World War II : The Holocaust

It wasn’t until two days later on November 9th, 1938, when Ernst vom Rath was pronounced dead as the news of his tragic death swept the country (Schwab 10). This assassination was used as propaganda in which the Nazi party blamed Jews in general, more specifically Herschel Grynszpan, for “lighting the fuse” for the horrendous attacks that took place during Kristallnacht (Fitzgerald 62). For years Jews living in the German State suffered under the rule of Adolf Hitler, but Kristallnacht was the first public act of violence carried out in a large scale in attempt to make Germany Judenfrei, or Jew free. (Fitzgerald 33). Kristallnacht translates to “night of the broken glass” in German, in reference to the six-million Reichsmark (equivalent to about 2.4 million dollars) worth of glass windows of Jewish businesses that were shattered during the pogrom; but the dignity and hope of Jews living in Germany had been shattered like glass long before

The Holocaust was a great tragedy, but it didn't happen overnight. It was a long process of demeaning Jews as subhuman. This started as early as 1933 when Hitler first came to power. However, Kristallnacht, or The Night of the Broken Glass, was like the dam bursting. It was when the government of Germany encouraged its people to loot and burn Jewish shops, synagogues, and schools. In addition, many Jews were pulled out of their houses in the middle of the night and sent to concentration camps. In some towns so many of the men were sent to the camps that the women and children were forced to clean up the broken glass that littered the streets. Kristallnacht was a very significant point in the Holocaust,

The event leading up to Kristallnacht was involving a shooting. A young Polish man named Herschel Grynszpan found out his parents were exiled to where he was born in Hanover , Germany. For retaliation on November 7 , 1938 he shot Ernst Vom Rath. Rath lived 2 days after and died due to wounds; Hitler attended his funeral and that day of continuing the next day . During Kristallnacht many destructive things were done to the Jews. Over 250 synagogues and 7,000 Jewish business were burned. Any business owned by a Jew wasn’t allowed to reopen. 91 were dead and over 30,000 men were arrested and sent to camps. The German people made Jews life a living hell and things became harder and harder on the Jews causing them to be prohibited from certain areas of the city and school.

The Holocaust was a time full of death and sorrow, many people were traumatized from this horrific event, even those who were not put into concentration camps against their own will. The Author John Roth says that the killing of millions of Jews began in the month of March, 1933. This was made possible by the Nazi’s suspending the constitution in Germany, resulting in Hitler receiving all power. Overall, Hitler was the major influence that pushed the Holocaust (Roth; Web), after receiving 18 percent in the polls. Hitler encouraged horrible things aside from Putting Jews in concentration camps such as “The Night of Broken Glass”. This event was a night that many people would not forgot as

A massive assault on Jews all through the German empire on the night of November 9, 1938, into the following day, has become known as Kristallnacht or The Night of Broken Glass.

In November of 1938, riots were swarming the streets. Then the riots started murdering Jews, destroying and demolishing other people’s property. That night was called Kristallnacht. By far, Kristallnacht was the largest, most destructive, and most clearly orchestrated of the pogroms. Pogroms is a Russian word meaning “devastation.”

It is known as the night of broken glass because the Jewish property that was attacked literally had glass all over the roads and sidewalks, if the property was not burned to the ground by nazis. These anti-jewish attacks by the nazis happened to almost all the Jewish stores, synagogues, and houses, they killed around 100 jews. Nazi followers destroyed many synagogues and took many Torahs which were later destroyed. The firefighters on the scene only tried to prevent the fire from spreading across to other buildings, and just sat and watched the jewish synagogues, stores, and houses burn to the ground. Kristallnacht was one of the first violent actions that the nazis had done to the jews, before that they were mostly nonviolent.

Kristallnact was one of the first step of striping jews down, takeing there identity,religion, and society. Kristallnacht was chaotic and horrific. Kristallnacht took away jews’ humanity and will to live. Kristallnacht is an event were the nazis striped everything from the jews. The nazis went into every single jewish businesses and destroyed everything. ”It was the only time I was almost traumatized. There was not any store that wasn't hit. ”Kristallnacht was the night of broken

