesthood. The monastery’s coat of arms’ most prominent feature was

a swastika.

Adopted as a Nazi symbol in 1920 and incorporated into the Nazi flag in 1935.

Today, it is illegal to display this symbol in Germany.

Runic Slashes

Thunderbolt symbol used by the SS.

The design was created in 1931 when Walter Heck, an SS leader, drew 2 Sig Runes side by side and

noticed the similarity to the initials of the SS. For 2.5 Reichsmark, Heck sold the right of the Sig Runes

to the SS.

Salute

Arm outstretched.

This salute was adopted from Mussolini and the Fascists.

“Heil” -Hail

“Sieg Heil” - Hail to Victory

“Heil Hitler” - Hail to Hitler (1^st used by Rudolph Hess)

Rallies

Carefully planned mass gatherings to convey strength and power.

Flag

Red background for the social ideas of the movement.

White circle for nationalism.

Twisted cross for the Aryan struggle.

Slogans

“Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Führer” - One State, One People, One Leader

“Die Juden Sind Unser Ungluck” - The Jews Are Our Misfortune.

“Deutschland ist Hitler! Hitler ist Deutschland” - Germany is Hitler! Hitler is Germany!

Slide 70

Perspectives Triangle: Perpetrators

Who were the perpetrators?

The perpetrators were human beings, even though they committed inhuman acts.

Obviously the Nazi top command is easily identified as a perpetrator and the Einsatzgruppen officers

who shot their victims at close range, but who else?

Looking exclusively at the process of deportations, officials from a variety of government agencies

were involved in all of the stages of the deportations. City officials had to prepare the assembly points.

Policemen accompanied the deportees to the selected spot. Doctors examined the Jews to declare

them medically fit for deportation. The bureaucrats’ work continued after the departure of the transport

when all remaining matters had to be settled: payment of all outstanding bills, the transfer of

confiscated funds, the return of unused ration cards as well as ID and labor cards. Tax forms and

other declarations were forwarded to the appropriate agencies. The local registration office was

notified of the deportation so that they could make the relevant changes in their files. The confiscated

property was disposed of and sold.

And then there is the subject of the railroads. Schedules had to be arranged. Tickets were bought.

Trains had to be loaded. Conductors and engineers were needed to run and maintain the railroads.

Passengers left but never came back. Who is a perpetrator?

What motivated them do it?

There are many different opinions on the matter of motivation.

Christopher Browning, author of Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solutions in

Poland, supports the theory that there was a complex interplay of peer pressure, careerism and

socialized conformity to blame for the fact that so many ordinary Germans participated willingly in

mass murder.

Daniel Goldhagen, on the other hand, supports a theory of “eliminationist antisemitism.” In his book,

Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust,” Goldhagen claims that the

motivational element that moved German men and women to devote themselves to the Nazi cause

was a belief “that Jewish influence, by nature destructive, must be eliminated irrevocably from society.”

A third theory espoused by Yehuda Bauer states:

Due to the modern structure of a bureaucracy, where each person has a limited role in the

creation of the general picture, the fact that each bureaucrat contributed just a small part to

the general project made it easier for him or her (usually him) to do what he did. At the same

time, it appears that a number of bureaucrats were fully conscious of what they did….they

were fully aware of what they were doing and they knew that it was contrary to common

morality. They did it because of that tremendous promise of a wonderful new society without

Jews.

- Yehuda Bauer, Eclipse of Humanity - the History of the Jews in the

Holocaust (Yad Vashem Multimedia Programme)

Slide 71

The Perpetrators

Nazi killers were perfect killers, as Elie Wiesel has often remarked, because they had been directed by

their culture and political system to nullify the essential humanity of their victims. Moreover, as the

killing process became more technological and bureaucratic, it became simpler to implement because

the murderers were distanced from their victims.

Hitler’s Leadership Style

Hitler dealt in the broad realm of ideas, aims and goals. Precise instructions were superfluous. His

underlings “worked towards” these ideas, taking independent initiatives to promote what they surmised

the Führer’s wishes to be, even to anticipate them. This led to ferocious competition within the party.

Hitler always endorsed the victorious person or faction and thus was never embarrassed.

Adolf Eichmann (SS Obersturmbannführer or Lieutenant Colonel)

● Born in Germany to a middle class Protestant family.

● Spent his youth in Austria. As a boy, was teased about his looks and dark complexion and was

nicknamed “the little Jew” by classmates.

● Failed in his engineering studies. Tried various jobs including laborer and sales.

● Joined Austrian Nazi Party in 1932 at age 26 and became member of the SS. Promoted to the SD

(SS Security Service).

● Developed a fanatical interest in Jews. Studied Jewish culture, attended Jewish meetings, studied

Hebrew and could speak some Yiddish. Became a “Jewish Specialist.”

● Assigned to investigate possible “solutions to the Jewish question.” Visited Palestine in 1937 to

discuss possible immigration of Jews with Arab leaders. British authorities ordered him to

leave.

● With takeover of Austria, he established the Central Office for Jewish Emigration, issuing permits to

Jews wanting to leave. Similar offices later opened in Prague and Berlin.

● 1939 he returned to Berlin as head of a Gestapo section responsible for implementing Nazi policy

toward Jews in Germany and all occupied territories. The Einsatzgruppen came under his

supervision.

● 1942 helped Heydrich organize the Wannsee Conference.

● Assumed leading role in coordination of the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and camps.

Traveled throughout the Reich coordinating the Final Solution.

● Arrested at the end of the war and confined to an American internment camp, but managed to

escape. In 1950, with help of the SS underground, he fled to Argentina and lived under the

assumed name of Ricardo Klement for 10 years until Israeli agents abducted him in 1960.

● Stood trial in Jerusalem for crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity and war

crimes. Found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by hanging in 1962. Although

Israel has no death penalty, Eichmann became the only person ever to be executed in the

country.

Joseph Goebbels (Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda)

● Due to childhood disease, wore metal brace on his leg for most of his life.

● Earned a PhD in literature and philosophy from University of Heidelberg in 1921. Worked as

journalist and published author until joining the Nazi party in 1924. Married numerous times.

On occasion reprimanded by Hitler for his promiscuous lifestyle.

● Initially opposed Hitler’s leadership, but later committed himself to the Nazi party and its führer.

● Committed antisemite. His prolific, persuasive propaganda helped the Nazis achieve and retain

power.

● In Hitler’s will, Goebbels was appointed Chancellor and Admiral Karl Doenitz was appointed

President without the title of führer. Goebbels was Chancellor of Germany for only one day.

Goebbels was instructed to leave Berlin in order to lead the government in exile. For the first

time, Goebbels disobeyed a command and remained in the bunker with his family, later to

commit suicide together.

Hermann Goering (Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe and 2^nd in Command of the Third Reich)

● Born in Germany to an aristocratic family. His father had been governor of Germany’s colony in

Southwest Africa.

● Served as combat pilot in World War I and distinguished himself as flying ace. He had succeeded

Manfred von Richthofen, the famed Red Baron, as squadron commander.

● After World War I was employed as a show pilot in Denmark and Sweden. His prestigious

background made him a prize recruit for the Nazi party.

● Hitler appointed him the first to command the SA in December 1922.

● Seriously wounded in Beer Hall Putsch and forced to flee from Germany for 4 years. Escaped to

Sweden and was admitted to a mental hospital for dangerous inmates. While here he became

a morphine addict.

● Returned to Germany in 1927 and rejoined Nazis. Elected as one of the first deputies to the

Reichstag.

● July 1932, became President of the Reichstag. In this position, he proclaimed the Nuremberg Laws

in 1935.

● January 1933, put in charge of Prussian police and Gestapo and Commissioner for Aviation.

● March 1935, became Commander-in-Chief of air force and was responsible for organizing the rapid

build up of aircraft and pilot training. Chief of the Four Year Plan to make Germany ready for

war.

● Supervised the state-owned, Hermann Goering Works, a gigantic industrial center that enabled him

to accumulate a huge fortune.

● Known for indulging in ostentatious luxury, living in a palace in Berlin and building a hunting

mansion where he organized feasts and showed off his stolen art treasures. Known to have

changed suits 5 times a day, flouting his medals and jewelry. Called himself the “Last

Renaissance Man.” This pompous air led to his ultimate downfall.

● September 1939, becomes Hitler’s designated successor.

● Becomes director of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) campaigns against Poland and France.

The failed air battle against Britain in 1940 damaged his political standing with Hitler. Goering

rapidly entered a world of illusions, forbidding any enemy reports that enemy fighters were

making headway.

● When Hitler declared that he would remain in his bunker in Berlin until the end, Goering, who had

already left for Bavaria, misinterpreted this as an abdication and requested that he be allowed

to take over at once. Hitler dismissed him from all his posts, and expelled him from the party.

● Shortly afterwards, in May 1945, Goering was captured by U.S. forces and put on trial at

Nuremberg. At the trial he frequently outwitted the prosecutors, but in the end, failed to

convince the judges who found him guilty.

● October 1946, two hours before his execution, Goering committed suicide by taking a capsule of

poison he had hidden from the guards. He had developed a close relationship with his young,

U.S. guard. Upon realizing his fate, Goering offered the young guard a gift of his personalized

watch given to him by Hitler. The young guard retrieved Goering’s personal bag that contained

the watch, and unknowingly, also contained the poison. The young guard later received a

court martial for his actions.

Rudolf Hess (Deputy to the Führer)

● Did not live in Germany until age 14. Served in World War I. Attended University of Munich and it

was there that he was introduced to a secret antisemitic political organization devoted to

Nordic supremacy.

● Joined the Nazi Party as the 16^th member after hearing Hitler speak.

● Was imprisoned with Hitler after the Beer Hall Putsch and served as his secretary in the writing of

Mein Kampf.

● A shy, insecure man who displayed near religious devotion, fanatical loyalty, and absolute blind

obedience to Hitler. Received various promotions within the Nazi party as reward for his

devout loyalty to Hitler.

● One of his most visible tasks was to announce Hitler at mass meetings.

● Never given any major influence in matters of state because of lack of understanding of the

mechanics of power and his inability to take any action on his own initiative. Unfortunately,

the one time he did act on his own initiative was an unauthorized flight to England to allay the

fears of Nazi aggression towards England. As a result, he was declared insane by Hitler,

disowned by the Nazis, and imprisonment by the British for the duration of the war.

● At the Nuremberg Trials, he was sentenced to life in prison where he committed suicide in 1987.

Reinhard Heydrich (SS Obergruppenführer -2^nd to Himmler)

● Nicknames: the Blonde Beast”, Hangman Heydrich, Man with the Iron Heart, Butcher of Prague.

● From an affluent, cultured, German family. Trained as a violinist. His mother believed in harsh

discipline and frequent beatings.

● Bullied throughout childhood because of his high-pitched voice and devout Catholicism. Also

tormented with anti-Jewish slurs because of supposed Jewish ancestry. His grandmother had

married for a second time (after the birth of Heydrich’s father) to a man with a Jewish

sounding name. As a result of his miserable childhood, he was driven to excel in academics

and athletics.

● With obvious Aryan characteristics, he felt a kinship with early antisemitic groups which offered him

an avenue to dispel rumors of his Jewish ancestry.

● Joined Nazi party and became member of the SS in 1931. Rose quickly through the ranks of the

SS.

● Head of the SD and right hand man of Heinrich Himmler. In this capacity, he organized a subgroup

of SS members to form the Einsatzgruppen.

● Organized and chaired the Wannsee Conference in Berlin in 1942 and thus a leading planner of the

Final Solution.

● Instrumental in the creation of the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia. On one

hand he offered incentives to Czech workers that were loyal to the Reich, and on the other, he

punished Czech resistance.

● Members of the Czech resistance plotted and carried out the assassination of Heydrich.

● Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka were name Operation Reinhard Camps in his honor.

Heinrich Himmler (Commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS))

● Born in Munich into middle class family.

● 1918 enlisted in the German army, but the war ended before he saw combat.

● Studied agronomy (study of growing crops) in Munich. Became active in the Freikorps, private

armies of ex-German soldiers who were resentful of Germany’s loss in the war.

● 1923 joined the Nazi party. Took part in the Beer Hall Putsch.

● Joined the SS in 1925 and in 1929 becomes the leader.

● In 1934-1945, the SS was given the task of organizing and administering Germany’s concentration

camps, under the leadership of Himmler.

● Himmler had a blind loyalty to Hitler, to the extent that he was known for having said that if Hitler

were to tell him to shoot his mother, he would do it and be proud of the Führer’s confidence.

● 1936 Himmler gained further authority as the SS absorbed all of Germany’s law enforcement

agencies.

● By 1941, the Nazis had invaded Russia and the Einsatzgruppen (division of the SS) was actively

killing civilians. Upon witnessing such a killing and nearly fainting, Himmler ordered more

“humane” methods be found in order to spare his SS men the ordeal of such direct killing.

● By the spring of 1945, Himmler had lost faith in German victory. He realized that in order to survive,

Germany would need to seek peace with Britain and the U.S. He began negotiations to

surrender in the west. When Hitler discovered this, he declared Himmler a traitor and stripped

him of all his titles and ranks.

● After Hitler’s suicide, Himmler contacted the headquarters of General Eisenhower, offering to

surrender all of Germany if he was spared from prosecution. He even went so far as to send

an application to Eisenhower, applying for the position of “Minister of Police” in the post-war

German government. Eisenhower refused his requests and declared him a major war

criminal.

● In an attempt to avoid arrest, Himmler attempted to disguise his identity with false documents.

