I am currently reading a book about the emergence of the Nazis and how they came to power. The book only addresses briefly the nascent anti-Semitism that existed in Europe and how it became enmeshed with so-called racial science, transforming anti-Semitism into hate based on race rather than religion. Essentially, the Nazis were able to tap into and perpetuate a pre-existing anti-Semitism and I want to know the specific circumstances in Germany about how and why this pre-existing anti-Semitism came to be which the Nazis tapped in to.
by IAmAlive_YouAreDead
1 Comment
There’s this book by historian who writes about pre-1933 Germany and traces how economic instability after WWI mixed with older religious prejudices. Really shows how different groups used Jewish people as scapegoats during the hyperinflation crisis and later depression
The author explains well how these ideas weren’t just random hate but built on centuries of religious discrimination that got repackaged with pseudoscience. What made Germany different was how systematic they made it compared to other European countries who had similar prejudices
I think you’d find it useful since it covers exactly what you’re looking for – the specific German context rather than just general European antisemitism