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 that at this point the Nazi policy towards Jews was both coordinated and not erratic.
Moving on then to perhaps one of the most vital points within the debate over Nazi policy towards Jews between the years 1933-1939; The Nuremburg Laws. These laws institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. They were the final step to exclude Jews from German society. The laws prohibited the marriage to and any sexual relations between any Jew and Aryan. Ancillary ordinances to the laws disenfranchised Jews and deprived them of most political rights. Crucially the Nuremburg laws did not define who a Jew was by religious belief but by the blood line from which they descended and the religion their predecessors had practiced.
It is at this point that German contempt towards the Jews can be separated from the most of Europe at this time. It could be argued that with the implementation of the Nuremburg Laws came the start of true racial prejudice and the beginning of a systematic destruction of the Jewish race.
During the 1936 Berlin Olympics however, Anti Semitism within Germany became more moderated. (However, it is worth taking into account that German Jews were not allowed to participate within the games.) It is believed that Hitler feared international criticism of his Nazi policies might threaten Germany’s opportunity to host the games, something which would be a disaster for German prestige.
Following the Olympic Games the persecution of the Jews became much more apparent again.
The radicalization of policy must be taken into account when dealing with the Nazi Jewish policy. Hitler began to feel that the Nazi party was becoming ‘bogged’ down with a lack of foreign policy success since the Rhineland. This, in conjunction with growing resistance from the Churches and the Conservatives forced Hitler radicalize the Nazi Party further. By the end of 1937 with Germanys economic stand in good stead Hitler decided to rid the Nazi Party of a many conservatives in order to become more radical. Schacht, the main barrier to radical Anti Semitism in the economical field was dismissed. With Germanys economy recovery came the removal of restraints on Nazi Anti Semitism in the economic sphere. It is at this point Hitler began to launch major attacks on the Jews and increased pressure for them to sell their businesses ‘voluntarily’ at prices well below there market rate to their German Aryan counterparts. In a meeting in April 1937 Hitler explained his standpoint in reference to the Nazi Jewish policy which suggests further radicalization:
“I mean to destroy you. Then I use my intelligence to help me to maneuver him into a tight corner so that he cannot strike back, and then I deliver the fatal blow.”
It is clear to see from this excerpt that Hitler was clear on his personal plans with regards to the Jewish question. This details that Hitler had a plan concerning the Jews. This illustrates the fact that Nazi Jewish policy was coordinated.
In the years 1937-38 the Nazi party set out to bankrupt and impoverish many Jews by forcing them to register their properties. Following this was the Aryanisation of Jewish businesses. Jewish workers and managers were dismissed and their businesses were sold at basement rate prices, fixed by the Nazi’s, to their German Aryan counterparts. Jewish Doctors were also forbidden to practice medicine on any non Jewish patients and Jewish lawyers were forbidden to practice. Special measures were also taken at this time with Jewish identity cards. Identifying marks (a large red ‘J’) were added to Jewish identity cards and Jews were forced to adopt a middle name of either "Israel" for males or "Sara" for females. Such cards allowed the police to identify Jews easily. At this point following the ‘Intentionalist’ viewpoint it is difficult to argue that Nazi policy was uncoordinated or erratic.
In March 1938 Hitler and the Nazi Party marched into Austria annexing the country to the German Reich. This became known as the Anschluss. Austrian enthusiasm culminated in rampant Anti Semitic riots. The Austrian Nazi Party quickly started the process of separating Jews from Austrian society. Shortly after the Anschluss Jewish property was confiscated and Jews working in the private sector were fired with the initial goal to encourage Jews to leave. In August the Central office for Jewish emigration was set up by Eichmann. The fact that an office was set up once again highlights that Nazi Policy was coordinated.