Unaware of his identity, the British arrested Himmler due to suspicions stemming from the fact

that his paperwork was too orderly. In captivity he was soon recognized and scheduled to

stand trial in Nuremberg.

● Himmler committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule before interrogation could begin. His

last words were “I am Heinrich Himmler!”

Slide 72

Chart of Occupational Background of Nazi Leaders

Teacher Notes:

● Ask your students what type of people they think were responsible for the Final Solution? For

building and operating the gas chambers? For shaving the heads of inmates and overseeing

the sorting of clothes? (thugs, criminals, evil people?)

● What kinds of occupations are listed?

● The people who became Nazi leaders were educated, intelligent people including lawyers, doctors,

professors and even clergy. Education does not ensure justice and humanity. Education

needs to have a moral component.

● Any conclusions about the average age of many Nazi leaders?

● Does an “Educated” professional like a medical doctor or a lawyer have any special responsibility to

people or to society?

Slide 73

Crucial Divisions of the Nazi Party

SA (Storm Troopers, Brown Shirts, Sturmabteilungen)

● Organized in 1921 as the Nazi’s private army.

● Kept Nazi functions running smoothly while disrupting functions of opposition parties.

● Members mostly former soldiers or those who had lost jobs due to Germany’s economic woes.

● Ernst Roehm, Hitler’s good friend, became Supreme Commander in 1931.

● After Hitler took power in 1933, Roehm wanted the SA to take control of the German army. Hitler

felt it vital to maintain the sanctity German army. In the “Night of the Long Knives,” Hitler had

his SS kill Roehm and other SA leaders. The SA was no longer a dominant organization

within the Reich.

SS (Protective Squad, Schutzstaffel)

● Came into being in 1923 as a select corps drawn from the SA membership.

● Served initially as bodyguard for the party’s leadership, answering to Hitler personally and swearing

loyalty to him alone.

● Entrusted with the “Blood Flag,” the flag stained with the blood of the men shot in the 1923 Beer

Hall Putsch that became a holy relic symbolic of those that had fallen.

● Heinrich Himmler appointed leader in 1929.

● Himmler wanted the SS to be a higher class than the SA and thus instituted racial selection for its

members. Member had to have perfect German ancestry, blonde hair, blue eyes and

minimum height of 5’9”. Ultimately even their brides had to be screened.

SD (Security Service, Sicherheitsdienst)

● Created in 1931 as an intelligence service for the Nazi Party and SS.

Reinhard Heydrich was in charge.

● Obtained secret information about actual and potential enemies of the Nazi leadership, investigated

loyalty of State officials, and spied on German people in their daily lives.

Gestapo (Secret State Police, Geheime Staatspolizei)

● Created in 1933 to deal with the “enemies” that had been rooted out by the SD.

● Had powers of incarceration without judicial review.

● Most feared entity due to ruthless and cruel methods.

● While the concentration camps were under the control of the SS, the Gestapo had power to send its

victims there.

Death’s Head Units (Totenkopfverbande)

● Created in 1936.

● Selected from the SS ranks to serve as concentration camp guards.

● On their caps was a silver emblem of a skull, the “death’s head” signifying their loyalty until death.

Special Action Groups (Einsatzgruppen)

● Formed in 1938 from SS troops.

● Upon annexation of Austria, they apprehended those who opposed the Reich.

● With the invasion of Poland, they rounded up Jews and forced them into ghettos.

● The invasion of the Soviet Union marked their most treacherous role: destruction of the ideological

infrastructure of the Soviet Union i.e. murder all Jews and Communists encountered.

Armed SS (Waffen-SS)

● Largest branch of the SS. Established 1940.

● Combat corps of the SS. The Death’s Head Units provided troops for the first unit of the Waffen-

SS.

● Fought alongside the Wehrmacht, the army of Nazi Germany.

Slide 74

Nazi Intentions Revealed (opening breaker slide)

Teacher Note:

One should note how quickly anti-Jewish actions began after Hitler assumed power. This included the

implementation of anti-Jewish policies as well as the Boycott of Jewish Shops and Book Burnings

which all occurred within Hitler’s first 4 months in power.

This should have been the time for protest from the German constituency as well as foreign

governments. All of these acts were documented in U.S. as well as other foreign newspapers.

Protests did occur in the U.S., initiated by the Jewish community, but fell on deaf ears.

Slide 75

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies

Teacher Note:

It should be noted that the Jews of Germany represented less than 1% of the total population. They

were assimilated both socially and culturally, enjoying the same civil rights as non-Jewish, German

citizens when the Nazis took power.

Questions to Consider:

● Ask students if there is a difference between just and unjust laws?

● What are the responsibilities of citizens when another group of citizens is targeted for violence?

______________________________________________________________________________

There were two central objectives to the Nazi anti-Jewish policies: the “social death” of the Jews and

the removal of Jewish presence and influence from German society. This was accomplished with

verbal assaults, physical assaults and ultimately legal and administrative restrictions upon the Jews.

Verbal Assaults

The verbal assaults were meant to be heard not only by the Germans, but also by the Jews. It was

intended to buttress German beliefs as well as terrorize the Jews. One Jewish survivor records this

aspect of Nazi policy during the aftermath of the April 1, 1933 boycott:

The barrage of propaganda was directed against Jews with undiminished vehemence and

intensity. In ceaseless repetitions, it was hammered into the heads of the readers and

listening audiences that the Jews were subhuman creatures and the source of all evil.

Physical Assaults

The regime perpetrated, encouraged and tolerated violence against Jews. It became part of the Jews’

everyday existence. It took the form of impromptu physical attacks and ritualistic degradation by local

officers, and sometimes of centrally organized campaigns of violence, terror and incarceration in

concentration camps. Similar to the verbal violence, these physical assaults announced to everyone

that the Jews were beyond the moral community, and that they would best absent themselves from

Germany.

Legal and Administrative Restrictions

Unlike the other anti-Jewish measures eventually adopted, the Nazis put these into effect almost

immediately upon assumption of power. This legally promulgated social separation of Jews from

Germans.

From 1933 to 1938 the Nazis systematically took away civil rights, personal rights, education,

occupations and private property from Jews in an effort to force Jews to emigrate and to make

Germany free of Jews. Between 1933 and 1939 there were over 400 separate pieces of legislation

enacted against Jews. This policy climaxed on November 9-10, 1938 with Kristallnacht.

Slide 76

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Civil Rights

Teacher Note:

The photo on the slide shows a Jewish man and a Christian woman being humiliated after having

confessed to having sexual relations.

_____________________________________________________________________

April 7, 1933

Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service

Required most Jews holding civil service jobs to retire.

Sept.15, 1935

Reich Citizenship Law

Declared Jews were no longer German citizens.

Law for the Protection of German Blood & German Honor

Forbade either marriage or sexual relations between Jews and Germans.

Slide 77

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Personal Rights

April 22, 1933

Kosher butchering is forbidden by law.

April 26, 1938

Jews must register all property in excess of 5,000 Reichsmark (about $2000)

August 17, 1938

All male Jews must assume the name “Israel” and all females the name

“Sarah” by January 1, 1939.

October 5, 1938

All Jewish passports must be marked with the letter “J” for Jew.

November 9-10, 1938….Kristallnacht !

November, 1938

Jews can no longer own or bear arms.

Jews can no longer attend plays, movies or concerts.

Curfew imposed on Jews.

September 1941

German Jews over the age of 6 ordered to wear a yellow Star of David.

Clubs, hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, youth organizations, even whole communities closed their

doors to Jews. As public contacts were severed, private contacts unraveled as well. Non-Jews

increasingly avoided Jews they knew, pretending they had never been acquainted. For Jews, who

had long thought of themselves as an integral part of this society, the deepening division was

disheartening and demoralizing, especially when perpetrated by long-trusted acquaintances.

Slide 78

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Personal Rights

Photo of Jews Forced to Walk in the Street

Teacher Note:

This photo offers the opportunity to discuss the emotions experienced by both the non-Jews on the

sidewalk and the Jews forced to walk off the sidewalk.

Questions to Consider:

● Non-Jews

- Would/should they look at the Jews off the sidewalk?

- Is there any sympathy for the plight of the Jews?

- Is there embarrassment that they are accepting the status quo?

● Jews

- Is there embarrassment?

- Is there hatred?

- Is there acceptance?

- How would you feel?

Slide 79

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Personal Rights

Photos of Jewish Passports

After the Austrian Anschluss (March, 1938), many Jews took advantage of a German-Swiss

agreement for the abolition of the visa requirement to cross into Switzerland. In June of that year, the

Chief of the Swiss Police protested to the German legation against what he called the “inundation” of

Switzerland by Viennese Jews, for whom, he said, the Swiss had no more use than Germany did.

The Swiss government requested that the passports of German Jews clearly indicate that their holders

were Jews.

October 5, 1938: Law issued requiring all Jewish passports to be marked with the letter “J” for “Jude”

or Jew in German.

Slide 80

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Education

April 25, 1933

Law Against Overcrowding in German Schools & Universities

Restricted the number of Jewish children in schools and universities to 1.5%

of the total student body.

All Catholic parochial and Protestant denominational schools were abolished.

November 15, 1938

Regulation expelled Jews from German schools and declared they must

attend Jewish schools.

July 4, 1939

Newly established Reich Association of Jew in Germany has responsibility

over the education of Jewish children.

July 7, 1942

Jewish schools closed in Germany after the first wave of deportations of

German Jews to the East was complete.

From the time that Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, Jewish children experienced rising

humiliation and discrimination within German classrooms. The newly implemented “racial biology”

classes targeted Jewish children as social outcasts and acted to isolated Jewish children by making

them appear as a race separate from, and inferior to Germans.

On April 25, 1933, the “Law against Overcrowding in German Schools and Universities” was passed,

restricting the number of Jewish children in schools and universities to 1.5% of the total student

population. As a result, private German Jewish schools were developed where Jewish students met

with Jewish teachers to continue their education.

The events of Kristallnacht on November 9-10, 1938, led to the November 15^th ban of Jewish and

Roma (Gypsy) children from German schools. One month later, Jewish students were banned from all

universities as well. The 10^th regulation of the Nuremburg Laws, dated July 4, 1939, gave the newly

established Reich Association of Jews in Germany responsibility over the education of Jewish

children.

Jewish schools continued to exist in Germany until they were finally closed on July 7, 1942, after the

first wave of deportations of German Jews to the East was completed.

The ban against Jewish children in German schools was part of the effort to “Aryanize” society and

remove Jews from German life. It was one of the many antisemitic laws established to isolate and

discriminate against Jews, one that was remembered as particularly humiliating and dehumanizing by

the children who suffered under it.

Slide 81

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Occupation

Photos on Slide:

Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front, came to the U.S. in 1939 from

Germany. His successful 1929 novel, an exposé of the front-line horrors of World War I, was publicly

burned in 1933, claiming that it “displayed treachery toward the soldiers of the World War.”

Mathematician Albert Einstein was a 1921 Nobel Prize winner for his Theory of Relativity. Vilified by

Hitler as a Jew, Einstein renounced his German citizenship in 1933 and moved to the U.S.

Conductor Otto Klemperer came to the U.S. with his wife after he lost is job at the Berlin State Opera

during the 1933 antisemitic purge.

Sigmund Freud, the Jewish founder of modern psychoanalysis, left Austria and fled to Britain in June

1938.

Summer 1933

Regulation stating that all Jewish artists and writers were prohibited from

practicing their professions and all books published by or about Jews were to

be burned.

July 1938

Regulation stating that the medical licenses of Jewish doctors had been

canceled and they could only treat Jewish patients as non-licensed doctors.

Slide 82

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies - Laws Restricting Private Property and Business

Nov. 12, 1938

Regulation for the Elimination of the Jews from the Economic

Life of Germany

Decree forcing all Jews to transfer retail businesses to Aryan hands.

February 1939

Regulation stating that all Jews must surrender all their gold, platinum, silver

objects, precious stones, and pearls to the German government with the

exception of one place setting of silver.

In a process known as “Aryanization,” German authorities either seized Jewish businesses and

property outright or forced Jews to sell assets at prices absurdly below market value.

The Nazis felt there was “Jewish domination” among stores and businesses, yet in truth, the

percentage of Jews in commerce in Germany was 3.3% of the total population. It was this process of

Aryanization, more than any other, that destroyed the capacity of Jews in Germany to survive

economically, for over 60% of the Jewish population earned a living as independent owners of stores

and businesses.

The first phase of Aryanization was January 1933 to November 1938. During this period of so-called

“Voluntary Aryanization,” transfers of ownership were supposedly based on voluntary agreements.

The second phase following Kristallnacht was a so called “Compulsory Aryanization.” Jews were

under pressure to sell. The longer they chose to wait, the greater the pressure and the smaller the

compensation. By early 1938 there was some difficulty finding enough German buyers for the

remaining Jewish-owned businesses. The German Economy Ministry stepped in to force price levels

down by requiring official approval of all contracts for transfer of a business from a Jew to a German

As a result of the various anti-Jewish economic restrictions between 1933 and 1939, Jews were forced

to move to urban areas. The Germans did not plan this movement. The migration was caused mainly

by the gradual impoverishment of the Jewish community, which gave rise to increasing intra-Jewish

dependence, particularly the dependence of poor Jews on Jewish relief organizations. This

urbanization of the Jewish populations was a major step in the destructive process.

Slide 83

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Anti-Jewish Policies

Quote from Heinrich Hildebrandt noting the subtle progression of restrictions.

