Kristallnacht

• The pevents of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) on the night of 9-10 November 1938 signified the first

  nationwide attack of Jewish people in Germany.
• 7 November 1938 – A Polish Jew

  enters the German embassy in Paris

  and shoots a German embassy

  official.
• 8 November – Germans told

  to attack Jewish homes and

  synagogues in Hanover. The

  SA provide support and incite

  the violence.
• The Nazis used this as an excuse to launch a violent revenge on Jews. Plain-clothed SS troopers were issued with pickaxes and hammers and the address of Jewish businesses.
• They ran riot, smashing up Jewish shops and workplaces. 91 Jews were murdered. Hundreds of synagogues were burned. 20,000 Jews were taken to concentration camps.
• Thousands more left the country. This event became known as ‘Kristallnacht’ or ‘Night of Broken Glass’. Many Germans watched the events with alarm and concern. The Nazi-controlled press presented Kristallnacht as a spontaneous reaction of ordinary Germans against the Jews. Most Germans did not believe this, however, hardly anyone protested. Those that did were brutally murdered.
• One reason was the power struggle between leading Nazis. Goebbels was out of favour with Hitler because of Goebbels’ affair with Czech actress and he decided to win his way back onto Hitler’s favour.
• He suggested to Hitler that Kristallnacht should take place to satisfy the hatred many Nazi hardliners had for the Jews. Hitler agreed and decided to use it to speed up the removal of the Jews from German economic life. Other Nazi leaders, especially Goering and Himmler disapproved and were irritated by the events of Kristallnacht. This is an example of the chaotic way in which the Nazis made up policies.
• Why were the Jews Persecuted:

  Used as scapegoats for Germany’s problems

  Associated with communism

  Long-standing distrust for Jews

  Blamed for Germany’s defeat in WW1

  Suspicion of a different religion

  Jealous of their success

  Influence of antisemitic propaganda
• Consequences of Kristallnacht

  Goebbels blamed the Jews for starting the

  trouble on Kristallnacht and ordered them to

  pay damages of 1 billion marks. The Reich

  Office for Jewish Emigration was then set up in

  1939 to expel Jews from Germany, and Jews

  were banned from owning businesses.
• ***Many Jews

  did not fight

  back out of fear

  od the SS