Nazi racial policies and increasing persecution of Jews

Question 1

Nazi racial policy: Sterilization

Answer 1

Date: 1933

What:

• in 1933, the sterilization law was passed which allowed Nazis to sterilize mentally disabled people.
• in September 1933, tramps and beggars were also sterilized

Consequences:

1) it is believed that up to 700,000 people were sterilized by the Nazis

Question 2

Nazi racial policy: Euthanasia

Answer 2

Date: 1939 - 1941

Cause:

• The nazis believed that mental illness was hereditary
• At first, they were sterilized, but, by 1939, the nazis began to put them to death instead first by starvation or lethal injection and later by gas chambers.

Consequences:

1) Between 1939 and 1941 over 100,000 physically and mentally disabled Germans were killed in secret, without the consent of their families.

2) Victims were often gassed

Question 3

Increasing persecution of Jews: April 1933

Answer 3

Date: April, 1933

Cause:

• The Nazi government organized a nationwide boycott of Jewish shops and businesses.
• Stormtroopers (SA) stood outside of Jewish shops to prevent people from entering.

Consequences:

1)Jewish civil servants, lawyers, and teachers were sacked.

2) Nazis organized a boycott of Jewish businesses.

Question 4

Increasing persecution of Jews: 1935

Answer 4

• JEWS WERE BANNED FROM PUBLIC PLACES - PARKS, CINEMAS, POOLS, and even banned from being in the ARMY.

Question 5

Increasing persecution of Jews: September 1935

Answer 5

Date: 1935

What:

• Nuremberg laws were introduced.

Cause:

• The Reich law of for the protection of German blood and Honour stated that Jews and Aryans could not marry.
• Aryans who were already married had to get a divorce, otherwise, they would be treated in law as Jews.
• The Reich Law of Citizenship said only people of German blood were German citizens.
• Jews could no longer vote in elections or hold a passport.

Consequences:

1) In 1935, the Nuremberg laws banned marriage or sexual relations between Aryans and non-Aryans which led to any mixed-race children being sterilized.

2) in December 1938, Jews were told to leave with their property, and money and the nazis did that to keep the German money within Germany.

Question 6

Increasing persecution of Jews: 1939 - 1941

Answer 6

Cause:

• The Jews chose to emigrate to avoid persecution
• in January 1939, the Reich office for Jewish emigration was set up and was responsible for speeding up the emigration of Jews.

In 1941, almost two-thirds of Germany had fled the country.

Consequences:

1) The Nazis banned emigration in 1941

2) Other countries, e.g. America limited the amount of Jews that they would take which made it hard for Jews to go to other countries.

Question 7

Increasing persecution of Jews: 1938

Answer 7

Consequences:

1) All possessions had to be registered with the government. This meant that the Nazis knew exactly what people owned and could take whatever they wanted from the Jews.

2) Jews were made to carry identity cards at all times; they had to present these cards when told to by any Nazi official.

Question 8

Increasing persecution of Jews: Night of the broken glass - KRISTALLNACHT

Answer 8

Date: November 1938

Cause:

• A Jewish man murdered a German official in the Paris Embassy.
• This led to the Nazis having an excuse to launch a campaign of terror and murder for Jews in Germany.
• The Nazis were disappointed to discover that much of the damaged property was rented from German landlords and not owned by the Jews. When they realized this, they fined the Jewish community 1 billion reichsmarks to pay for the damage.

Consequences:

1) Many Jewish homes were attacked and property was damaged or stolen

2) 7000 shops owned by Jews were vandalized and 250 synagogues were destroyed.