Teacher Note:

Milton Mayer, author of They Thought They Were Free, was a newspaperman and an American Jew

of German descent who returned to Germany 7 years after the war to talk to average Germans. One

of those was Heinrich Hildebrandt, a high school teacher in Nazi Germany.

_________________________________________________________________________

Additional Quotes from They Thought They Were Free

● Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and

the next. You wait for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock come, will

join with you in resisting somehow. You don’t want to act, or even talk, alone; you don’t want to “go

out of your way to make trouble.” Why not? - Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not

just fear, fear of standing alone, that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty.

● And you are an alarmist. You are saying that this must lead to this, and you can’t prove it. These

are the beginnings, yes; but how do you know for sure when you don’t know the end, and how do

know, or even surmise the end?

● But the one great shocking occasion, when tens or hundreds or thousands will join with you, never

comes. That’s the difficulty. If the last and worst act of the whole regime had come immediately after

the first and smallest, thousands, yes, millions would have been sufficiently shocked - if, let us say,

the gassing of the Jews in ’43 had come immediately after the “German Firm” stickers on the windows

of non-Jewish shops in ’33. But of course this isn’t the way it happens. In between come all the

hundreds of little steps, some of them imperceptible, each of them preparing you not to be shocked by

the next. Step C is not so much worse than Step B, and, if you did not make a stand at Step B, why

should you at Step C? And so on to Step D.

● And one day, too late, your principles, if you were ever sensible of them, all rush in upon you. The

burden of self-deception has grown too heavy, and some minor incident, in my case my little boy,

hardly more than a baby, saying “Jew swine,” collapses it all at once, and you see that everything,

everything, has changed and changed completely under your nose…You have accepted things you

would not have accepted five years ago, a year ago, things that your father, even in Germany, could

not have imaged.

Slide 84

Nazi Intentions Revealed (breaker slide)

Slide 85

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Boycott of Jewish Shops (April 1, 1933)

Teacher Notes:

● Note the sign on the left is written in German and English. Why?

● The boycott was organized as a test of German and international tolerance for anti-Jewish

measures. Was this intended for publicity in the international community?

____________________________________________________________________________

The boycott of Jewish shops and businesses was the first public, nation-wide attack by the Nazi Party

against the entire Jewish Community. It’s purpose, to damage the Jews economically, proved only a

partial success.

The boycott was scheduled for Saturday, April 1, a day on which many Jewish shops and offices were

closed for the Sabbath. In addition, many people crossed the lines, and the general reaction of the

wider population was “markedly cool.”

President Hindenburg ordered that the boycott be limited to one day because of public apathy as well

as foreign reactions and the danger of damaging the economy.

Slide 86

Nazi Intentions Revealed (breaker slide)

Slide 87

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Nazi Book Burning (May 10, 1933)

The Nazi burning of selected books was an effort to cleanse the culture of ideas that were threatening

to the Nazi philosophy and eliminate Jewish intellectualism.

Titles by Jewish authors were removed as well as books espousing individualism, overcoming physical

challenges and the emotional cost of war. Targeted authors included Helen Keller, Ernest

Hemingway, Jack London, Sinclair Lewis, and Jewish authors such as Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein

and Heinrich Heine.

I held my breath while he hurled the first volume into the flames: it was like burning something

alive. Then students followed with whole armfuls of books, while schoolboys screamed into

the microphone their condemnation of this and that author, and as each name was mentioned

the crowd booed and hissed. You felt Goebbels’s venom behind their denunciations.

Children of fourteen mouthing abuse of Heine! Erich Remarque’s All Quite on the Western

Front received the greatest condemnation … it would never do for such an unheroic

description of war to dishearten soldiers of the Third Reich.

- Lilian T. Mowrer, an American living in Germany, describing a book burning.

What We Knew - Terror, Mass Murder & Everyday Life in Nazi Germany,

by Eric A. Johnson & Karl-Heinz Reuband

In the U.S., public opinion was outraged. Journalists were dismayed at this German assault on

intellectual freedom.

Helen Keller on the Nazi Book Burnings

By the time of the book burnings in Berlin, Helen Keller had become not only a noted writer and

lecturer, but also a revered symbol of one person’s victory over incredible adversity. Having lost both

sight and hearing at the age of 19 months, she learned how to communicate by touch through her

tutor and educator Ann Sullivan. Keller’s lectures and writing on behalf of socialism, world peace and

internationalism marked her books for inclusion in the book burnings - despite the fact that she was

then donating all her German royalties to the relief fund for the blind German soldiers of World War I.

With her books slated for the bonfires, she confronted the German students in an open letter:

History has taught you nothing if you think you can kill ideas. Tyrants have tried to do that

often before, and the ideas have risen up in their might and destroyed them.

You can burn my books and the books of the best minds in Europe, but the ideas in them

have seeped through a million channels and will continue to quicken other minds. I gave all

the royalties of my books for all time to the German soldiers blinded in the World War with no

thought in my heart but love and compassion for the German people.

I deplore the injustice and unwisdom of passing on to unborn generations the stigma of your

deeds.

Slide 88

Nazi Intentions Revealed (breaker slide)

Slide 89

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

Nuremberg Laws (September 15, 1935)

With these laws Hitler officially legalized antisemitism.

Jews were declared stateless and unprotected by German law. They were returned to the legal

position they had occupied in Germany before their emancipation in the 19^th century. A climate was

created in which Jews were viewed as different, an inferior people.

Although these laws aimed to bring about a thorough racial separation, they could not systematically

be implemented unless one knew to whom they applied. The word “Jew” was used in these laws, yet

the term was not defined. Who constitutes a Jew?

This issue was not resolved until November 14, 1935 with the November Decree.

The Jewish reaction was mixed:

Some concluded that there was no future for Jews in Germany. Emigration jumped.

Others welcomed the laws. With their status now defined (even as non-citizens) they hoped the

violence would stop. They would be able to tolerate their lives as second class citizens until a new

regime came to power. Many Jews who had immigrated in 1933-34 even returned after the

Nuremberg Laws were passed.

A Jewry that had considered itself German first and foremost and Jewish only secondarily, now turned

inward to develop a new-found Jewish identity. They maintained their dignity despite rejection by what

they thought was their fatherland. Beginning in 1935, the leaders of German Jewry tried to inform the

non-Jewish world outside of their predicament. When there was little response, they realized that to

survive both physically and spiritually in an immoral society, they would largely have to depend on

themselves.

Slide 90

Nazi Intentions Revealed (breaker slide)

Slide 91

Nazi Intentions Revealed:

The November Decree (November 14, 1935)

Teacher Notes:

● Mischlinge - mixed race; i.e. part Jew

● The Mischlinge were officially excluded from membership in the Nazi Party. They were drafted into

the German army but could not attain the rank of officers. They were also barred from the civil service

and certain professions.

● At the Wannsee Conference, during discussions of the “Final Solution,” it was suggested the

Mischlinge who were neither married to Jews, nor members of the Jewish community, nor “behaved”

like Jews, be given the option of deportation to death camps or “voluntary” sterilization. Although no

clear policy was adopted, an undetermined number of Mischlinge were sterilized. Mischlinge included

in deportation transports suffered the fate of the Jews. A number of “Aryan” spouses of Jews, mostly

women who refused to leave their spouses went with them to the East and shared their fate.

● The date of September 15, 1935 that is used as a benchmark for the “exception” to the 1^st degree

Mischlinge rule noted on the slide, refers back to the date of the announcement of the Nuremberg

Laws.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The November Decree provided the definition of a Jew that was lacking in the Nuremberg Laws.

The November Decree offered a profound and startling contradiction. The Nazis had previously called

all decrees that defined people as Jews, “racial laws.” Yet note here that the criteria for determining

Aryan versus non-Aryan is based on the religion of one’s ancestors, not on any racial characteristics.

According to the race definitions, there were nearly 500,000 Jews in Germany (less than 1% of the

population) and 200,000 Mischlinge. Many who had never considered themselves Jewish were now

given that designation by the government.

And what does one do with a pre-existing mixed marriage?

These were classified as privileged (Aryan husband + Jewish wife) and non-privileged (Jewish

husband + Aryan wife).

In a privileged couple, the wife never had to wear a yellow star.

In a non-privileged couple, the husbands were ultimately deported.

Because these laws required proof of ancestry, and few families had such records at their disposal,

genealogical researchers and black market certification became common place.

Slide 92

Nazi Propaganda (opening breaker slide)

Teacher Notes:

● Propaganda - the spreading of false information to purposely mislead people

● A possible approach to this topic is beginning with a discussion of current advertising methods.

Advertising persuades consumer opinions either for or against current products, even before

purchase. At what point is this detrimental? When does advertising become propaganda?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Nazi propaganda was used to instill Nazi racist ideology and to change patterns of traditional behavior.

Focusing on the major enemy (the Jew), the Nazis used false claims, deceptions and outright lies to

justify and gain support for their murderous policies. Propaganda infiltrated all aspects of society

including education, books, games, radio and movies. The average German was bombarded with

Nazi ideology every minute of every day.

When Rosa Hirsch was asked why people did not protest or do something in the early years, she

responded:

Because they really believed it; they really believed what they were taught. If they lived by

the law, they didn’t have to be afraid. They were taught that a Jew is not a human being, a

parasite, so you leave it alone. They had nothing to be afraid of. But if they had been thinking

that these people used to be my neighbors and we were friends, well, maybe not close

friends, but we were acquaintances, and all of a sudden they are parasites, they are not worth

anything anymore, then something isn’t right. But as a whole, the German do not think for

themselves. They are followers. They are not leaders. You see the difference here for

instance in America. Somebody comes along like a McCarthy and all of a sudden people get

mixed up. But then they come back to themselves and they say, “That man is crazy.” They

think for themselves. They are not followers. They are not like sheep like the Germans are.

The Germans follow anybody.

- Rosa Hirsch, from What We Knew - Terror, Mass Murder & Everyday Life in

Nazi Germany, by Eric A. Johnson & Karl-Heinz Reuband

Because of the significant role played by propaganda in the Nazi system, the Reich Ministry of Public

Enlightenment and Propaganda was created on March 5, 1933, with Joseph Goebbels at its head.

Goebbels, a Ph.D. in literature and philosophy, was first appointed to attract public attention and

media coverage to the Nazi party. Once the Nazis were in power, these efforts were re-directed to

entrench the totalitarian regime and strengthen its hold on the population. Goebbels controlled the

flow of all public information.

Slide 93

Nazi Propaganda:

The Hitler Youth

Philosophy

My pedagogy is hard. The weak must be chiseled away…young people will grow up who will

frighten the world. I want a violent, arrogant, unafraid youth, who must be able to suffer

pain. Nothing weak or tender must be left in them. Their eyes must bespeak once again the

free, magnificent beast of prey…thus will I face the pure and noble raw material…I do not

want an intellectual education. With knowledge I will spoil the young. I would vastly prefer

them to learn only what they absorbed voluntarily as they followed their play instinct. They

shall learn to overcome the fear of death through the most arduous tests. This is the historic

state of heroic youth.

- Adolf Hitler quoted in The Burden of Guilt by H. Vogt, p.163

Development of the Hitler Youth

The concept behind the Hitler Youth was to turn out a generation of unquestioningly loyal Nazis who

were racially “pure” and conditioned to military discipline.

The Hitler Youth first began in 1926. Hitler had just been released from prison after his failed putsch

and he was re-building the Nazi party. Kurt Gruber, a law student and avid Nazi, was put in charge.

The young people were attracted by the flags, uniforms and rituals of this youth movement. Gruber

described the Hitler Youth as “a new youth movement of young social-revolutionary minded Germans”

trained to risk their own lives if necessary to free Germany from “the shackles of Capitalists and the

enemies of the German race.”

By April 1929, the Hitler Youth was declared the only official youth group of the Nazi Party. They

appeared at the annual Nuremberg rally in September where a group of boys from Berlin had marched

400 miles to attend. This became an instant tradition and would be repeated each year as the Adolf

Hitler March.

The BDM was not established until 1930. Girls were taught the importance of being loyal Nazis and

mothers of racially pure Germans. They were always to set a good example by not smoking or

drinking in public. Great emphasis was placed on the girls’ education and they were expected to learn

a trade. This was quite unusual for women of that time.

Originally the Hitler Youth operated as a semi-independent entity within the SA. In April 1931, Gruber

was placed directly subordinate to SA Chief Ernst Roehm. By October 1931, Gruber was gone and

replaced with 24-year old Baldur von Schirach.

By the end of 1933 there were over 3.5 million members. By 1935, almost 60% of Germany’s young

people belonged to the Hitler Youth.

On December 1, 1936, a law was passed requiring all healthy young Germans “to be educated

physically, intellectually and morally in the spirit of National Socialism.” Membership in the Hitler

Youth became compulsory for all German children age 10 and older. Three years later, in 1939, a

tougher law was passed: parents who did not allow their children to join could have their children taken

away.

These young people embodied the Nazi ideal and were encouraged to report anyone who denounced

the party, including parents and friends. They were some of the Gestapo’s best informers resulting in

lost jobs, fines or even jail sentences.

