AP EUROPEAN HISTORY Evaluating Patterns of Continuity and Change in European Marginalization of the “Other” NAME: Siddanth Devanathan STUDENT HANDOUT DATE: 4/13 Continuity and Change in German Society Document-Based Question: Using the documents and your knowledge of European history, analyze how Nazi Germany escalated its persecution of European Jews throughout the 1930s until the end of the Second World War in 1945. Directions: List in chronological order the documents given to your group. Explain how each document illustrates a change or how it illustrates what stayed the same based on your knowledge of the history of the Nazi era. Documents may illustrate both continuity and change, and if so, both the changes and continuities should be listed in the appropriate categories on the chart below. Documen What changed in German society? t 1. Level of Anti- Semitism, Germans were far more radical and attempted to close down Jewish establishments for the purpose of eugenics and ethnic cleansing. The extent of the racism grew greatly and became more violent and ruthless. 2. What stayed the same? General ideas of anti-semitism were not new from older times, problems within nation after removal of Bismack persisted and this sentiment remained. Economic desire to remain closed and promote national economy without Jewish intervention also likely played a part. Nationalistic desires of the Germans persisted from the 19th century. Labor laws became even more racist and anti- Everything not related to the labor force semitic, employees like Fritz Wolff were according to this passage, but the sense of terminated from service due to heritage alone nationalism as “Germans” remained. Because without the normal labor rights given. Labor the employer appears to express a certain industry in general became more purist and amount of sympathy towards Fritz Wolff, one removed many Jews in order to make them may understand that there is some connection impoverished and suffer. due to being German, a nationalistic idea persisting from the unification period. AP EUROPEAN HISTORY Evaluating Patterns of Continuity and Change in European Marginalization of the “Other” 3. Social roles of Jews were removed. This was an attempt to disconnect the Jewish society from the Germans and cause them to become unaccepted in the country. Laws were placed to prevent them from associating with Germans or identifying as Germans, thereby excluding from them nationalistic thoughts. STUDENT HANDOUT Tendency of Jews to be more nationalistic to themselves was preserved. The Nuremberg Laws allowed the Jews to fly the flag of their people, which, while likely a ploy to make them easier to identify, also encouraged them to band together in nationalism and identify more closely with their own people rather than with Germany. AP EUROPEAN HISTORY Evaluating Patterns of Continuity and Change in European Marginalization of the “Other” Documen What changed in German society? t STUDENT HANDOUT What stayed the same? 4. Not much This source primarily expresses a continuity in German society because it represents the excluding nature of the Nazi party and the antisemetic tendencies of the German population. The treatment of Jews in this manner, continuing from older developments such as the Dreyfus affair persists and simply intensifies to an extent of complete seclusion. 5. Far from the perception of the Nazi regime under the law, this passage shows how the Jews were persecuted and violently attacked. While the Nuremberg Laws source provides a more clinical tone and one slightly more sympathetic to the Jews, this source shows from the first perspective how the violence against Jews went past the laws themselves. The people themselves became more polarized to the anti-semitic cause. The nationalistic nature of the Jewish people remained constant against Nazi pressure and they banded together to fight against the Germans. The Jews also continued to migrate to Israel under the Zionist influence from the 19th century. 6. Segregation of the Jews in the opposite manner, Germans were also not allowed to enter Jewish residence areas due to them being potentially tainted by the Jewish influence. This change continues to show social discrimination and an attempt to differentiate the Germans from their impure counterparts according to the Nazis. The nature of poverty in Germany remained constant after the First World War, the reparations that had to be paid ruined the German economy and caused issues that permanently affected the homes. The desolate nature of the picture’s setting depicts how the Jews lived as second-class citizens and in poverty, alongside racism and antisemitist discrimination. 7. The introduction of concentration camps caused Germany’s violent massacre of the Jews to reach a head. Here, this began the trend in WW2 of Germany legally noting a set of clauses, but allowing secret police and the military to execute atrocities without much oversight. Violent violation of human rights against Jews. Anti-Semitic natures stayed strong, and generally poor treatment and invalidation of Jews continued. Segregation of Jews continued and they were made separate from the Germans and put to labor or death. AP EUROPEAN HISTORY Evaluating Patterns of Continuity and Change in European Marginalization of the “Other” STUDENT HANDOUT Now, formulate a thesis based upon the evidence from the documents. Thesis: Although the Nazi party of Germany may have persecuted Jews through means such as vandalism and destruction of property, ultimately there is more evidence to show that the escalation of this persecution occurred primarily through systematic attacks and violent captures, economic boycotts and disenfranchisement, and exclusion through nonassociation.