On November 9th 1938 something took place that could be argued started the horrific course of events that were to follow; Kristallnacht. Anti Semitic violence broke out across the Reich. Kristallnacht has been much debated by historians over the years. The debate centres around the point of whether it was a planned or unplanned attack of Judaism. It is however, commonly accepted by most historians that it was planned, not by Hitler but coordinated by Goebbels. ‘The American ambassador who was visiting at the time felt that it was a planned and coordinated attack. In two days, over 1,000 synagogues were burned, 7,000 Jewish businesses were trashed and looted, dozens of Jewish people were killed, and Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes were looted while police and fire brigades stood by. It became known as ‘The Night of Broken Glass.” In the days that followed 30, 000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
Moving on then to the crux of the ‘Intentionalist’ argument; Hitler’s Annihilation Speech. In this speech Hitler lay before the world his plan to eradicate the Jews from existence: "If the Jewish international financiers inside and outside Europe succeed in involving the nations in another war, the result will not be world bolshevism and therefore a victory for Judaism; it will be the end of the Jews in Europe."
This speech is perhaps the most crucial evidence that suggests Nazi policy was not uncoordinated and erratic but quite on the contrary.
However, when looking at the essay question it is impossible to consider in depth the events that occurred without considering different viewpoints. The ‘Structuralists’ would argue that there were other options considered by the Nazi’s. It is believed the ‘Jewish problem’ was to be solved by a ‘resettlement process.’ But, with the refusal of Poland to accept German Jews it was not a viable option. Following the Evian conference both Britain and America refused to accept Jewish immigrants. It has been argued that the action taken by the western allies gave Hitler the green light to go ahead with genocide.
“It is a shameful spectacle to see how the whole democratic world is oozing sympathy for the poor tormented Jewish people, but remains hard hearted and obdurate when
it comes to helping them…”
On November 12, 1938, Hermann Goering told the German Cabinet that Hitler was going to suggest to the West the emigration of Jews to Madagascar. Hjalmar Schacht, Reichsbank president, during discussions in London, tried to procure and international loan to send the Jews to Madagascar (Germany would make a profit since the Jews would only be allowed to take their money out in German goods). In December 1939, Joachim von Ribbentrop, the German foreign minister, even included the emigration of Jews to Madagascar as part of a peace proposal to the pope. The ‘Structuralists’ also argue that Mein Kampf must simply be viewed as mere ramblings by Hitler in prison rather than any specific detailed plan to be followed.
In conclusion then, it appears inconceivable that the Nazi policy towards the Jews was uncoordinated or erratic up to 1939. The events that occurred suggest that Nazi policy were systematic and fully coordinated. From the Jews being used as a scapegoat and in Hitler’s Nazi campaign, Judaism in Germany endured years of vilification. With the introduction of a limited quota for the employment of Jews and the boycott of Jewish businesses the Nazi party began to remove the Jewish race from Germany. The Nuremburg laws highlight how coordinated Nazi policy was towards the Jews. The fact that Laws were passed suggests that the Nazi party had a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve with their Jewish policy. The Berlin Olympics underline further just how coordinated Nazi policy was towards the Jews. This is highlighted by the ’good’ behaviour illustrated by the Nazi’s and the German people throughout the Olympics. It shows that Hitler and the Nazi party had the German population under complete control, including the Jews. However, following the Olympic games and with the worlds eyes focussed largely still on Stalin the Nazi party gave a taste of the organized chaos that would ensue with the beginning of The Second World War: Kristallnacht. Despite being accepted by most Historians as an orchestrated attack on Jewry it depicted chaos prevalent amongst the German population. Simply the manner in which it was conducted illustrated how events could escalate in the hands of the German population if they were endorsed by the Nazi party. At the centre of this complicated debate lies Hitler’s Annihilation Speech.
It is difficult to argue that Nazi policy towards the Jews was uncoordinated or erratic and this is the main reason for why. ‘Intentionalists’ argue that Hitler outlined his aims and plans for the Jews in Mein Kampf. However, ’Structuralists’ argue that Mein Kampf was a simply the ramblings of a prisoner and furthermore that the guidelines set out in Mein Kampf were only implemented due to Hitler’s social Darwinist approach to government. Hitler in his Annihilation Speech is totally clear on his plans. Which argues the point once again that Nazi policy towards the Jews was planned and coordinated. In looking at Madagascar and the ‘resettlement policy’ that was planned to be implemented by the Nazi party, one can only argue the point that the Nazi party were not erratic or uncoordinated but simply developed chaotic policies towards the Jews with the breakout of The Second World War.