Divisions of the Hitler Youth

Boys

Girls

(Hitler Youth, Hitlerjügend)

(German Girl’s League, BDM, Bund Deutscher Mädel)

Pimpfen (Little Fellows), age 6-10

Jungmädel (Young Girls), age 10-14

Jüngvolk (Young Folk), age 10-14

Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Maidens),

Hitlerjügend (Hitler Youth), age 14-18

age 14-17

Glaube und Schönheit (Faith & Beauty), age 17-21+

Programming for the Boys

Members of the Hitler Youth wore paramilitary uniforms very similar to those of the Sturmabteilung, or

SA, and the ranks and insignia were similar. Many of the boys' activities resembled soldier training,

including throwing grenade-like objects, crawling under barbed wire, learning to jump off high

platforms into the sea, and climbing over tall obstacles. Youths in HJ camps learned to use weapons,

built up their physical strength, learned war strategies, and were indoctrinated in antisemitism.

At age 18, men graduated from the Hitler Youth to become members of the Nazi Party. The “elite”

members were selected for SS service on the basis of their height, Nordic appearance and pure Aryan

blood. The remainder would be pressed into other organizations such as the SA or Reich Labor

Service. After 6 months in the Reich Labor Service, they reported for two years of military service.

Programming for the Girls

The BDM used campfire romanticism, summer camps, folklorism, tradition, and sports to educate girls

within the National Socialist belief system, and to train them for their roles in German society: wife,

mother, and homemaker. The programs offered to girls often appeared very interesting and seemingly

allowed the girls more freedom within society than they had previously known. Prior to the BDM, it

was nearly unheard of that girls would travel without their parents, or do such "boyish" things as

camping, hiking, and playing sports.

The BDM helped the war effort in many ways. Younger girls collected donations of money, as well as

goods such as clothing or old newspapers for the Winter Relief and other Nazi party charitable

organizations. Many groups, particularly BDM choirs and musical groups, visited wounded soldiers at

hospitals or sent care packages to the front. The older girls volunteered as nurses' aides at hospitals,

or to help at train stations where wounded soldiers or refugees needed a hand.

At age 18, the women were expected to join the Reich Labor Service. They could also remain a

member of the BDM until they got married or had children.

Uniforms

Boys: The uniform was black shorts or trousers, khaki shirt and hair the length of matchsticks.

Girls: Dark blue skirt, white blouse, black kerchief, hair in long braids or rolls

Songs

Hitler Youth songs contained antisemitic lyrics including one song that said: “Yes, when the Jewish

blood splashed from the knives, things will go twice as well.”

After the War

The Hitler Youth was disbanded by Allied authorities after the war. Some members of the Hitler Youth

were accused of war crimes; however, as the organization was staffed with children, no serious efforts

were made to prosecute these claims. While the entire Hitler Youth was never declared a criminal

organization, the Hitler Youth adult leadership corps was deemed to have committed crimes against

peace in corrupting the young minds of Germany. Many top Hitlerjügend leaders were put on trial by

Allied authorities, with Baldur von Schirach sentenced to twenty years in prison. Schirach was

convicted of Crimes against Humanity for his actions as Gauleiter of Vienna, not his leadership of the

Hitler Youth.

Slide 94

Nazi Propaganda (breaker slide)

Slide 95

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany

Teacher Notes:

● Education - the development of knowledge, skill or ability through study or training; the individual

not only learns facts and develops skills, but is given the opportunity to question, criticize and draw

their own conclusion.

● Indoctrination - teaching someone to accept doctrines uncritically.

● In Nazi Germany, the education system was altered to a form of indoctrination that purported

emotion over reason, community over the individual, and unquestioning acceptance of authority.

Discussion Points:

● Why is the control of education such a critical element in the forming of society’s opinion?

● How does what the student learns in school affect their parents?

● What effect did the portrait of Adolf Hitler in every classroom have? Do we have a portrait of our

U.S. President in every classroom? Why or why not?

Education played a very important part in Nazi Germany in trying to cultivate a loyal following for Hitler

and the Nazis. The Nazis were aware that education would create loyal Nazis by the time they

reached adulthood.

The Nazification of German schools began shortly after Hitler took power. Many teachers attended

classes during school holidays in which the new Nazi curriculum was spelled out.

A portrait of Hitler hung in every classroom.

The school curriculum was re-shaped underscoring racial theory, discouraging analytical thinking and

overemphasizing physical training. Hundreds of textbooks were replaced by Nazi material. New

subjects were introduced, including genetics and the study of race and nation. As author Erika Mann

said in School for Barbarians, German educators were warping pliable young minds in order to mold

obedient young monsters.

Enforcing a Nazi curriculum in schools depended on the teachers delivering it. Any teacher considered

disloyal was dismissed. In April 1933, laws were passed requiring that all teachers who were Jews or

political opponents be fired. Shortly after that, Jewish pupils were restricted to 1.5% of the student

body. By November 15, 1938, Jews were banned altogether from state schools and colleges.

The chief purpose of the school is to train human beings to realize that the State is more

important than the individual, that individuals must be willing and ready to sacrifice themselves

for Nation and Führer … The basic principle to keep in mind is that we are not striving to

inculcate as much knowledge as possible in the minds of our students. If students have

learned to submit to authority, if they have developed a willingness to fit into that particular

(place) chosen for them by the Party, then their education has been successful.

- Nazi Minister of Education’s Goals of Education

In 1936, all Catholic parochial and Protestant denominational schools were abolished. Church

holidays which had usually meant a day off from school, were now ignored.

By 1937, 97% of all teachers belonged to the National Socialist Teacher’s League (NSLB). Every

member of this union had to submit an ancestry table in triplicate with official documents of proof.

32% of NSLB members were members of the Nazi Party. This percentage was twice as high as that

found in the Nazi Civil Servant's Association.

In addition to the traditional German school system, the Nazis established 3 types of elite schools for

the training of young Nazis:

Adolf Hitler Schools - Run by the Hitler Youth organization; there were eventually 10; took

boys at the age of 12 and provided 6 years of intensive, highly

disciplined leadership training; top-level graduates were eligible for

the Napolas or Ordensburgen for another 3 years of training.

Napolas (National Political Institutes of Education) - Run by the Nazi party.

Ordensburgen (Order Castles) - Run by the Nazi party.

Under Adolf Hitler, a school system that had once been considered among the finest in the world

became substandard almost overnight. The Hitler Youth organization would gradually supplant the

traditional elementary and secondary system and become the main force educating German youth.

Students emerging from schools were in superb physical condition and thoroughly drilled in Nazi

ideology but lacked basic skills in math and science.

Slide 96

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - The German National Catechism

Teacher Notes:

● Catechism - a summary or exposition of doctrine

● This striking little book uses a clearly religious metaphor: It is a "German Catechism" for the

instruction of young Germans. It goes through the 25 program points of the Nazi Party, and introduces

the leaders of the party as well.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the translation of one section on race entitled: Of Race and People (Volk)

What is a race?

A group of living creatures is a race when its individual members share the same appearance and

genetic inheritance.

What do I understand under "appearance and genetic inheritance"?

Physical characteristics that are passed along: the color of the skin, the shape of the skull, and

particularly facial features (shape of the nose, mouth, lips), etc.

What are the major races?

White, black, and yellow.

To which race do Europe's peoples belong?

The peoples of Europe do not belong to a particular race, but are rather a racial mixture. Our German

people are comprised primarily of six races.

And what are they?

The Nordic, the Pfalzish (fälische), the Western (westliche), the East Baltic (ostbaltische), the Ostic

(ostische), and the Dinarish (dinarische) races.

How can one tell that peoples are racially related?

First, from their languages, in which many words are the same or similar. A racial relationship is also

evident in the same or similar cultural products, sagas, legends and customs.

What were and are the particular characteristics of the Nordic race?

Courage, bravery, creative ability and desire, loyalty.

The German people is, along with the English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, the most racially

pure of the European peoples. With regards to the purity of language, the Scandinavian peoples are

in first place. Its Gothic script is particularly lovely, and it should be maintained.

Which race must the National Socialist race fight against?

The Jewish race.

Why?

The goal of the Jew is to make himself the ruler of humanity. Wherever he comes, he destroys works

of culture. He is not a creative spirit, rather a destructive spirit.

How is that evident?

The work of Aryan peoples shows a true creative spirit. The Jew is mostly a merchant, as he was for

millennia in the past. There are no Jewish construction workers in Germany, no smiths, no Jewish

miners or seamen. Nearly all major inventions were made by Aryans.

How has the Jew subjugated the peoples?

With money. He lent them money and made them pay interest. Thousands and thousands of

Germans have been made wretched by the Jews and been reduced to poverty. Farmers whose land

had been in the family for more than 100 years were driven from their land because they could not pay

the interest.

What happened to those farmers?

They had to move to the cities. Torn from the land to which they belonged, robbed of their labor that

gave their lives purpose and meaning, they fell victim to poverty and misery. Worn down, their souls

crushed, they accepted Jewish doctrines that denied the Fatherland and opposed all that was

nationalistic. Their strength and ability faded. The Jew had reached his goal.

What other guilt does the Jew bear?

While the German people were fighting a life and death battle during the World War, the Jew incited

people at home and seduced them into treason. The November Revolution of 1918 that brought

about Germany's collapse was the work of the Jew.

In countless newspapers in Germany and abroad, he brought everything German into the mud,

slandering us and inciting our enemies even more than they already were. His lackeys in leading

positions in the Reich persecuted the National Socialist movement, bringing the fighters for a new

Germany before judges and throwing them into prison.

He corrupted Germans through bad books, and mocked true literature and German music, replacing it

with un-germanic music. Everywhere, his influence was destructive.

What is racial defilement?

Forgetting our spirit and our blood. A careless disregard of our nature and a contempt for our blood.

No German man may take a Jewish woman as his wife, and no German girl may marry a Jew. Those

who do that exclude themselves from the community of the German people.

What must the National Socialist movement do?

Adolf Hitler said: "Care must be taken, at least in our nation, that the deadliest enemy (the Jew) is

recognized, and that the battle against him is seen as the shining symbol of a brighter day that will

also show other peoples the path to the salvation of fighting Aryan humanity.“

Which European people disregards the racial question?

France. It has accepted large numbers of blacks into its army. It has given them the same political

rights as the whites. Thus it can happen that black officers command whites. Blacks and Moroccans

fought against Germany in the World War. After the war, blacks raped German women and girls in the

Rhineland. Germans - never forget that!

What does your people mean to you?

You are born into your people, my child, of a German mother. Your father is a German. And you

belong to the German people just as every part of your body belongs to you. You are a link in a great

chain, a part of the whole. Alone, you are nothing, but when you live for your people you are

everything. Your people's destiny is your destiny. Its struggles and sorrows, its joys and its miseries,

are yours. All Germans are your brothers. You may not think, want or do anything that harms your

people! The history of your people is great and glorious, and you can be proud of it. The days of

betrayal and the years of shame that Germany had to endure between 1918 and 1933 are a warning

to you. You must work and create for the resurrection of your Fatherland.

The greatness of your people calls you to loyalty! Never forget that Frederick the Great and

Bismarck were your brothers, as are those heroes of the World War who sleep in foreign soil or in the

depths of the sea! The war memorials in the streets of the cities and the market places of the villages

call to you. Never forget that we cheerfully shed our blood for you, for Germany's holy soil, for the

good and the life of this great people!

Slide 97

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Typical School Day

Teacher Notes:

● How do you suppose the Jewish students felt?

● Why do you suppose the Nazis felt it was imperative to humiliate and alienate the Jews before they

tried to eliminate them?

Slide 98

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Changes in the Curriculum

Teacher Notes:

● What Nazi concepts are imbedded in these simple math word problems?

● How does this type of indoctrination change the students’ perception of the world?

In these twisted math problems, we are reminded of the “sub-human” value of both the handicapped

and the Jews as well as the burden they place on society.

Subjects underwent a major change in schools. Some of the most affected were History and Biology.

History

History was based on the glory of Germany - a nationalistic approach was compulsory. The German

defeat in 1918 was explained as the work of Jewish and Marxist spies who had weakened the system

from within; the Treaty of Versailles was the work of nations jealous of Germany's might and power;

the hyperinflation of 1923 was the work of Jewish saboteurs; the national resurgence started under the

leadership of Hitler, etc.

Biology

Biology became a study of the different races to 'prove' that the Nazi belief in racial superiority was a

sound belief. "Racial Instruction" started at the age of 6. Hitler himself had decreed that "no boy or girl

should leave school without complete knowledge of the necessity and meaning of blood purity."

Pupils were taught about the problems of heredity. Older pupils were taught about the importance of

selecting the right "mate" when marrying and producing children. The problems of inter-racial

marriage were taught with an explanation that such marriages could only lead to a decline in racial

purity.

Geography

Geography taught pupils about the land Germany had taken away from her in 1919 and the need for

Germany to have living space - lebensraum.

Science

Science had a military slant to it. The curriculum required that the principles of shooting be studied;

military aviation science; bridge building and the impact of poisonous gasses.

Indoctrination became rampant in all subjects. At every opportunity, teachers were expected to attack

the lifestyle of the Jews.

All teachers had to be careful about what they said, as children were encouraged to inform the

authorities if a teacher said something that did not fit in with the Nazi's curriculum for schools.

Slide 99

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Excerpt from Biology Textbook

Slide 100

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Math Lesson for First Grade

Teacher Notes:

Notice the strong differentiation between the “girl” page and the “boy” page, especially the military

equipment for the young boys to count. How might this impact early thinking?

Slide 101

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - The Poisonous Mushroom (Der Giftpilz)

The Poisonous Mushroom is an antisemitic children’s book published by Julius Streicher, the publisher

of Der Stürmer. Streicher was executed as a war criminal in 1946.

This collection of children’s stories contains vivid illustrations portraying Jews as dangerous, lecherous

and untrustworthy. One of these is the innocent story of a young child collecting mushrooms in the

forest with his mother who warns him of the dangers of the “poisonous mushroom.”

