Why did Hitler scapegoat the Jews?
Why them specifically? Why not blacks, Asians, gays, etc?
shareIt was for internal politics to drive nationalism in terms of throwing off the after taste of WWI and gearing up for WWII. Laying blame carries a lot more energy than expressing regret.
shareOk but why them specifically and not some other group?
shareThey were a nominal group in Germany as opposed to Catholics and Protestants. Fewer of them to be offended than the other groups although Catholics were starting to take heat before the war ended. Jews were also an ethnic minority in a country that did not have many minorities period. In the years before WWI which was within the memory of those living in the 1930's Germany was pushing outward in terms of emigration with very few coming in. Had the opposite happened there may well have been other groups to pick on during the 1930's.
shareExcellent answer.
sharethey were also disproportionately prosperous and well established in the professions. this made jews a uniquely opportune target for the nationalists, easily seen as 'the other', easily envied, easily (by dint of their minority population size) suppressed. the religious aspect was merely instrumental, as the nazis were completely opportunistic in their use of religion as a tool to be wielded in the exercise of power (their own actual religion).
shareIt was for internal politics to drive nationalism in terms of throwing off the after taste of WWI and gearing up for WWII. Laying blame carries a lot more energy than expressing regret.
It's more complex than that. UK were the key to obtain the land of Israel. Because of that, many Jew communities in Germany supported British during the WW1. They even collected money to support them. Eventually, that paid off and they got Israel.
WW1 was won by British by a hair's breadth. And who knows if many german Jews supporting UK tipped the scale. Germans didn't forgive that. Hitler was particularly belligerent, but he was just an extreme version of a widespread feeling.
Don't get me wrong, I would have done the same had I've been in the place of Jews. During the WW1 Jews and Germans had conflicting interests. That's life. The problem is that it happened during the most bloody war ever seen (WW2 was a walk in the park in comparison) and the worst pandemic since the Black Plague. It became the perfect storm. share