How Did Nazis Persecute Jews?

Hitler had firm racial convictions. He was convinced that non-Germans had no citizenship right. Jews were targeted by Hitler’s racial convictions and policies. The Nazi racial philosophy stated that some races were ‘untermensch’ meaning sub-human. Scientists at that time believed that people with either disabilities or social problems were genetically degenerated and therefore needed to be eliminated without any right to citizenship. Thus, Hitler and the Nazis did the following horrible acts:

• Tried to kill all the Jews;


• Sterilized black people;


• Killed both disabled babies and ill patients;


• Sterilized people with hereditary diseases;


• Sterilized deaf people;


• Sterilized physically disabled people.

Persecution of Jews

The Nazis persecuted the Jews in many ways; first in pre-war in Germany and then during the Second World War. Jews’ persecution began systematically as soon as Hitler had come to power in 1933. Nazi policies aimed to persuade Jews to leave Germany. Between 1933 and 1939, Jews were persecuted even worse. Finally, the racist policies introduced by the Nazis led to the mass murder of the Jews.

Historically, Jews were persecuted from the medieval times. They were then blamed for economic problems including unemployment. Hitler wanted to indoctrinate the German People into abhorring the Jews. Hitler used media as well as children’s story books to show that Jews were a threat to Germany. Hitler wished that all Germans hated Jews and he worked much on turning Jews into the hated race.

Between 1933 and 1938, the Nazis took away the rights of the Jews:

• Jews were not protected by the police;


• Jews were not allowed to inherit land;


• Local places were banned for Jews;


• Marriage between Jews and Germans was forbidden;


• Jewish shops were closed;


• Jews had no civil rights.

Persecution of Jews happened on many occasions and in different countries. Persecution constituted a major part of the Jewish history. Persecution also affected the history of the countries in which it took place. Both Europe and the Middle East were the locations of persecution throughout the ages. Persecution of Jews was destructive for all countries, as it is a ‘scarlet letter’ in the history of many nations. It was then the era of genocide. Escapes from the Nazi persecution were few. Prisoners who managed to escape received outer help because few Jews had the chance to escape that nightmare called the Nazi.