The Rise of Nazism
The Nazi Party was founded in the 1920s as a far-right political group in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler. At first, people saw the Nazis as an extremist party. But life in Germany became difficult and unstable in the years after the First World War. Food shortages, unemployment and inflation affected millions. Germans felt outraged by the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles imposed at the end of the war. The Nazis promised to create jobs, reclaim territory and rearm. They also vowed to get rid of those they said were responsible for Germany’s troubles, especially the Jews.
Many Germans came to see Hitler as a strong leader who could solve Germany’s problems. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won more seats in the German parliament than any other party. Although his party did not have a majority, Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Conservative politicians believed they could control him. But in March 1933, the Enabling Act was passed, giving Hitler sole power to make laws. This ended democracy in Germany. Hitler soon banned all other political parties and secured his position as dictator.
For Jews, Nazi dictatorship meant increasing persecution. The Nazis passed hundreds of laws excluding Jews from public life. They barred Jews from jobs, schools, public spaces and economic activity. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws removed the citizenship and civil rights of Jews and banned marriage to non-Jews.
The new laws were written by legal experts and Nazi government ministries. They were put into practice by officials and ordinary institutions in German society. Police and courts enforced them. Professional organizations also applied Nazi racial policies in their own work. In this way, Nazi ideology became part of everyday life. Responsibility for the harm done to others was spread across many individuals and institutions. This made it easy for people to feel that they were just doing their job. Most Germans adapted to these changes in their society, even as the policies became more radical.
The Nazi authoritarian state created a society in which the persecution of Jews was normalized through law and routine bureaucracy. This paved the way for more extreme persecution and violence in the years to come.
