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Why Reichskristallnacht? Focus Why Reichskristallnacht? Sarah Newman n The Third Reich Michael Burleigh writes: ‘We should be cautious in seeing Ispontaneity where frequency suggests instigation from a central source.’ He comments on ‘a dialectic between “spontaneous” grassroot actions and “followup” state sponsored measures.’ These remarks relate to 1935, the time of the Nuremberg Laws [the Citizenship Law and the Law for Protection of German Blood and Honour], but could apply equally to the events known as the Night of Broken Glass. Following the 1937 Nuremberg Rally, at which Hitler attacked ‘Jewish Bolshevism’, came a new wave of antisemitic violence. The mounting economic problems facing the Four Year Plan then led to expropriation of Jewish businesses. The annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland boosted further violence towards the Jews and their property in the summer of 1938, surpassing that of 1935. The immediate background to Krystallnacht was the murder in Paris of Ernst vom Rath, a Legation Secretary there. This aristocrat, a lukewarm Nazi, was shot by 17 year old Herschel Grynzpan. He had originally intended to kill the ambassador in protest at the expulsion from Germany of his parents and two sisters. 17,000 Poles of the 50,000 Jews Poland had rendered stateless were stuck in camps in the no-mans-land between Germany and Poland. So long-term issues include antisemitism in both these countries. Contributing too to the situation was the Anschluss which brought 195,000 Jews and their virulently antisemitic fellow Austrians into the Reich, and the Munich Agreement, which, granting Sudetenland to Germany, reduced Hitler’s concern for international opinion. The assassination attempt of 7 November 1938 led to cries of `Revenge for Paris’ during the pogroms of 9-10 November. The summer of 1938 had already witnessed antisemitic outbreaks. In November the Nazis linked the murder of Vom Rath to that of a leading Swiss Nazi, Wilhelm Gustlott, by a Jewish student from Yugoslavia, David Frankfurter, in 1936. At Gustlott’s funeral Hitler had declared: ‘Our Party Comrade was struck down by the power which is waging fanatical battle not only against our German Volk, but every free, autonomous and independent people. We understand the declaration of war and we will respond.’ Hitler’s 1936 idea of a retaliatory tax on German Jews was successfully revived after the attack on Vom Rath. On 7-8 November, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, anti-Jewish demonstrations took place in Hessen and Magdeburg-Anhalt; in Rothenburg and Bad Herzfield synagogues were destroyed; in Kessel a mob of 1,000 ran amok. When on 9 November news of Vom Rath’s death reached Munich Hitler and Goebbels were at a meeting of `old fighters’ commemmorating those who had died in the 1923 putsch. A whispered conference between these two resulted in the sanctioning of continued demonstrations, which were to be free of police interference, and ordered the arrest of 20-30,000 Jews. Having agreed violence would go unpunished Hitler left Goebbels, who had been behind the boycott of 1 April 1933, in his capacity as Reich Propaganda Leader of the NSDAP, to engineer the most brutal attack on Jews to date. Goebbels was eager to safeguard his own position which had been jeopardised by his affair with a Czech film star, Lida Baarova, and needed to boost his standing with Hitler. Seeing Hitler as ‘very radical and aggressive’ in the emotionally charged atmosphere, Goebbels, like all Nazis eager to ‘work toward the Führer’, launched into an antisemitic Example of physical effect of Kristallnacht tirade. He told Party leaders of anti-Jewish demonstations and announced that the 18 The Historian / Spring 2012 The shattered storefronts of Jewish businesses, victims of the Nazi attacks of Kristallnacht. Führer, on his suggestion, had decreed resentment among the Nazi rank and could occur, had supported Goebbels’ the Party should not discourage such file at what seemed to them the slow proposals for the event, and taken spontaneous outbreaks, but neither should pace of anti-Jewish measures may advantage of the situation Goeebls they prepare or organise any. have encouraged Hitler’s endorsement created. The SS had acted vigorously Party leaders took this to mean of Goebbels’ initiative; after a period following Goebbels’ initiative. Some, demonstrations should not be overtly when he had tried to avoid souring particularly in or recently from Austria, organised, and passed this message international relations, he was ready to may have anticipated it. Göring, by phone to their subordinates, also launch a new series of antisemitic laws. Himmler and Heydrich, originally riled conveniently at their phones, to arrange The pogroms suited his long term aims, by Goebbels’ move, went on to seize what and carry out these ‘spontaneous waves of and, as in 1935, anti-Jewish legislation benefits were available as a result. Nazi righteous indignation’. ratcheted up: the disturbances, like attitudes and ideology gave the impetus, The resulting pogroms at first took SS the 1935 rally, helped him ‘bounce’ the Goebbels was important as instigator, but leaders aback. Himmler told Heydrich bureaucratic line. in the long term Hitler was the enabler. Goebbels was in charge of events. But Arrests helped boost emigration. though Goebbels, an old hardliner on The Jews, blamed for the destruction Sources the Jewish Question, was the immediate of their own property, `a result Burleigh, M. The Third Reich, Macmillan 2000 instigator, it has been argued that the SS of the national indignation about Burleigh and Wipperman The Racial must have had a prepared agenda for the rabble-rousing propaganda of State, CUP 1991 a suitable occasion to be able to arrest international Jewry against National Kershaw, I. Hitler, Pearson 1991 so many Jews at one go. Göring, for Socialist Germany’, faced a Decree for ed Noakes and Pridham Nazism 1919-45, economic reasons, and Himmler, for public the Restitution of the Street scene; a University of Exeter 1984 order reasons, seem to have been annoyed billion Reichsmark fine helped pay for Housden M Intentionalist versus by Goebbels’ initiative, but the SS carried plate-glass imported from Belgium; Functionalist History, out the requisite arrests, though most Jews insurance due to Jews went straight to Modern History Review November 1998 were released within a month. the government and a capital levy for p9-12 The Anschluss had freed Austrian the assassination of Vom Rath followed. Nazis who were ready to organise murder So too did the decrees expelling all Sarah Newman has taught at secondary squads. The destruction of synagogues Jews from German economic life, the level for over thirty years, including time throughout the Reich was ordered; law on the Use of Jewish Assets [which as Head of History and Economics at murder, looting, vandalism ensued. forbade Jews trading in jewels, precious St Albans Girls’ Grammar School and Ultimately Hitler was in charge. metals and works of art], and the Law Head of History at Blackheath High Göring’s response to the demand Concerning the rent situation of Jews School. She has lectured for WEA. This of Prussia’s Minister of Finance for [enabling their eviction]. article is the result of a week’s course at punishment of the perpetrators was: ‘Do Hitler had provided the Rewley House. you wish to punish the Führer?’. Pent up environment in which Krystallnacht The Historian / Spring 2012 19.
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