The situation in 1933 were there was a lot of violent action taking place against the jews by the SA, was at its height in march 1933, nazi mobs spread terror through the streers beating and killing jews,Hitler realised that the attacks on jews were in danger of getting out of hand and threatned to endanger his alliance with the conservative elite, he appealed to his followers to desist the violence which was shown him being in control of actions taken by the Nazis towards the anti-semitic policy but on the other hand the attacks diminished but did not altogether end.
Hitler while officially opposing violence, supported formal anti- semitic legislation, there was a flood of laws introducded aimed at depriving jews of their rights and livelihoods.
There were several problems still, firstly there was opposition from those like Schacht who feared the possible international consequences of racist measures, secondly the government was still unable to agree definite criteria for establishing an individuals race. Nothing emerged, but the conditions of 1933 returned, Hitler was shown to be in control of nazi anti- semitic policy at this time as he distanced him self from developments, however he did speak out against unauthorised actions and the anti- semitic campaign quietened down.
There was still a lot of demand from the Nazis in stopping marriages and sexual relationships between jews and germans. Hitler was to remedy the situation and at the Nuremburg rally Hitler introducded the legislation to regulrise the question of mixed marriages, It was claimed that Hitler was going to declare on foreign not anti- semitic policy.
Between 1934 and 1939, the NSDAP began a series of measures to merge the NSDAP and the German government into one entity. It was also during this time that Nazi racial views were transferred to legal practice with Germany becoming an anti-Semitic and state after the passing of the in 1935.
The Nuremburg laws symbolised the exclusion of jews from the german national community, but who was jewish still remained a problem, the issue was discussed by radical and legal experts, the Nazi militants decided who and who wasn’t called a jew, once againg Hitler did not involve himself in this tortous debate and avoided taking sides, which showed him to be weak and not in control of Nazis.
Hitler was shown to have more control over nazi and the anti-semitic polict in the times of 1937-8 because Germany was re-arming and its economic position was stronger, Hitler therefore had less reason to fear international response to anti-semitic measures. He decided he could afford to dismiss Schacht from his post as minister of economics.
The hardening of anti-semitic acitivy was associated with and possilbly accelerated by the nazi take over of Austria, there was a wave of spontaneous violence against Austria’s 190,000 jews, many were beaten up and forced to wash streets and pavements and buildings infront of jeering crowds, also harsh measures were taken against other foreign jews were many were deported. In 1938 the polish government, itself strongly anti-semitic threatened to revoke the citizernship of polish jews living in germany. So the aim to prevent Germany from sending these residients back to Poland, backfired, only after lengthy negotiations was a compromise agreement reached by which Germany succeeded in getting rid of most of its “undesirables”.
The violence of Kristallnacht or the night of broken glass was shown to be very violent and was shown to be taken over by the Nazis and Hitler didn’t have much to do with it once again showing him to be in the background but he did have control because many jews were killed by the Nazis and the germans.
It is shown by historians that Nazi anti-jewish policy between 1933 and 1939 was shown as erratic and improvised, they believe that Hitler did not have a very clear idea what should be done with jews, apart from turning them into pariahs, but on the other hand it is also shown that Hitler was the principal, if not always the sole driving force of anti-semitism in the nazi movement .
Overall I believe that Hitler had many times when he was in control but however he was also shown weak and not in control when he seemed that he was not clear what was to be done with the jews. The fact that Hitler expressed such violent intentions cannot be taken as proof that he was contemplating mass murder.
