Sources B, D and I agree that Kristallnacht was spontaneous. Source B is a secret report prepared by the Nazi Supreme court which gives it strong credibility. It states how Hitler was told by Goebbels to neither promote these demonstrations nor discourage them if they started spontaneously. Source D is by a German-Jew describing the weeks before Kristallnacht. He describes how everyone was hostile towards the Jews, forcing many to move away. This is not a reliable source. Anti-Semitism views were considered normal at those times so of course they were going to be treated badly. The German-Jew also would be biased as he was the victim and he is clearly angry with his oppressors. Source I is from a conversation between Hitler and the wife of his favourite Architect. He does not blame anyone either merely saying “the people responsible have destroyed everything for me”. He also mentions how he had hoped to come to an understanding with France. If this was true then why did he start a war with them just one year later?
Sources C, E, F and G agree that it was a planned event by the Nazi party. Source C is a very reliable account of what happened. It was compiled from interviews and eye witnesses from when it was happening. It mentions how a majority of German people where not involved at all whilst SS men and stormtroopers dressed as civilians went out supplied with axes, hammers and fire bombs. If this is true then it explains Sources A, E, F and G whilst putting a big question mark over the reliability of Sources B, D, H and I.
Source E is sent by someone who appears to have a position of authority, judging by fact he was able to obtain a list of all of the shops and flats that had been damaged. He also speaks in a way that suggests this source is reliable. He mentions how “most” of the German people weren’t involved and he mentions how the SA men were provided with tools, just like in Source C (another reliable source).This makes the Source E very reliable as it agrees with everything that Source C is saying.
Sources F and G are cartoons that both show the Nazi’s as the persecutors and both highlight the killing and destruction that took place. They are from the same time as Kristallnacht and both highlight that the German public did little in the event.
I conclude that Kristallnacht was never “a spontaneous event by the German people”. I say this because the evidence that backs it up is misleading, confusing and from unreliable sources. I believe that it was a planned event by the Nazi’s although I cannot say if Hitler or Goebbels planned it because the information provided is too misleading. The evidence claiming that it was a planned event by the Nazi’s is strong, reliable and fits in with the other sources. For example Sources C and E almost mirror each other, giving detailed information about who was involved and what they did. The two sources compliment each other so well that it is hard to ignore them as unreliable.