The following stories refer to the pictures on the slide above:

The Poisonous Mushroom

Mother uses lessons from nature in teaching her son how to recognize a poisonous mushroom that

may be similar to one that is edible. In the same way, a Jew may look like a regular person but must

be treated with caution.

A mother and her young boy are gathering mushrooms in the German forest. The boy finds some

poisonous ones. The mother explains that there are good mushrooms and poisonous ones, and, as

they go home, says:

"Look, Franz, human beings in this world are like the mushrooms in the forest. There are good

mushrooms and there are good people. There are poisonous, bad mushrooms and there are bad

people. And we have to be on our guard against bad people just as we have to be on guard against

poisonous mushrooms. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, mother," Franz replies. "I understand that in dealing with bad people trouble may arise, just as

when one eats a poisonous mushroom. One may even die!"

"And do you know, too, who these bad men are, these poisonous mushrooms of mankind?" the

mother continued.

Franz slaps his chest in pride:

"Of course I know, mother! They are the Jews! Our teacher has often told us about them."

The mother praises her boy for his intelligence, and goes on to explain the different kinds of

"poisonous" Jews: the Jewish peddler, the Jewish cattle-dealer, the Kosher butcher, the Jewish

doctor, the baptized Jew, and so on.

"However they disguise themselves, or however friendly they try to be, affirming a thousand times their

good intentions to us, one must not believe them. Jews they are and Jews they remain. For our Volk

they are poison."

"Like the poisonous mushroom!" says Franz.

"Yes, my child! Just as a single poisonous mushroom can kill a whole family, so a solitary Jew can

destroy a whole village, a whole city, even an entire Volk."

Franz has understood.

"Tell me, mother, do all non-Jews know that the Jew is as dangerous as a poisonous mushroom?"

Mother shakes her head.

"Unfortunately not, my child. There are millions of non-Jews who do not yet know the Jews. So we

have to enlighten people and warn them against the Jews. Our young people, too, must be warned.

Our boys and girls must learn to know the Jew. They must learn that the Jew is the most dangerous

poison-mushroom in existence. Just as poisonous mushrooms spring up everywhere, so the Jew is

found in every country in the world. Just as poisonous mushrooms often lead to the most dreadful

calamity, so the Jew is the cause of misery and distress, illness and death."

The author then concludes this story by pointing the moral:

German youth must learn to recognize the Jewish poison-mushroom. They must learn what a danger

the Jew is for the German Volk and for the whole world. They must learn that the Jewish problem

involves the destiny of us all.

"The following tales tell the truth about the Jewish poison-mushroom. They show the many shapes

the Jew assumes. They show the depravity and baseness of the Jewish race. They show the Jew for

what he really is:

The Devil in human form.

How To Tell A Jew

Children are instructed by a teacher that embraces the Nazi doctrine. They are taught to recognize

the stereotypical facial characteristics of Jews, for example, the “Jewish nose.”

Things are lively in Mr. Birkmann's 7th grade boys' class today. The teacher is talking about the Jews.

Mr. Birkmann has drawn pictures of Jews on the blackboard. The boys are fascinated. Even the

laziest of them, "Emil the Snorer," is paying attention, not sleeping, as he so often does during other

subjects. Mr. Birkmann is a good teacher. All the children like him. They are happiest when he talks

about the Jews. Mr. Birkmann can do that well. He learned about the Jews from life. He knows how

to put it in gripping terms such that the favorite hour of the day is the "Jewish hour." Mr. Birkmann

looks at the clock.

"It is noon," he says. "We should summarize what we have learned in the past hour. What have we

talked about?"

All the children raise their hands. The teacher calls on Karl Scholz, a small lad in the front row. "We

have talked about how to recognize the Jews." "Good. Say more!"

Little Karl reaches for the pointer, steps up to the board and points at the drawings.

"One can most easily tell a Jew by his nose. The Jewish nose is bent at its point. It looks like the

number six. We call it the Jewish six. Many non-Jews also have bent noses. But their noses bend

upwards, not downwards. Such a nose is a hook nose or an eagle nose. It is not at all like a Jewish

nose."

"Right!" says the teacher. "But the nose is not the only way to recognize a Jew..."

The boy goes on. "One can also recognize a Jew by his lips. His lips are usually puffy. The lower lip

often protrudes. The eyes are different too. The eyelids are mostly thicker and more fleshy than ours.

The Jewish look is wary and piercing. One can tell from his eyes that he is a deceitful person."

The teacher calls on another lad. He is Fritz Müller, and is the best in the class. He goes to the board

and says:

"Jews are usually small to mid-sized. They have short legs. Their arms are often very short too.

Many Jews are bow-legged and flat-footed. They often have a low, slanting forehead, a receding

forehead. Many criminals have such a receding forehead. The Jews are criminals too. Their hair is

usually dark and often curly like a Negro's. Their ears are very large, and they look like the handles of

a coffee cup."

The teacher turns to the students.

"Pay attention, children. Why does Fritz always say 'many Jews have bow legs', or 'they often have

receding foreheads,' or 'their hair is usually dark'?"

Heinrich Schmidt, a large, strong boy in the last row speaks.

"Every Jew does not have these characteristics. Some do not have a proper Jewish nose, but real

Jewish ears. Some do not have flat feet, but real Jewish eyes. Some Jews cannot be recognized at

first glance. There are even some Jews with blonde hair. If we want to be sure to recognize Jews, we

must look carefully. But when one looks carefully, one can always tell it is a Jew."

"Very good," the teacher says. "And now tell me about other ways to tell Jews from non-Jews.

Richard, come up here!"

Richard Krause, a smiling blonde lad, goes to the board. He says: "One can recognize a Jew from his

movements and behavior. The Jew moves his head back and forth. His gait is shuffling and

unsteady. The Jew moves his hands when he talks. He "jabbers." His voice is often odd. He talks

through his nose. Jews often have an unpleasant sweetish odor. If you have a good nose, you can

smell the Jews."

The teacher is satisfied.

"That is how it is, kids. You have paid attention! If you pay attention outside school and keep your

eyes open, you won't be fooled by the Jews."

The teacher goes to the lectern and turns the board. On the other side a poem is written. The

children read it out loud:

"From a Jew's face

The wicked Devil speaks to us,

The Devil who, in every country,

Is known as an evil plague.

Would we from the Jew be free,

Again be cheerful and happy,

Then must youth fight with us

To get rid of the Jewish Devil.“

The Experience of Hans and Else with a Strange Man

Children are taught that Jews are morally decadent characters whose intentions are evil.

In this story a Jew tries to entice little children to his home, by giving them caramels. The little boy

saves his sister by calling the police.

Else begins to have plenty of sweets.

Hans asks from where they are coming.

"I have got them from a strange man. But don't tell mother! The man strictly forbade me to do so!"

Hans is curious. They arrange to go together. The "man" wants them to go with him.

Hans hesitates - Hans thought:

'What does the man want of us? Why should we go with him?'

Suddenly a great fear comes over him.

"You are a Jew!" he cries and seizing his sister, runs off as fast as his legs will carry him. At the

corner of the street he meets a policeman. Quickly Hans tells his story. The policeman gets on his

motor-bike and soon overtakes the strange man. He handcuffs him and takes him to prison.

At home, subsequently, there is great rejoicing. The police praise Hans for being a brave lad. His

mother gives him a large piece of chocolate while teaching him the following saying:

"A devil goes through the land,

The Jew he is, known to us all

As murderer of the peoples and polluter of the races,

The terror of children in every country!

He wants to ruin the youth.

He wants all peoples to die.

Have nothing to do with a Jew

Then you'll be happy and gay!“

How Jewish Traders Cheat

This story introduces a Jewish hawker who tries to sell bad cloth to a young German peasant girl.

It is a festival evening in the village when the Jew turns up with his wares. The Jew flatters the

peasant woman and spreads out his wares.

"Everything the heart desires, Levy has for sale."

But the German peasant girl turns down his offers.

The Jew persists, and shows her some stuff of "... purest wool. That will make a dress for you,

woman, so that you will look like a Baroness or a Princess, like a Queen. And cheap, too, that I can

tell you!"

But the peasant woman knows the Jew too well.

"I am buying nothing from you," she says, and goes away.

The Jew packs up and goes away cursing. He consoles himself with the knowledge that there are lots

of other peasants who can be more easily duped than this one.

The story concludes:

Woe to the woman, however, who lets herself be taken in by his chatter. It will happen to her. As has

happened to so many other peasant women once they have let the Jew in. There is no escape.

There is an old saying:

'The Jewish hawker

Is a cheat and seducer.

He lies all the time

And you - you pay the price.

So many have gone through the mill.

Would you be saved from these penalties.

Then don't let the Jew come in

And buy only from a German."

Slide 102

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany -“Juden Raus!” (Jews Out)

Children were taught from the earliest years to stay away from “the evil Jew.” Here is a popular

children’s game called “Jews Out!” By throwing dice, the winner manages to get six Jews out of their

homes and businesses - the circles - and on the road to Palestine. Notice the Jews in pointed hats, a

reference to the Middle Ages when Jews, in fact, were forced to wear pointed hats. It sold over a

million copies in 1938, when Nazi policy was forced Jewish emigration.

Slide 103

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Additions to the Curriculum - Teaching Nazi Racial Ideology

Racial instruction became mandatory in German schools in September 1933.

This included teaching young children how to spot a Jew by describing the physical traits which Nazis

believed were associated with inferior peoples. Charts such as the one above were hung in the

classroom to reinforce this point. In some classrooms, where Jews were still present, a Jewish child

would be brought to the front of the class as an example. The teacher would then use a pointer,

highlighting certain facial characteristics.

This new curriculum allowed the Nazis to teach students to view Jewish people in a racist, socially

humiliating manner, which alienated Jewish students from an education system and a world in which

they had previously felt welcome.

It was not only in the street that I encountered such humiliation. In school, too. I was then in

the final class of secondary school and it was the month before passing-out

examinations…One teacher in particular went out of his way to humiliate me. He was a

history teacher named Bencur. During one lesson he began to quote from a speech of Hitler’s

to the effect that the Jews should be wiped off from the face of the earth. Turning to me he

asked what I thought of the speech and in that particular sentence. I did not know what to

reply and I think I said nothing. So he began to shout, saying that I was treating the questions

and him and all the teachers disrespectfully, and he finally dismissed me from the class.

At the next lesson he called me to the blackboard to answer a number of questions on our

studies. I answered them well…, but as he said afterwards - such an answer was not

satisfactory coming from a Jew, since the Jew is not capable of understanding the history of

the Hungarian people….”

- Moshe S. (age 17), from What We Knew - Terror, Mass Murder &

Everyday Life in Nazi Germany, by Eric A. Johnson & Karl-Heinz

Reuband

Slide 104

Nazi Propaganda:

Education in Nazi Germany - Additions to the Curriculum - Teaching War Oriented Sports

Physical fitness became a very important part of the school curriculum. Hitler felt that physical fitness

was much more important for his young people than memorizing “dead facts” in the classroom. In

Mein Kampf, he stated that “… a less well-educated, but physically healthy individual with a sound,

firm character, full of determination and willpower, is more valuable to the Volkish community than an

intellectual weakling.” Hitler wanted boys who could suffer pain..."a young German must be as swift

as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel.“

The Nazis increased the hours devoted to sports for children from two hours per week in 1933 to two

hours per day in 1938. Those who failed fitness tests could be expelled from their schools and face

humiliation from those who had passed such tests.

Boxing became compulsory for boys. It was felt that boxing heightened aggressiveness.

Battle Ball was one of the most popular sports in Nazi Germany, especially in the Hitler Youth and SA.

It supposedly promoted a “decisive, take-action not think”, “goal orientated” kind of approach to

problem solving. The point of Battle Ball was to move a medicine ball through the opposing goal by

ANY means possible.

For boys considered special, different school were created. Those who were more physically fit and

stronger than the rest went to Adolf Hitler Schools where they were taught to be the future leaders of

Germany. Six years of tough physical training took place and when the pupils from these schools left

at age 18, they went to the army or to university. The very best pupils went to Order Castles. These

were schools which took pupils to the limits of physical endurance. War games used live ammunition

and pupils were killed at these schools. Those who graduated from the Order Castles could expect to

attain a high position in the army or the SS.

Slide 105

Nazi Propaganda (breaker slide)

Slide 106

Nazi Propaganda:

Media-Newspaper

All newspapers in the Reich were licensed. Those that refused to endorse the Nazi line were shut

down. Editors had to be racially acceptable - of “Aryan” descent and not married to a Jew.

Twice a day, Goebbels’ ministry held a press briefing where reporters were told which events were to

be covered. Editors were informed how a story was to be treated. Ministry officials read and censored

all papers. Everyone understood the ground rules: failure to please the ministry by printing anything

“to weaken the strength of the German Reich … or offend the honor and dignity of Germany could

result in heavy fines, even imprisonment in a concentration camp.

Der Stürmer (“The Great Storm”), edited by Julius Streicher, was one of the most important

instruments of propaganda of the Nazi Party. It pronounced openly and vehemently the hatred of

Jews. The paper was to appeal to the common man, the worker with little time to read: short

sentences, simple vocabulary and repeated ideas appealed to its readers. It contained attention-

grabbing headlines with articles about scandal, sex, and crime. Stories were exaggerated and facts

were distorted. Cartoons were a major feature of the paper, often depicting Jews with large, hooked

noses, bulging eyes, unshaven, short and fat. The slogan, “The Jews are our Misfortune,” appeared

prominent in each issue. Favored by Hitler for its constant barrage of antisemitic writings humors and

cartoons, the paper was disdained by Goebbels not because of its philosophy but because he found it

banal, occasionally 'pornographic', and badly written and edited. Many even within the National

Socialist [Nazi] Party were discontented with the paper because of its "scandal rag" approach.

