Anti-Semitism In Ww2

Over the course of six years, more than 60 million people died in World War 2. No war was as devastating as this one. With as many losses as that, you must question the reasoning for it starting. Hitler took advantage of Germany feeling angry due to the Treaty of Versaille, and used historical anti-semitism to justify his horrific interpretation of Jews displayed in Mein Kampf, to create a lot of conflict that led to World War 2.

Germany felt angered and wronged because of the Treaty of Versaille. In Article 231 the government agreed and signed the document accepting all the blame for World War 1 while many Germans disagreed with this idea. “The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.” (Article 231, Treaty of Versaille) While the treaty was made to create peace it only backlashed and was one of the biggest reasons for World War 2. German’s felt unfairly blamed since the war was not all their fault. Although they had lost the war, the conditions and blame seemed too harsh and
conducted more resentment between Germany, Britain and France. Hitler used this rage to his advantage to induce German’s to point their anger towards the government.

Hitler used historical anti-Semitism to justify his horrific claims about the Jewish people.
Hitler did not make up his beliefs of the Jews being awful, he only recreated the hatred that started years ago. “All the world suffers from the usury of the Jews, their monopolies and deceit. They have brought many unfortunate peoples into a state of poverty, especially farmers, working-class people, and the very poor.” (- Pope Clement VIII, 1592) The Pope initiates a prejudice against the Jewish people. He believes they are deceitful and will betray you, especially when it comes to money. This is where the beginning of anti-Judaism originated. Hitler becomes inspires]d and this leads him to the writing of Mein
Kampf.

Hitler horrifically portrays Jews in his book Mein Kampf after becoming enticed by historical anti-Semitism. In an excerpt from his book he is describing his outlook on the Jewish people after seeing one while walking through the inner city, “Wherever I went, I began to see Jews, and the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity.” (Mein Kampf, 271) Hitler is separating Jews from all other humans. By writing this he is trying to convey that not only are Jews not like other Germans, they are merely a part of the human race. Already having gained popularity with the German population, many read this perspective of Jews and adopted it as well. This view toward Jews became very hostile and formed hatred and torture. Hitler had effectively persuaded Germans’ perspective.

A war this tragic cannot go without explanation. Cities were absolutely destroyed, homes were wrecked, countless lives were loss. Germans were vulnerable due to their intense anger about the treaty and allowed Hitler to take advantage of them. He continued to affect their perspective of Jews and conveyed them horrifically in his book Mein Kampf, justifying his work using historical anti-semitism. President Woodrow Wilson once said “It must be peace without victory...” World War 2 may have been prevented if there would have been no victories, no blame after WW1, or no ‘winning race’ when it comes to Germans and Jews.