Targeting Minorities During The Holocaust
The Holocaust was and is amongst the most horrific, immoral and inhumane things that man has ever committed. This is because it legitimized discrimination and violence against targeted peoples,introduced and demonstrated genocide, and gave inspiration to other, similar monstrosities.
The Holocaust didn’t start violently, but grew when discrimination and violence against targeted minorities was legitimised and protected.
In late 1935, the Nazis introduced the Nuremberg Laws, which, most notably, required targeted minorities to be clearly identifiable at all times and lowered them to the status of state subjects, effectively stripping them of their citizenships . This served to paint a target on the minorities.
The
Nuremberg Laws even went so far as to classify the targeted minorities as outright “enemies of the race-based state” (Wikipedia). This sentiment was indoctrinated into the people and popularized by the Nazis effective propaganda campaigns.
This created an incredibly unsafe atmosphere for the targeted minorities. They “began to suffer acts of violence, arson, vandalism and other crimes.” (Holocaust Memoir Socratic Discussion) They were no longer protected by policeman nor peer, because both believed that the minorities were a blemish to German pride and the sole reason that Germany lost the war. The government almost didn’t need to do anything beyond that, because the general public was after the minorities in such a way that they would’ve killed them anyway.
Sadly, the lesson of the Holocaust does not end there. The Nazis were the most gruesome of pioneers, as they introduced and provided the most well-known example of genocide.
The Holocaust didn’t start violently, but grew when discrimination and violence against targeted minorities was legitimised and protected.
In late 1935, the Nazis introduced the Nuremberg Laws, which, most notably, required targeted minorities to be clearly identifiable at all times and lowered them to the status of state subjects, effectively stripping them of their citizenships . This served to paint a target on the minorities.
The
Nuremberg Laws even went so far as to classify the targeted minorities as outright “enemies of the race-based state” (Wikipedia). This sentiment was indoctrinated into the people and popularized by the Nazis effective propaganda campaigns.
This created an incredibly unsafe atmosphere for the targeted minorities. They “began to suffer acts of violence, arson, vandalism and other crimes.” (Holocaust Memoir Socratic Discussion) They were no longer protected by policeman nor peer, because both believed that the minorities were a blemish to German pride and the sole reason that Germany lost the war. The government almost didn’t need to do anything beyond that, because the general public was after the minorities in such a way that they would’ve killed them anyway.
Sadly, the lesson of the Holocaust does not end there. The Nazis were the most gruesome of pioneers, as they introduced and provided the most well-known example of genocide.