Ethnic Divisions

• East:

  Significant Slavic minority as well as many Poles.
• West:

  French minority
• North:

  Danes minority
• 1871 the German gov had followed a policy of Germanisation, making it illegal for schools to teach Polish or French
• Gov encouraged ethnic Germans to buy up land in areas with large minority communities and in doing so extended German domination
• Most Germans believed that other ethnic groups, Poles and Russians. were inferior and should be treated as second-class citizens.
• Jewish communities also suffered persecution. Most Jews lived in cities, many becoming successful in industry, culture or politics. High profile Jews became associated with urban culture, modern industry, and socialist and liberal politics. They were associated with modern culture and less traditional German culture.