Streicher was so instrumental in raising racial hatred and violence, that he was tried for crimes against

humanity in Nuremberg.

The Volkischer Beobachter (Racial Observer) was the official Nazi newspaper, edited by Alfred

Rosenberg. It was the most popular paper in Nazi Germany.

When Walter Sanders (not-Jewish) was asked “What did people think happened to the Jews who were

taken away?” he responded:

The worst. You can’t imagine what the agitation against the Jews was like. There was a

newspaper called “Der Stürmer.” It was something you just can’t imagine, and it was spewed

out week after week. And then there were the { antisemitic } films, such as “Jud Süss,” which I

saw myself. We had to go to see it because of school. We had to go there as a group. That

was indeed a kind of agitation. So when the Jews were deported, we knew that something

was going to happen to them.

- Walter Sanders, from What We Knew - Terror, Mass Murder & Everyday

Life in Nazi Germany, by Eric A. Johnson & Karl-Heinz Reuband

Eventually newspapers were so boring that people stopped reading them. One German worker joked

with a foreign correspondent:

I told my wife that if I die, don’t let them put it in the newspaper because no one will

believe it!

Slide 107

Nazi Propaganda:

Media-Radio

The Nazis were the first to exploit the new technology of radio.

Radio reached a mass audience and became the most pervasive source of Nazi propaganda.

The Nazis made cheap radios readily available to the public such that by 1939, 70% of German

homes had at least 1 radio (highest rate in Europe). Out of the 19-hour broadcast day, 5 hours were

devoted to Nazi propaganda that included martial music, telling human-interest stories about good

deeds done by the noble young “Aryan” men of the Hitler Youth, and carrying Hitler’s speeches.

Radio broadcasts in factories and public areas were encouraged.

Local “radio wardens” encouraged neighbors to buy radios. Later they reported on those who listened

to foreign broadcast, who were then subject to arrest.

By 1939, it had become illegal to listen to foreign radio stations. People who did were sentenced to

three years in jail. People who listened and told others what they heard were sentenced to death.

Hitler’s dictatorship differed in one fundamental point from all its predecessors in history. His

was the first dictatorship which made complete use of all technical means for the domination

of its own country. Through technical devices like the radio and the loudspeaker, 80 million

people were deprived of independent thought. It was thereby possible to subject them to the

will of one man.

Albert Speer, Nazi Minister of Armaments & War Products,

His final speech at his trial after the war.

Slide 108

Nazi Propaganda:

Media-Film

Both Hitler and Goebbels, both big movie fans, recognized the importance of explaining Nazi ideas in

their simplest form. Film was an effective medium for doing this, but of course, Goebbels had to

approve all scripts.

The Eternal Jew (Der Ewige Jude)

Produced in 1940, it depicts the Jews of Poland as corrupt, filthy, lazy, ugly, and perverse: they are an

alien people who have taken over the world through their control of banking and commerce, yet still

live like animals. This film was used in training of the Nazi Youth. It is to this day considered such

dangerous propaganda that it is banned in Germany except under tightly controlled circumstances.

Jew Pests (Jud Sus)

Based on the true story of the Jew, Suess-Oppenheimer, the Jewish tax advisor to Karl Alexander in

the early 1700’s, who was publicly executed. The film is about a Jewish moneylender who committed

crimes and raped an Aryan maiden, tortured her lover and father, eventually causing her to commit

suicide. The movie was so horrifying that the actors asked Goebbels to send out a special press

release telling the country that they themselves were not Jewish.

Triumph of the Will

The film covers the events of the 6^th Nuremberg Party Congress, showing how the Nazi state drew in

the masses through propaganda and Hitler’s unique and terrifying ability to entice others to his beliefs

by the very power of his words. This film is still banned in Germany.

Slide 109

Nazi Propaganda:

Media-Posters

The Nazis believed that a woman’s place was in the home, her purpose was to produce babies, rear

children and care for home and family. In keeping with this, a fully figured, motherly woman look was

preferred. Make-up and trousers were frowned upon, a bun or plaits were the norm, processed hair

was not. Hitler believed that women were ruled by emotion and thus were not allowed to take part in

the government, the law, or education.

A law was passed in 1933 giving newly married couples a loan of 1000 marks (approximately 9 mos.

wages). One quarter of that loan was cancelled for every child born to the couple.

Every August 12, the anniversary of the Hitler’s mother’s birthday, the “Honor Cross of the German

Mother” was awarded to mothers with 4 or more children. A bronze medal was awarded for 4 children,

a silver medal for 6 children, and a gold medal for 8 children.

Slide 110

Nazi Propaganda (breaker slide)

Slide 111

Nazi Propaganda:

1936 Olympics in Berlin

The choice of Berlin to hold the Summer Olympic Games in 1936 seemed a signal of Germany’s

return to the global community. The Nazis mounted a campaign of camouflage and spin that led many

visitors and journalists to conclude that the country had, indeed, turned over a new leaf. Through

pageantry and propaganda, Germany projected an image not only of order, discipline and strength,

but also of tolerance and peacefulness.

In April 1933, the Nazis had expelled Jews and Romani from German sports facilities. Some Jewish

athletes joined Jewish sports associations and found new facilities.

The Nazis took sports seriously. They saw athletic prowess as a measure of Aryan racial superiority

and military might. Hitler hoped that the games would provide an opportunity for the Nazis to

broadcast their racist ideas internationally. Vast effort was put into assembling a team of German

athletes capable of beating all opposition. German Jewish athletes were not allowed to participate.

The Germans did allow the part-Jewish fencer, Helene Mayer, to represent Germany at the Summer

Games in Berlin. She was the only Jew on the German team.

The Nazis invested massive financial and human resources in carrying out the Games in both its

grand scale and its grand deception. They built a huge sports complex and adorned it with the

Olympic flags and swastikas. They also took down most anti-Jewish signs and had the press tone

down its antisemitic rhetoric. Instead, they played up imagery that likened Nazi German to ancient

Greece - racially pure, strong, and heroic. The German filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, propagated this

aesthetic in her documentary of the Games, Olympia, which debuted in 1938.

Despite movements in a handful of countries (including the U.S., U.K., France, Sweden, and the

Netherlands) to boycott the Berlin Games, 49 teams from around the world ended up participating,

more than in any previous Olympics. The United States brought 312 athletes (the second most behind

Germany’s 348), including 18 African Americans. Germany won the most medals, but more crucial

was its victory in the press and in the public mind. A new Germany, more human and more peaceful,

had emerged.

Hitler’s grandiose Aryan image-building did not quite work out. The hero of the 1936 Olympics was

the black, American sprinter and long jumper, Jesse Owens. The Nazis particularly wanted to show

that an Aryan German could run faster and jump further than a member of any other race. Owens

shattered these absurd delusions, by equaling or bettering Olympic records in nine field events and

winning four gold medals. To show his displeasure at Owens’ win, Hitler left the Olympic stadium

before the athlete received one of his medals.

Interestingly, two Jewish American athletes in the 400m relay, Glickman and Stroller, were pulled from

the line-up the morning of their race. Avery Brundage, American Olympic Official, was afraid that a

victory by Jewish athletes would offend the German hosts, so he excluded Glickman and Stroller and

ordered Jesse Owens to take the baton. Glickman and Stroller sat on the bench as their teammate,

Jesse Owens, won.

Having rejected a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the U.S. and other western democracies

missed the opportunity to take a stand that - some observers claimed - might have given Hitler pause

and bolstered international resistance to Nazi tyranny. The persecution of Jews resumed after the

spotlight left Berlin, as did the Nazis’ plans for German expansion.

Slide 112

Violations of Treaty of Versailles: Map

The Nazis took their first offensive step in October 1933 when they withdrew from the League of

Nations.

In 1935, Hitler announced the formation of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), the resumption of a

military draft, and the increase in the strength of the German Army (Wehrmacht) - all in direct violation

of the Treaty of Versailles. The Allies did nothing.

March 1936:

German troops entered the Rhineland (part of Germany), an area that had been designated by the

Treaty to serve as a buffer zone between Germany and France. The Rhineland citizens welcomed the

Nazi union. This territorial gain brought the Krupp Armaments Factory and the I.G. Farben Chemical

Works back under the German flag. The Krupp Armaments factory would produce the tanks and

cannons for early German victories. l.G. Farben would supply the formula for Zyklon-B that would be

used in future gas chambers. The Allies did nothing.

March 1938:

The Anschluss (“joining”) of Austria. Hitler’s aggression into Austria neither restored lands lost by the

Treaty nor increased German living space (lebensraum). The Germans viewed Austria as part of their

rightful homeland and many Germans lived there. The Germans justified this “annexation” by referring

to a clause in the Treaty which stated that all people of one nationality had a right to live under one

government. The Nazis marched into Austria with little or no resistance. The Allies did nothing.

September 1938:

The Sudetenland, part of northwestern Czechoslovakia, had 3 million people of German ancestry.

Hitler wanted to bring these people back into the Reich as well as gain control over Czechoslovakia’s

industrial capacity, its resources of gold and coal and above all lebensraum (living space) for the

German people. After threatening an invasion, an international agreement was made between the

British, French and Italians (note the Czechs were not involved) allowing a German takeover with the

understanding that this would be Germany’s last territorial gain. This agreement was known as the

Munich Agreement. Although the Allies were reticent to give in to Hitler’s demands once again, they

believed this would achieve peace in Europe as well as satisfy Hitler.

Slide 113

Violations of the Treaty of Versailles (opening breaker slide)

Slide 114

Violations of Treaty of Versailles:

The Rhineland Falls (March 1936)

The Rhineland was a rich industrial area of Germany that bordered France, Belgium, the Netherlands

and Luxembourg. The Treaty of Versailles had mandated that it be a demilitarized zone.

When Hitler proposed that 2 battalions of the German army re-occupy the demilitarized Rhineland, his

generals opposed it vocally as too risky, because of the vast superiority of French and British forces

then arrayed against them.

We could not have done anything if England and France had made the slightest protest and

backed it up by military action.

- Albert Speer in Nuremberg testimony

German troops entered the Rhineland in March 1936. The Rhineland citizens welcomed the Nazi

union. This territorial gain brought the Krupp Armaments Factory and the I.G. Farben Chemical Works

back under the German flag. The Krupp Armaments factory would produce the tanks and cannons for

early German victories. l.G. Farben would supply the formula for Zyklon-B that would be used in

future gas chambers. The Allies did nothing.

Germany’s archenemies, by their passivity, had endorsed Hitler. His success made him a genuine

German hero. By letting Germany break the Treaty that the victors of World War I had imposed on

her, they allowed German dignity to be restored. Flags flew across Germany.

We should have understood then that there was no one left to remove Hitler. Not his legions

of brown- and black-shirted fanatics, not the army whose fears about marching into the

Rhineland had been ignored but which was now being rearmed, and not the 60 million

Germans who went along for the ride. In 1936, we still did not yet equate Germany with

Nazism or Nazism with extermination. And why would we? We still believed that

Hitler would calm down, become more moderate. Didn’t he promise that each new crisis he

created would be the last? The commitment to antisemitism asked of Germans up to then

involved no outrageous acts by ordinary citizens, only support of news laws. When most Jews

were not alarmed enough to leave Germany, why should most Germans have been upset?

Shunned and humiliated, but not yet mortally wounded by the Nazis, many German Jews

began discovering their Jewish religion. Whether this sprang from a need for redemption,

from forced identification, or from guilt, I cannot say. …

-Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, Witness to Nuremberg

Slide 115

Violations of the Treaty of Versailles (breaker slide)

Slide 116

Violations of Treaty of Versailles:

Anschluss of Austria (March 13, 1938)

March 13, 1938: The Anschluss (“joining”) of Austria.

Hitler’s aggression into Austria neither restored lands lost by the Treaty nor increased German living

space (lebensraum). The Germans viewed Austria as part of their rightful homeland and many

Germans lived there. The Germans justified this “annexation” by referring to a clause in the Treaty

which stated that all people of one nationality had a right to live under one government. The Nazis

marched into Austria with little or no resistance. The Allies did nothing.

The arrest of political opponents was accompanied by massive action against the Jews. The process

of degradation, terror, and expropriation that had taken 5 years in Germany, was completed - and

even surpassed - in a few months in Austria. Men and women were forced to scrub streets on their

knees while crowds of Viennese stood by and cheered; shops were invaded, robbed, and their

owners beaten; arbitrary arrests deprived families of fathers who were never seen again.

The annexation of Austria increased the Jewish population of the Reich by approximately 200,000.

The Jewish communities of Germany and Austria were quite different. The Jews of Germany were, for

the most part, descendants of Jews who had settled there during the past 2,000 years. 80% were

German citizens and only 20% were recent immigrants from Eastern Europe. They participated in

German economic, cultural, and political life as members of the German community. They were loyal

to Germany.

The Jews in Austria were, for the most part, a relatively new group, most having arrived over the past

100 years. Most lived in Vienna and engaged in small businesses and the professions.

