Kristallnacht

Definition

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, refers to the violent pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that occurred on November 9-10, 1938. This event marked a significant escalation in the Nazi regime's anti-Jewish policy, leading to widespread destruction of Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes, and resulting in thousands of arrests and deportations to concentration camps. The aftermath of Kristallnacht revealed the increasingly dangerous climate for Jews in Germany, foreshadowing the horrors of the Holocaust.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Kristallnacht was triggered by the assassination of a German diplomat by a Jewish teenager, which the Nazis used as a pretext for their violent actions.
2. During Kristallnacht, over 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses were vandalized or destroyed, alongside approximately 1,400 synagogues.
3. Around 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps during Kristallnacht, marking a shift from economic and social persecution to physical violence.
4. This event was widely reported in international media, leading to global condemnation but little concrete action against the Nazi regime.
5. Kristallnacht signified a turning point that led many Jews to realize they could no longer remain in Germany and sparked increased emigration efforts.

Review Questions

• How did Kristallnacht reflect the broader social and political climate in Nazi Germany leading up to World War II?
  • Kristallnacht exemplified the deepening anti-Semitic sentiment that permeated Nazi Germany, showcasing the shift from discriminatory laws to outright violence against Jews. This event occurred in an atmosphere where the Nuremberg Laws had already stripped Jews of their rights, and propaganda portrayed them as enemies of the state. Kristallnacht's brutality not only shattered Jewish lives and property but also marked a critical point where many began to understand that remaining in Germany was increasingly perilous.
• Analyze how Kristallnacht served as a precursor to the Holocaust and what it revealed about Nazi intentions.
  • Kristallnacht can be seen as a harbinger of the Holocaust due to its violent nature and organized execution by the Nazi regime. The attacks demonstrated that physical violence against Jews would be tolerated and even encouraged by the state. It highlighted the Nazis' intent to escalate their anti-Jewish policies into systematic extermination, setting the stage for the mass deportations and killings that would follow during World War II.
• Evaluate the international response to Kristallnacht and its implications for Jewish communities in Europe during this period.
  • The international response to Kristallnacht was largely one of shock and condemnation, but few nations took significant actions to support Jewish refugees or oppose Nazi policies. This passive reaction indicated a troubling trend where global powers prioritized their own political agendas over humanitarian concerns. Consequently, many Jewish communities felt increasingly isolated and vulnerable, leading to a surge in emigration attempts as they recognized that their situation in Europe was becoming dire with no safe haven in sight.

Related terms

Nuremberg Laws: A set of laws enacted in 1935 that stripped Jews of German citizenship and prohibited marriage or sexual relations between Jews and non-Jewish Germans.

The Holocaust: The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during World War II.

Pogrom: An organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, particularly Jews, often involving violence and destruction of property.