Kristallnacht, or the "Night of Broken Glass", is one of the most crucial events in German, Jewish, and World History. Before, the Jews were simply assaulted and verbally abused. However, on the night of November 9, 1938, an unplanned and extremely violent action against the Jews occurred. In two days, over 250 synagogues were burnt down while the fire department did nothing to stop it, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were trashed and looted, Jews were murdered, Jewish cemeteries, schools, hospitals, and homes were looted by SS while the police attempted to preserve them but failed. Before Kristallnacht, Jews ' lives were not threatened. Historically Jews were not welcome by many countries which

The Nazi’s destroyed many Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. Many Jews killed or taken to concentration camps. If you were a part of the non-Jewish community, you were not allowed to help the Jews out. A fireman during this time claims, “We were ordered not to use any water till the synagogue was burned down.” People whose job was to help when there was danger, couldn’t even help. The Nazis were so powerful, and intimidated the public so much they could manipulate whoever they wanted. Because of this, many Jewish families were torn apart, businesses and house vandalized, and thousands of lives

One of the most significant events that took place during the Holocaust was Kristallnacht; known as The Night of the Broken Glass for the shattered pieces of glass that littered the streets. On the night of November 9th, 1938, Nazi troops were ordered to disguise as ordinary civilians in order to give the impression that the perpetrators were angry members of the public. They outflanked Jewish neighborhoods, destroying homes, synagogues, shops, and businesses, encouraging ordinary Germans to participate in the breaking of glass by throwing Jewish possessions out of windows into streets. Many historians believe that night triggered the introduction of the Holocaust, as 91 Jews were killed in the attack and 30,000 arrested and incarcerated

At 1:20 a.m. All over Germany, Austria and other Nazi controlled areas, Jewish shops and department stores had their windows smashed and contents destroyed. Synagogues were especially targeted for vandalism, including desecration of sacred Torah scrolls. Hundreds of synagogues were systematically burned while local fire departments stood by or simply prevented the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings. Regarding the economic impact of the damage from Kristallnacht and the resulting massive insurance claims, Hermann Göring stated the Jews themselves would be paying for the damage that happened during Kristallnacht. Goebbels told the nazis to stop attacking at 5:00 the 10th of November. The rioters burnt over 1,000 Synogogues, 30,000 Jewish men were arrested to work in concentration camps, 91 people were killed not counting the suicides, and the stores that weren't destroyed, were boycotted over 100,000 stores. Hitler still thought he wasn't successful enough with the Jewish Problem, therefor there was a second solution. The second solution succeeded more in the Jewish problem since the effects of Kristallnacht lead to a large amount of emigration of Jews from Germany. (Kristallnacht- the Night of Broken

2). Even though this was not a violent treatment of the Jews, it was an attempt to bankrupt and dehumanize them of everything they had worked for their whole lives (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). As a result, Jews became a segregated people. They had to ride on buses and trains only in the seat that were clearly marked for them (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). Jewish children were allowed to be bullied at school in an attempt to keep them from coming to school. Hitler used this to brand the Jews as a lazy people (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). The Nuremberg Laws passed in 1935 gave even more power to the Nazis and took away more dignity of the Jews. The Jews were stripped of their German citizenship and marriages between Jews and non-Jews were not allowed (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). At this point, the Jews who could afford to pay a fine to leave the country were allowed to do so, but the ones who could not afford it had to stay behind and were not allowed to get food or medicine (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). Hitler’s campaign against the Jews escalated in 1938 with “Krystalnacht” – The Night of the Broken Glass (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). After a Nazi diplomat was found shot to death, Hitler began a seven day war of terror against the Jews (Jews in Nazi Germany pg. 2). Shops that were owned by Jews were destroyed and robbed, homes and synagogues burned

Anti-semitism in Germany led by Adolf Hitler would back up a plan called the final solution, to exterminate all of the Jews in Europe. Out of the 100 million Jews aimed for extermination, 6 million of them were killed. On his path to German greatness, Jews became victim to inconceivable actions. First the Nuremberg Laws were passed which stripped Jews of their german citizenship, eliminating their opportunity to flee to other countries. After Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, Hitler forcefully deported Jewish people into fenced confinements called ghettos. More Jews died here than in any extermination camp due to the harsh conditions and labor. Most people living in ghettos had no access to running water or a sewage system and overcrowding

One of the most well known attacks on the Jews was known as Night of Broken Glass. On the November 9, 1938, violence against Jews broke out across Germany. The Germanys tried to make it appeared like the violence was an unplanned attack, set off by the assassination of a German official in Paris at the hands of a Jewish teenager. 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. http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/kristall.htm