AUSTRIA (200,000 Jews)

Advertising

90% Jewish

Furniture Manufacturing

85% Jewish

Newspapers & Shoe Manufacturing

80% Jewish

Lawyers

62% Jewish

Doctors/Dentists

51.6% Jewish

35.5% of the Jewish working population was unemployed

Slide 117

Violations of Treaty of Versailles:

Austrian Antisemitism

10% of the population of Vienna was Jewish, the third largest Jewish community in Europe.

Antisemitism, already a strong sentiment in Austria, found a willing vehicle in the Nazi regime.

Jews were subjected to discriminatory laws and policies, public humiliation, arrest and forced

immigration. In six months, 45,000 Jews had left. By 1939, three-fourths of the Jews of Austria had

left. Robert Rosner observed after the war:

We Viennese Jews had the Anschluss to thank for our survival, because things became so

bad in Vienna that we realized after six weeks that we had to leave, while in Germany they

didn’t realize it.

Slide 118

Violations of the Treaty of Versailles (breaker slide)

Slide 119

Violations of Treaty of Versailles:

Sudetenland Falls (September 1938)

Teacher Note:

Had the Allies stood up to Hitler and not signed the Munich Agreement, would history have been re-

written?

_________________________________________________________________________________

The Sudetenland, part of northwestern Czechoslovakia, had 3 million people of German ancestry.

Hitler wanted to bring these people back into the Reich as well as gain control over Czechoslovakia’s

industrial capacity, its resources of gold and coal and above all lebensraum (living space) for the

German people. After threatening an invasion, an international agreement was made between the

Germans (Hitler), British (Chamberlain), French (Daladier) and Italians (Mussolini and Ciano), allowing

a German takeover with the understanding that this would be Germany’s last territorial gain. Note that

the Czechs were not involved. This agreement was known as the Munich Pact or Agreement.

Although the Allies were reticent to give in to Hitler’s demands once again, they believed this would

achieve peace in Europe as well as satisfy Hitler.

Many of the Jews of the Sudeten region fled to Prague, but were later caught in the Nazi net when the

Nazis invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

REMAINDER OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA FALLS, MARCH 15, 1939

Hitler violated the Munich Pact on March 15, 1939 when he invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia.

With the fall of Czechoslovakia, the British and French finally realized the danger of their situation.

They had deceived themselves into thinking that Hitler wanted only to unite people of German origin.

By swallowing Czechoslovakia, he had demonstrated his real intention - to dominate all of Europe.

The Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia became a German protectorate.

Slovakia became an independent state, closely allied with Germany.

Germany’s ally, Hungary, annexed the Transcarpathian Ukraine in May 1939.

Czechoslovakia ceased to exist as an independent nation.

Bohemia / Moravia

The western Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia became a German protectorate (under

German control). Approximately 118,000 Jews lived there. Emigration from Prague, the capital, was

slow due to the fact that the mass exodus from Austria had consumed most of the resources of the

world’s Jewish welfare organizations. Emigration was banned in October 1941; 26,629 Jews had

managed to get out.

Reinhard Heydrich was appointed acting governor of the Protectorate in 1942. He immediately began

to persecute the Jews. He decided to move all the Jews to ghetto/camp of Theresienstadt

(established November 1941), in hopes they would die there; the remaining Jews would be deported

to the east. Ultimately more than 73,000 Jews were sent to Theresienstadt and about 60,000 were

sent to Auschwitz and other camps.

Czechoslovakia was liberated on May 5, 1945. Of the 92,199 Jews living there before deportations

began, 78,154 died during the Holocaust. Only 3,277 survived the war.

Throughout the war, the Nazis collected many Jewish religious and cultural articles from communities

in the Protectorate. They intended to display them in a planned “Central Museum of the Extinguished

Jewish Race.” Instead, their pillage turned into the most valuable Judaica collection in Europe, now

exhibited in the Jewish Museum of Prague.

Slovakia

Slovakia became an independent state, closely allied with Germany. In 1938, there were 135,000

Jews in Slovakia (about 4.1% of the population), 40,000 of these lived in the Transcarpathian Ukraine.

Slovakia was one of the first German-allied countries to agree to the deportation of Jews as part of the

“Final Solution.”

According to a December 15, 1940 census, there were about 90,000 Jews left in Slovakia. Shortly

after the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Slovakia entered World War II as an ally of

Germany. Even more stringent anti-Jewish laws were introduced. This culminated with the

implementation of the so-called “Jewish Code” on September 9, 1941, based closely on the

Nuremberg Laws. Jews had to wear a yellow armband with the Star of David. A Jewish star had to be

affixed to every letter sent by a Jew. The police were empowered to open such letters and destroy

them. The Slovak government enthusiastically embraced the idea of deporting their Jews. Between

March and October 1942 almost 60,000 were deported to German-occupied Poland and killed. The

remaining Jews were confined in labor camps in Slovakia.

After the Slovak National Uprising and German occupation of the country in 1944, an additional

10,000 Jews were deported, mostly to Auschwitz, but also to Theresienstadt and camps in Germany.

In all, 70,000 Jews were deported and 65,000 were murdered.

Transcarpathian Ukraine

The Transcarpathian Ukraine was annexed by Germany’s ally, Hungary, in May 1939.

Between June and August 1941, Hungarian authorities expelled about 20,000 Jews. The Jews were

taken by train to the border and handed over to the Germans.

In May 1944, two months after the German occupation of Hungary, Hungarian authorities began the

systematic deportation of Jews to Auschwitz. About 137,000 Jews were deported, most killed on

arrival.

Slide 120

Kristallnacht, “Night of the Broken Glass”, (November 9-10, 1938)

Questions to Consider:

● Why do you think the majority of the German people did not respond vigorously against the violence

of Kristallnacht?

● Can you think of a time when you should have intervened but did not? What kept you from doing

what you thought was right?

__________________________________________________________________________

Kristallnacht was a crucial turning point in German policy regarding the Jews. It was the first

government organized act of mass violence against the Jews.

On October 18, 1938, on Hitler’s orders, 15,000 Polish-born Jews residing in Germany were declared

“stateless” and expelled. These Jews had been living in Germany for 10, 20, even 30 years. They

were forced to leave their homes in a single night, to go to the nearest railway station, and allowed

only one suitcase per person. They were taken by train to the Polish border. There they were held for

several weeks in harsh conditions until the Polish government agreed to let them in. Zindel Grynszpan

was one of these deportees. He sent a postcard to his son Herschel, who was in Paris, describing the

severity of the expulsion and his family’s plight.

On November 7, 1938, a 17-year-old Polish Jewish student named Herschel Grynszpan shot Ernst

vom Rath, the Third Secretary of the German Embassy in Paris. Grynszpan, enraged by the

deportation of his parents to Poland from Hanover, Germany, where they had lived since 1914, hoped

that his dramatic action would alert the world to the ominous plight of Europe’s Jews. The

assassination attempt was successful; vom Rath died on November 9.

Vom Rath’s death was a convenience for the Nazis, allowing them to justify mass action against the

Jews as revenge for the death. But mass arrests had actually been planned long before the shooting

in Paris. Barracks to accommodate tens of thousands of Jews had been built in concentration camps

before November. The Nazi leaders simply capitalized on the death of Vom Rath by using it as public

justification for celebrating the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch (November 9, 1923) with a mass

pogrom (destruction) against the Jews. As luck would have it, the Nazi hierarchy was in Munich for

the annual commemoration of the Putsch.

Orders had previously been issued to all Gestapo Stations calling for destruction of synagogues and

Jewish properties throughout the Reich (which now included Austria and the Sudetenland). Jewish

religious items (torah scrolls, prayer books, prayer shawls, etc.) were to be confiscated for safe-

keeping. Care was to be taken to ensure the safety of surrounding structures, to the extent that the

fire departments were called out to water-down neighboring non-Jewish buildings.

● More than 1,000 synagogues were desecrated and destroyed.

● 7,000 Jewish businesses were attacked and looted.

● Cemeteries and schools were vandalized.

● At least 91 Jews were killed, 1000’s were beaten or tortured.

● Approximately 26,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps.

The Jewish community was blamed for the destruction, forced to clean up, and eventually had to pay

for the destruction. In addition, a one billion Reichsmark fine ($400 million) was imposed upon the

Jews because of their “hostile attitude” toward the German people.

Most of the population did not support the violence; however, no public demonstrations opposed it.

According to historian Daniel Goldhagen, “That day could have been the day for the German people to

rise up in solidarity to support the Jews, but they didn’t.” Instead, the next night, a hundred thousand

Germans attended an anti-Jewish rally in Nuremberg, where the Kristallnacht events were celebrated.

The term Kristallnacht originated three days after the event when Hermann Goering called a meeting

to assess damage and responsibility. Nazi leader, Walter Funk, was the first to use the term.

Kristallnacht, the first massive pogrom on German soil, was also the last. The Nazis received many

complaints from the general German population regarding the fires and broken glass as being messy

and unsightly. The complaints were not against the actions themselves. From then on, all large scale

attacks against Jews took place out of sight of the German population, either in the countryside or in

Poland.

Kristallnacht was a wake up call for German Jews who understood that life would never be the same.

As a result, thousands emigrated.

Although the atrocities perpetrated during Kristallnacht did arouse outrage in Western Europe and the

U.S., little concrete action was taken to help the Jews of Germany. At a press conference on

November 15^th, President Roosevelt said:

The news of the past few days from Germany has deeply shocked public opinion in the

U.S….I myself could scarcely believe that such things could occur in a 20^th century

civilization.

The President also instructed that the 12,000-15,000 refugees already in the U.S. on temporary visitor

visas could remain in the country indefinitely. The U.S. withdrew its Ambassador to Germany in

protest.

We now know that Kristallnacht was the first step toward Auschwitz, but no one - not even the Nazis -

knew it then, and the future was not inevitable. No straight lines led to the gas chambers of

Auschwitz.

Slide 121

Kristallnacht: Photos of Burning Synagogues

Slide 122

Kristallnacht: Photos of Destruction of Property

Letter by Margarete Drexler to the Gestapo

Mannheim, 24 November 1938

Margarete Drexler, Landau Pfalz Suedring St. 10

To the Secret State Police Landau (Pfalz).

The sum of 900 Marks in cash was confiscated from me in the course of the action of 10 November. I

herewith request to act for the return of my money, as I need it urgently for me and my child’s

livelihood. I hope that my request will be granted, as my husband died as a result of his injuries during

the war - he fought and died for his fatherland with extreme courage - and I am left without any

income. Until recent years you could have found a photo of my husband on the wall next to the

picture of Gerneralfeldmarschall von Hindenburg in the canteen of the 23 Infantry regiment in Landau.

This was done to honour his high military performance. His medals and decorations prove that he

fought with great courage and honour. He received: The Iron Cross First Class, The Iron Cross

Second Class, The Military Order of Merit Fourth Class with swords. The Military Order of Sanitation 2

Class with a blue-white ribbon. This ribbon is usually bestowed only upon recipients of the Max

Joseph Order, which accepts only members of the nobility. I can only hope that as a widow of such a

man, so honoured by his country, my request for the return of my property will not be in vain.

With German greetings,

(signed) Frau Margarete Drexler, Widow of reserve staff surgeon Dr. Hermann Drexler

Presently in Mannheim, 11 Kant St.

Enclosed: 6 photos of medals and decorations.

[Margarete Drexler was deported to France in October 1940 with the other Jews of the Pfalz area.

She died in the Gurs camp. The date of her death is unknown.]

Slide 123

Kristallnacht: Photos of Victims of Kristallnacht

The Gestapo, supported by local uniformed police, arrested approximately 26,000 Jewish men and

incarcerated them in concentration camps. Several hundred Jewish women were also imprisoned in

local jails. The lucky ones were released if they could prove they were about to emigrate and agreed

to sell their businesses for a minute sum. Those released were physically and psychologically

ravaged.

Slide 124

Kristallnacht: Map - Jews Sent to Concentration Camps, November 10, 1938

Immediately following Kristallnacht, Jews were seized throughout Germany and sent to concentration

camps at Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald and Dachau. Hundreds died of ill-treatment, including 244 at

Buchenwald alone in the first month of their imprisonment. Hundreds more committed suicide as a

result of the harsh conditions and the brutality of the guards.

Slide 125

Jewish Emigration (opening breaker slide)

Slide 126

Jewish Emigration:

Chart - Jewish Emigration from Nazi Territories 1933-1941

Interpreting the Chart

After Hitler came to power in 1933, immigration from Germany took a sharp rise as many Jews

realized that the future was dim. During this time, a record number of Jews committed suicide.

Others, with more options, fled. Authors, artists, professors and others whose positions had been

eliminated left the country (including Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein and American Hollywood film

star, Marlene Dietrich).

Interestingly, immigration dropped considerably in 1934 as German economics improved, even though

Jewish livelihood was unstable.

In 1935, after the Nuremberg Laws were passed, some Jews recognized there was no future for them

in Germany and left. Others welcomed the laws because they resolved the status of Jews and

allowed them to remain in Germany, even though as non-citizens. Many hoped that the official decree

would reduce the random acts of violence they had been experiencing. In fact, many Jews who had

immigrated to other countries during the terror-filled years of 1933 and 1934, returned to Germany

after 1935.

Following the devastating events of Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938), Jews realized that life was

no longer safe in Nazi Germany. It was apparent that the Nazis wanted to make the Reich Judenrein,

or cleansed of Jews. Emigration soared in all of the Nazi occupied territories: Germany, Austria, and

the Czech Republic. In the weeks following Kristallnacht, the Nazis unleashed a new wave of anti-

Jewish legislation including the closing of Jewish schools, forbidding the practices of most Jewish

professionals, as well as the forced Aryanization of Jewish businesses.

