KRISTALLNACHT IN THE HOLOCAUST
The Holocaust is one of the most important events of the 20th century and is perhaps the most significant genocide in human history.
One of the most important events of the Holocaust is known as Kristallnacht, which translates to ‘Night of Broken Glass’. It was an organized attack carried out against Jewish people living in Germany on November 9th and 10th in 1938. The attack was carried out by Sturmabteilung forces (SA) which were the paramilitary part of the Nazi Party. Throughout the 1930s, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party had risen to power in German politics. By 1938, the Nazi Party was well established in Germany and was a popular political force in the Reichstag, which was the name for the German parliament. The SA was made up of members of the Nazi Party and acted as a protection force for the party while also carrying out aggressive attacks against those deemed to be enemies of Germany, including the Jewish. The events of Kristallnacht saw SA forces destroy Jewish owned businesses, synagogues and homes. It was called ‘Night of Broken Glass’ due to the large amount of broken glass that was on the streets the next morning from the storefronts and homes. In total, 91 Jewish people were murdered and another 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and imprisoned. As well, Jewish business owners were forced to pay for the damages themselves. Kristallnacht is significant because it is often viewed as the first organized violence carried out against the Jewish people of Germany, and is therefore an early stage of the Holocaust. While many Jewish people were emigrating out of the country as the Nazis rose to power, the events of Kristallnacht furthered Jewish emigration from the region.
One of the most important events of the Holocaust is known as Kristallnacht, which translates to ‘Night of Broken Glass’. It was an organized attack carried out against Jewish people living in Germany on November 9th and 10th in 1938. The attack was carried out by Sturmabteilung forces (SA) which were the paramilitary part of the Nazi Party. Throughout the 1930s, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party had risen to power in German politics. By 1938, the Nazi Party was well established in Germany and was a popular political force in the Reichstag, which was the name for the German parliament. The SA was made up of members of the Nazi Party and acted as a protection force for the party while also carrying out aggressive attacks against those deemed to be enemies of Germany, including the Jewish. The events of Kristallnacht saw SA forces destroy Jewish owned businesses, synagogues and homes. It was called ‘Night of Broken Glass’ due to the large amount of broken glass that was on the streets the next morning from the storefronts and homes. In total, 91 Jewish people were murdered and another 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and imprisoned. As well, Jewish business owners were forced to pay for the damages themselves. Kristallnacht is significant because it is often viewed as the first organized violence carried out against the Jewish people of Germany, and is therefore an early stage of the Holocaust. While many Jewish people were emigrating out of the country as the Nazis rose to power, the events of Kristallnacht furthered Jewish emigration from the region.
In general, the Nazi regime carried out several different forms of discrimination against undesirable people in society, including: economic discrimination, social discrimination and political discrimination. Kristallnacht best represents social and economic discrimination. As the Holocaust progressed, Jewish people (as well as other groups) were socially isolated in German society. During Kristallnacht, the Nazis isolated the Jewish people and legitimized further discrimination from the German population. Economically, during Kristallnacht, Jewish shops were destroyed and identified as being Jewish owned to discourage shoppers.
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