While it cannot be denied that Adolf Hitler’s anti-Semitic views became ingrained in his early days in Vienna. His hatred of Communists, democracy and Jews along with his dreams of a greater Germany seemed to have all made an impact on his character there. Anti-Semitism was endemic in Vienna at the time and it was through the literature available to him that Hitler began to discover the different organisations that he felt exploited the working man in Germany. One such organisation was the Social Democratic party which he believed to be the workings of the people he would direct his systematic hatred towards- the Jews. The question historians have long since debated is whether Hitler’s hatred led to his decision on the mass murder of the Jews in the 1920s and thereafter worked with consciousness and calculation towards that goal?
He wanted to direct German aggression off the government and used those groups of people as scapegoats, causing one of the greatest tragedies in history. As Hitler gained control territories in other European countries, the intensity as well as territorial spread of persecution increased. By the end of World War II Nazis had killed an estimated six million
How did hitler control germany ? It cannot be doubted that Nazi Germany was the most destructive political regime of the 20th century, not only because it unleashed World War II or instigated the holocaust but because of its impact on German society. In fact, Hitler’s control of German population depended on many factors : * One party state * The Hitler youth * Fear * Propaganda * The Gestapo The enabling act (23 March 1933) made Hitler the all-powerful “Fuhrer” of Germany. The law against the formation of parties (14 July 1933) declared the Nazis party in Germany. It became an offence to belong to another Party than the Nazis party.
The term itself was coined in 1870, but Anti-Semitic behaviour dates back to the time of Jesus, when Jews were regarded as the killers of Christ. The most obvious account of anti-Semitism occurred in WW2 and was carried out by the Nazi Party. But many of their anti-Semitic actions and proposals up until 1939, share similarities with the anti-Semitism which has evolved since the Middle Ages. Hitler regarded the Jews as a threat to both the economy and the Aryan Race but this ideology dates back to the Middle Ages when Jews were blamed for Natural disasters and forced to leave their land. At the same time Jews were forbidden to fight but where then branded as cowards.
Historians, Bracher and Jackel believed the holocaust was a completely intentional act, as Wyman states: “Intentionalism anchored Nazi behaviour in Hitler’s and his cohorts' deeply felt anti-Semitism, which they had formulated well before their ascent to power; once in power, they had put into practice what their intention had been all along.” (Wyman, p.419, 1996) Intentionalists argue everything in the Nazi period, was a deliberate move towards Hitler’s ultimate goals. Hitler was a fanatical anti-Semite, who committed himself to the extermination of the Jews from early in his career. Intentionalist historian, Goldhagen argues Hitler had a ‘blueprint’, for the Holocaust, as Morris
Holocaust happened because Hitler and the Nazis were racist. They believed the German people were a 'master race', who were superior to others. They even created a league table of 'races' with the Aryans at the top and with Jews, Gypsies and black people at the bottom. These 'inferior' people were seen as a threat to the purity and strength of the German nation. When the Nazis came to power they persecuted these people, took away their human rights and eventually decided that they should be exterminated.
Before and throughout the holocaust, the Nazi government created cruel and senseless laws and restrictions that discriminated and denied the rights of Jewish people. These laws moved the German citizens to take acts of violence and hatred and over the years, spread throughout the country. They were what led up to the Holocaust and the attempted annihilation of the Jews. Anti-Semitism is an active form of prejudice that the Nazis used as a tool to annihilate the Jewish population. Anti-Semitism is the ludicrous discrimination and absolute hatred towards Jewish people.
The Nazi’s held on to power by using some violent and clever tactics, one of theirs was the Reichstag March elections in 1933. Within 24 hours of being appointed chancellor, Hitler called a new Reichstag election. Hitler believed this would pull in more votes and enhance his own status. Violence and Terror dominated the meeting with the Socialists and Communists being regularly broken up by the Nazis. The Nazis used hate and fear to great effect in their elections, Hitler wanted to appeal to the German people so he blamed the prevailing poor economic conditions on the democratic government and the communists.
Hitler’s speech manipulated the people of Germany. He could be considered a true leader of Germany. The idea for the massive eradication of Jews could have been influenced by World War I. Also, writers such as Eugen Duhring wrote about the idea of completely eliminating Jews. Hitler was seen as “virulently “anti-semetic” by the mid 1920s.
By using propaganda to sway and brainwash the German public, the Nazis began to blame the Jews for their economic instability. When the German public was fully brainwashed and thought of Jews as a “misfortune” to their society, the movement to segregate the Jews from the Germans had begun. Not only were the Jews segregated, but also Romas, the disabled, homosexuals, and other minority groups were thought to be baneful to the society and were segregated. These groups of people were sent to concentration camps which were part of Hitler’s plan to eradicate the Jewish population known as “The Final Solution.” Holocaust deniers range from Nazis themselves to Arabians and even historians. Nazis started denying and distorting their facts of wrongdoings when the war was not going well for them.