theme 4c attitudes towards ethnic minorities Flashcards
(57 cards)
Why was the Weimar Constitution not able to remove prejudice against minorities?
Prejudices in Germany were long held - stab in the back myth made them worse.
Why was German prejudice against other races long held?
Originated from Imperial Germany and colonial policy - the idea of white superiority over other races.
What is an example of extreme German racial policy in its colonies?
German East Africa - race war against the Herero, where 80% were killed.
How many Jews were in Germany as a proportion of the population?
Only 1% - highly concentrated in cities however.
What was the condition that Jews could be integrated into society for some on the right?
They were a religious minority and so should abandon their faith.
Why would some never accept the Jews into German society?
They were a separate race who would therefore undermine the Aryans and German culture.
How were Jews discriminated against in the law in the Weimar Republic?
Not accepted into the judiciary, judges were often very anti‑Semitic and conservative.
What economic status did most Jews in Weimar Germany possess?
Jews were very often middle class - 80% had professional jobs, far higher a proportion than the rest of the population.
What % of senior bankers were Jewish?
Only 1% - in spite of the media myth of the ‘Jewish banker’.
How did Jews lose economic status in the 1920s?
They were hit hard by the hyperinflation, they lost out to big business in the late 1920s, they were discriminated against during the depression for jobs.
What was the kurfürstendamm Jew?
A very wealthy Jew who occupied trendy areas of Berlin.
What was the radical Jew stereotype?
That Jews were often radical communists - such as Karl Marx, and other Spartacists in the early republic.
Who was the most influential racist group in Germany in the 1920s?
The League of German Defence.
How were Jews undermining Germany according to the LGD?
Attempting to destroy the Jewish homeland, betraying Germany in war and forcing Germany to accept democracy.
How many members did the LGD attract before its ban in 1922?
200,000 members. Banned in response to Walter Rathenau’s murder.
Why were many Christians suspicious of Jews?
The protestant church preached that Jews were selfish and didn’t put the German nation before their needs.
What was Germany’s black population during the Weimar period?
Around only 3000.
Why was there a backlash against black people in the 1920s?
Heavily associated with jazz and American culture - many conservatives disliked this.
When had most people first encountered black people?
During the First World War - known as the ‘Black Horror’ during the war + occupation of the Ruhr.
How did some mayors respond to the popularity of jazz music?
By banning it and labelling it the ‘Black Shame’.
Why was the Weimar Republic not a nation of racial equality?
Despite the legal equality between citizens - prejudice against minorities was embedded within German culture.
How did the Nazis believe the world’s population was divided into?
Culture creating races such as the Aryans, culture bearing races such as Chinese, culture destroying races such as blacks and Jews.
How did Hitler believe he had to protect the Aryan race?
Through policies of racial hygiene.
What were the cautious first steps against the Jews taken by the Nazis?
One day boycotts against Jewish stores such as in April 1933.