Slide 127

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 128

Jewish Emigration:

Why Not Leave?

Photo: From Camera of My Family by Catherine Hanf Noren

____________________________________________________________________________

German Jews constituted only 1% of the population of Germany (approximately 500,000) and for the

most part were fully assimilated into Germany life. They had flourished in the country for several

generations, family members had fought in previous wars on behalf of Germany, and other deeply

religious Jews were adamant about protecting their rightful place in Germany. The Jews of Germany

were, for the most part, descendants of Jews who had settled there during the past 2,000 years.

Leaving your homeland is never easy.

After 1937, Jews needed the following documents from German Authorities to leave the country:

● Passport

● Certificate from the local police noting the formal dissolution of residence in Germany.

● Certificate from the Reich Ministry of Finance approving emigration, which required:

- Payment of an emigration tax of 25% on total assets valued at more than 50,000

Reichsmark.

- Submission of an itemized list of all gifts made to third parties since January 1, 1941. If their

value exceeded 10,000 Reichsmark, they were included in the calculation of the

emigration tax.

- Payment of a capital transfer tax of 25% of assets in addition to the emigration tax.

- Certification from the local tax office that there were no outstanding taxes due.

- Certification from a currency exchange office that all currency regulations had been followed.

● An emigrant was permitted to take 2,000 Reichsmark or less in currency out of the country. Any

remaining assets would be transferred into blocked bank accounts with restricted access.

● A customs declaration, dated no earlier than three days before departure, permitting the export of

itemized personal and household goods. This declaration required:

- Submission of a list, in triplicate, of all personal and household goods accompanying the

emigrant stating their value. The list had to note items acquired before January 1,

1933, those acquired since January 1, 1933, and those acquired to facilitate

emigration.

- Documents attesting to the value of personal and household goods, and written explanations

for the necessity of taking them out of the country.

- Certification from a currency exchange office permitting the export of itemized personal and

household goods, dated no earlier than 14 days before departure.

With these documents, emigrants could leave Germany, if and only if they had valid travel

arrangements and an entrance visa for another country.

Slide 129

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 130

Jewish Emigration:

Evian Conference (July 6-15, 1938)

Roosevelt was receiving pressure from constituents in the U.S. to do something about the refugee

problem.

Eleven days after Austria had been annexed by Germany (March 1938), Roosevelt proposed an

international conference to facilitate the emigration of refugees from Germany and Austria and

hopefully to establish an overall solution to the refugee problem.

Hitler issued the following statement:

I can only hope that the other world which has such deep sympathy for these criminals (Jews)

will at least be generous enough to convert this sympathy into practical aid. We on our part

are ready to put all these criminals at the disposal of these countries, for all I care, even on

luxury ships.

Roosevelt convened an international conference of 32 nations in the French resort town of Evian-les-

Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva. American participation at Evian was less than enthusiastic. The

U.S. delegation was headed not by the Secretary of State or even the Under Secretary, but instead

Myron C. Taylor, a businessman who was a close friend of FDR.

In truth, the Evian Conference was designed to protect America’s image, not to help the Jewish

refugees. As the conference proceeded, delegate after delegate excused his country from accepting

additional refugees. Only the tiny Dominican Republic agreed to accept 100,000 refugees for areas of

agricultural colonization. In the end, only a few came.

The Evian Conference stands as a critical turning point. The world’s democracies made it clear that

they were willing to do next to nothing for the Jews of Europe. The German government was now able

to state, with great pleasure, how “astounding” it was that foreign countries criticized Germany for their

treatment of Jews, but none wanted to open the doors to them when “the opportunity offered.”

Slide 131

Jewish Emigration:

New York Times Political Cartoon: Evian Conference

A British cartoon reprinted in the New York Times, July 3, 1938.

As was common in those days, the word “Jew” was not used, but non-Aryan, though the character is

stereotypically Jewish.

The Jewish refugee in the center of a Nazi swastika represents the Jews caught up in the Nazi trap.

Each end of the swastika has a stop sign indicating a dead end for the Jews in Nazi Germany. The

sunrise on the horizon is the potential hope of the upcoming Evian Conference. Unfortunately for the

Jews, the Evian Conference opened few doors for immigration.

Slide 132

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 133

Jewish Emigration:

Map - German Jews Find Refuge, 1933-1938

Slide 134

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 135

Jewish Emigration:

Chart - American Immigration 1820-2000

Interpreting the Chart

The bars represent all immigrants to the U.S. during these particular years. Note that the years

showing the lowest number of immigrants corresponds to the years of Nazi persecution (1933-1945)

when European refugees were seeking a haven.

Why was this so?

● The U.S. had just experienced the “Red Scare” of the 1920’s which resulted in increased

isolationism and mindless fear of foreigners.

● FDR had promised the American people an answer to the Great Depression and that meant

focusing on the needs of current American citizens.

● Antisemitism had been an existing force in the U.S. since the formation of the nation. Jews were

not welcome in all aspects of American society, therefore, why should more be brought into

the country.

● There was a fear of bringing potential Nazis and other undesirables (criminal, ill, indigent) into the

U.S.

U.S. Immigration History

In 1920-21, 119,000 East European Jews entered the U.S. Anxious to prevent a recurrence of such

magnitude, the restrictionists passed a quota law in 1924 that limited immigration to 2% of the

members of any national group that lived in the U.S. in 1890. Between 1881 and 1924, some 2.25

million Jews had arrived in the U.S. from Eastern Europe. Of 4.5 million Jews in the U.S. in 1928, 3

million had East European origin. But by the end of the 1920’s, total yearly Jewish immigration was

down to 11,000.

In 1938, the maximum number of immigrants to be admitted in one year was fixed in accordance with

the following formula:

Yearly quota of admissible persons

Population of U.S. in 1920 whose “national

born in a given country

origin” was traced to such a country

_____________________________

__________________________________

150,000

Total population of European descent in U.S. in 1920

On April 28, 1938, the “national origin immigration quotas” were as follows:

Great Britain

65,721

Germany (including Austria)

27,370

Ireland

17,853

Poland

6,524

Italy

5,802

Sweden

3,314

Netherlands

3,153

France

3,086

Czechoslovakia

2,874

Soviet Union

2,712

Norway

2,377

Switzerland

1,707

Belgium

1,304

Denmark

1,181

Hungary

869

Roosevelt was acutely aware of the growing crisis in Europe. Confronted on one side by American

Jews who wanted to throw open the doors of the U.S. to Jewish refugees, and on the other by

antisemitic and xenophobic (fear of people of foreign origin) groups that desired to keep out unwanted

foreigners, Roosevelt attempted to remain above the dispute. Ever the astute politician, Roosevelt

welcomed lobbyists from both sides into the Oval Office, listened intently to their appeals, and

perpetuated the status quo. Faced with an array of domestic problems, the crisis in Europe did not yet

command his complete attention.

Slide 136

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 137

Jewish Emigration:

Kindertransport / Children’s Transport (1938-1940)

The informal name of a rescue effort which brought thousands of refugee children (primarily Jewish) to

Great Britain from Nazi controlled Europe between December 1938 and 1940.

An unspecified number of children under the age of 17 were allowed to enter Great Britain by train and

boat. Private citizens or organizations had to guarantee to pay for each child’s care, education, and

eventual emigration out of Great Britain. Parents or guardians could not accompany their children.

Children could bring only 10 Reichsmark, 1 suitcase and 1 handbag.

Upon arrival, children were sheltered in temporary facilities. Finding foster families was not always

easy. Often the foster families were insensitive to cultural or religious differences. For some, their

heritage was all but erased. A few of the younger children were given new names, even a new

religion. Maintaining contact between parent and child was often difficult as the war progressed.

The first transport was December 2, 1938 from Berlin, and the last was May 14, 1940, the day the

Dutch surrendered to Germany.

Most of the children survived the war, a small percentage were reunited with parents. The majority

lost both home and family.

Approximately 10,000 children were saved. The Nazis and their collaborators killed nearly 1.5 million

children.

The U.S. Response to Kristallnacht: The Wagner-Rogers Bill

In February 1939, three months after Kristallnacht, the Wagner-Rogers Bill was introduced in the U.S.

Congress to permit one-time entry of 20,000 children (under the age of 14) above the quota limit for

German immigrants. The bill stipulated that financial support for these children would be provided by

private sources (Jewish organizations) so that no expenditure of public funds would be needed.

Within days over 5,000 Americans offered to house these children.

The American Legion publicly opposed the bill on “moral” grounds, arguing that it was wrong to

separate parents from children. A North Dakota senator argued that “charity should begin at home.”

After 5 months of debate, the Wagner-Rogers Bill died in committee. The majority of these 20,000

children died in the Holocaust.

Slide 138

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 139

Jewish Emigration:

The S.S. St. Louis, “Voyage of the Damned,” (May 13, 1939)

Photos on slide (clockwise):

● The S.S. St. Louis

● Passengers upon departing.

● Map of the journey.

● Twin sisters, Renee and Ines Spanier, on board the St. Louis after docking in Antwerp, Belgium.

They were given asylum in Holland with their parents. After the German invasion, the family was sent

to Westerbork where their father became the chief medical officer in the camp hospital. The family

was not deported. The twins ultimately emigrated to the U.S.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The tragic story of the journey of the German ocean liner the S.S. St. Louis epitomized the desperate

and futile struggle of Jews trying to escape Germany.

On May 13, 1939 the Nazis allowed 937 Jews to set sail for Cuba, a country with a more liberal

immigration policy. Hopeful passengers carried what they believed were valid permits guaranteeing

them temporary stay until visas and permanent refuge could be secured. Shockingly, on arrival at

Havana, Cuba, only 29 were allowed to disembark. The rest were refused entry under revised Cuban

immigration restrictions. When the ship was ordered to leave, several passengers attempted suicide.

Cuban police boats shadowed the St. Louis in case passengers tried to jump ship.

In attempt to find a haven, the St. Louis set sail for the U.S. As the ship neared U.S. territorial waters

off Florida, the Coast Guard fired warning shots and denied entrance into American waters. For three

days the ship cruised slowly off the U.S. coast, waiting in vain for America to accept its human cargo.

The U.S. government refused to open its doors.

In mid-June, after 35 days of aimless sailing, the St. Louis was forced to return to Europe, where

England, France, Holland and Belgium finally agreed to divide the passengers between them. With

the German occupation of Western Europe, most of the former passengers once again fell under Nazi

rule.

For many years it was assumed that most of the passengers perished among the millions of Holocaust

victims. Recent research shows that at least 460 passengers eventually arrived in the U.S.

Captain Gustav Schroeder survived the war. For his efforts to find a safe haven for his passengers,

Captain Schroeder was honored posthumously by Yad Vashem as one of the “Righteous Among the

Nations.”

Slide 140

Jewish Emigration (breaker slide)

Slide 141

Jewish Emigration:

Palestine Shuts Its Doors

Due to Arab concern over increasing Jewish immigration, the British Parliament issued a White Paper

(official decree) in May 1939 that placed severe limitations on Jewish immigration to Palestine (which

was under British rule). This provided for only 10,000 Jewish immigrants per year for 5 years, closing

yet another avenue for escape for the refugees from Nazi Germany.

Artwork

In this drawing, Arthur Szyk depicts a group of Jews trapped between a deadly Nazi vulture and the

closed gates of Palestine, padlocked by the White Paper.

Job 6:27 - Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and dig a pit for your friend.

The Jews feel rejected by Palestine just like Job felt rejected by his friends and even God. In Job

6:27, Job expresses disappointment toward his friends’ lack of help and concern about the fact that he

is physically suffering. He even pleads to them to tell him where he has gone wrong to deserve such

suffering. It is interesting to note that Job eventually comes to the conclusion that his suffering wasn’t

necessarily due to the fact that he had done anything wrong. Many bad things happen, even if we live

our lives in the right way. As the creator of mankind, God permits freedom of choice and thus holds

human beings morally responsible for their acts of good or evil.

The Book of Job

The Book of Job in the Old Testament discusses why innocent people suffer. Job is described as a

rich, blessed man who fears God and lives righteously. Then Satan appears and asserts that Job

does not really love God, but fears God for blessing. To show that this is not so, God tests Job by

giving Satan power over Job, resulting in tragedy: Job loses his children, wealth, and physical

soundness. Job responds by tearing his clothes and shaving his head, and begins to worship, saying,

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has

taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Throughout all of this, Job refuses to insult God.

Job knows that God is good yet he does not understand why these things have happened. He thinks

that God is not fair. He has so many troubles and so much pain that he wants to die.

Now Job’s friend Eliphaz tries to explain to Job why bad things have happened. He says that God is

kind to good people. And he punishes people who are bad. So if bad things have happened, Job

must have done wrong things.

In Chapter 6, Job tells his friend Eliphaz that he has not done anything wrong. His friends have

disappointed him because they have not been able to help him. And he is angry with God, too.

V15: My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that overflow.

But, my friends, you are not here to help me when I need you. You are like some rivers.

Sometimes there is water and sometimes there is no water.

V21: For now ye are become His; ye see a terror, and are afraid.

Now you too have failed to help me. You see what has happened to me. And you are afraid.

V27: Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and dig a pit for your friend.

But you would sell to be slaves, children who had no parents. You would even sell your best

friend.

V28: Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; for surely I shall not lie to your face.

But now, please look at me. I only tell you things that are true.

The Holocaust. Notes to accompany the PowerPoint (2007) - page 1