"Nazi policy towards the Jews up to 1939 was uncoordinated and erratic."

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Kim Goddard                                                                                           History Access

“Nazi policy towards the Jews up to 1939 was uncoordinated and erratic.”

Discuss.

One of the most vital factors for consideration in looking at Nazi policy towards the Jews is the release of Mein Kampf. In looking at the ‘Final solution’ from an ‘Intentionalist’ viewpoint Hitler clearly set out his policies on Judaism. It could be argued that as result of no alternative written policy from Hitler these were the sole guidelines Germany were operating on and subsequently Mein Kampf could be viewed as evidence that Nazi Jewish policy was not uncoordinated or erratic but followed a plan using Hitler’ guidelines. Hitler capitalized on the strong Anti Semitic feeling prevalent within Germany at the time following the First World War.

In 1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany, in the same year instructions were given to Germans to boycott Jewish shops and Jewish owned businesses. It is believed that Hitler allowed the organization of such a boycott to try and quell the spontaneous outbursts of the S.A which threatened his allegiances with the conservative elite and also as a result of the Jewish declaration of war on Germany as reported by the Daily Mail in London. The ‘indefinite’ boycott however, lasted only a day. Economic repercussions forced Hitler and his Nazi party to reconsider the implications of an indefinite boycott. The Nazi party also around this time introduced a limited quota for the employment of Jews. This policy happened to a certain extent in conjunction with separate legislation on the banning of pseudonyms, a policy introduced prior to the Nazi Party’s reign. This legislation removed the right of Jewish public figures, particularly in field of culture from using pseudonyms. However, it posed a difficult question for traditional civil servants; would they be willing to discriminate officially?

The answer was yes. Civil servants welcomed a transition from the excess of the S.A to ‘law and order.’ Again highlighting the feeling that Nazi policy was becoming uncoordinated and erratic through the excess of the S.A. It is believed NSDAP issued instructions that Jews were to be banned from initially three professions; Legal, Medicine and Teaching. However, at a cabinet meeting on the 7th of April Hitler specifically excluded Jewish Doctors from the ‘Aryan Clause.’ His subordinates at local level ignored his wishes and Local Authorities banned Jewish Doctors from practice. This perhaps is the most apparent evidence to suggest that Nazi policy towards the Jews was erratic and uncoordinated. This minor revolution from below highlights that the Nazi Party was not in full control of the implementation of their policies. The debate on whether Jewsih policy was a result from above or below is key to understanding whether Nazi Policy was uncoordinated or erratic. It is clear to see that to a certain extent Jewish policy was a result of a revolution from below. Hitler could not control fully his S.A troops as has been highlighted prior.

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However, the following the list of instructions to be carried out was a statement that no Jew should be physically harmed during this ‘atrocity campaign.’

 In April 1933 the first legal definition of who was a Jew was passed, it stated:
"A person is to be considered non-Aryan if he is descended from non-Aryan, and especially from Jewish parents or grandparents. It is sufficient if one parent or grandparent is non-Aryan.
Hitler and the Nazi party were beginning to segregate the Jews from German society. It can be seen that from the steps that the party were beginning to take ...

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