Many people who were against the Jewish laws did not think that Germans took it seriously and that it would just basically blow over. Source B is a report by the Social Democratic Party in the late 1935’s, (people who don’t particularly support Hitler.) It says that they only came up with the policy to divert attention from other problems Germany had at that time and to provide the SA with something to do. It comments that the Jewish laws are not taken seriously because the population has other problems on its minds. However it also states that bad things about the Jews have influenced enough people and they have become fanatical opponents of the Jews. So the people who do agree are very fixed on it and feel more strongly about it. Towards the end of the report it comments that the vast majority of the population ignores this bullying of the Jews and that they prefer to buy in Jewish department stores etc. So after analysing this source it gives the interpretation that overall many Germans did not support the nazi policies. This is a source which is biased though as it is actually written by people who are against the policy in the first place.
Early November 1938 a very memorable happening to the Jews, Kristallnacht! Kristallnacht also known as ‘the night of broken glass’ was when the Nazi followers fought into the newly made territories of Jewish properties in Austria and Sudetenland. At least 96 Jews were killed and hundreds more injured, more than 1,000 synagogues were burned (and possibly as many as 2,000), almost 7,500 Jewish businesses were destroyed, cemeteries and schools were vandalized, and 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Source C is taken from a report in an American newspaper called The New York Times when this all took place, which seems like a mixed view on what went on. It says ‘a wave of destruction’ meaning a huge amount of people swept over Germany to defeat the Jews. It tells us there were huge crowds there but generally the crowds were silent. So this tells us that not all German people would try to get involved and it actually explains that many look on and were ‘ gravely disturbed ‘ by what happened which is a strong key point siding that most Germans were there watching not getting involved but were too afraid to do anything in the Jews favour. However it does state that nasty comments such as ‘ Kill the Jews’ and ‘Perish Jewry’ was shouted out. Although the vast majority were probably too afraid of the Nazi’s to do anything about it, the report states that some people from a certain crowd were making passages for the Jews to get through. This is a good piece of evidence as it builds up a good picture of what happened on that day but this is an American report so the person who wrote it may not of actually been there in person to back up the points made. Overall this seems as a useful source on mixed views about the support the Nazi policy received.
Everybody had different attitudes towards Hitler’s policy. Source D shows one particular opinion of a former member of the Hitler Youth in an interview from 1989 a while after the war had ended. He says that many people underestimated the nazi policy and believed Hitler was not engaged in mass murder. The way the Jews were treated, he says, was of minor harassment on people who were different than others. They were just basically as he states ‘ a disliked minority’. It was until Kristallnacht that people thought this, after that tragic day it was then they lost their innocence and could no longer be under any illusion. It then goes back to supporting source B in a way as it states that although most Germans indeed did want the Jews out of the country, he never actually met a fanatical nazi who did want the extermination of the Jews. This shows that the Germans were prepared to force them out of the country but would not feel strongly about them been killed. This is a useful source as it shows what the Germans actually felt and it does support the statement that many Germans did not support the Nazi policy towards the Jews but were otherwise afraid of the consequences and so went along with the policy. You do however have to take into mind that this was only one person’s attitude toward the Jews and was apart of the Hitler Youth, which meant he was a fanatical nazi follower.
Obviously after the Jews had been harassed killed and basically deprived of there own lives by thousands of Germans they were not going to think nicely of the German society. Although the nazi members were the main people who punished the Jews many Germans were also deeply involved. Source E explains this from a Jewish historians view of the Final Solution. It says that many ordinary Germans took part in killing the Jews and that only 1 in 3 were actually Nazi party members. This shows that most of the population did actually follow Hitler’s policy and many of these were not apart of the nazi party. However this source is in a way, biased as the person who wrote it was the son of a Jewish leader. Overall this answers to the statement that many Germans did not support the Policy to a false comment as this shows otherwise. It shows that the ordinary public of Germany got involved in the killing and torture of the Jews who were not even apart of the Nazi party.
Many Jews moved from the areas they lived for good unless they had no passport in which they would be killed. Some Jews were still living in the countries they moved to and so were here to tell the story. Source F is an Article by Joe da Haas who was born in Germany but is now living in England. It explains about a certain part of Germany called Oldenburg. This source is not exactly of much use as it’s only a part of Germany but does explain that not every part of Germany treated the Jews with hatred and pain. This is also biased as it is written by a Jewish Leader.
Although the Jews were treated terribly by most Germans there were a few who have been remembered for the determination and support they put in to help the Jews, one of these people named Oscar Schindler. A very famous film was made called Schindler’s list, which is my next source. This source can be of great use but you have to keep in mind that maybe a lot of things that happened in real life may not have been shown on the film or some things may have been exaggerated to make the film of better quality. Overall though it explains the story of Schindler and his brave attempts to hide the Jews. Schindler saved many Jews and his name has now gone down in history. After watching the film Schindler’s list it gives me the impression that there were actually many good Germans out there who stood up for the Jews not sat back and watched or even joined in with the harassment and killing. However this is only one man and also it is a film which although is based on a true story may be slightly changed and so we cant believe every comment or action that took place in the film.
After analysing and studying the previous sources I have got a mixed view on whether or not; many Germans did not support the Nazi policy. From just the sources they do actually seem to back up the statement, however most conclude in a two way ending, mixed opinions, on who supported the policy. My personal opinion after using my own background knowledge and researching the sources is that many Germans did indeed agree with the policy and got involved with the killing and harassing, however I believe that this was only because of the propaganda, magazines and newspaper etc, brainwashing the Germans to hate the Jews. The more powerful Hitler became the more the Jews were hated. If a German used a Jewish shop, lived in a Jewish area or even started speaking to a Jew they would be punished or embarrassed. There was a lot of pressure on the Germans at that time, still no excuse for murdering and torture however. There were Germans of a kind nature towards the Jews though those who followed the laws fanatically over ruled those who didn’t. So the statement Many Germans did not support the nazi policy in my views is false but there still are many things I could use to support it.
