Rise of Political Anti-Semitism in the 1920s

The Rise of Political Anti-Semitism in the 1920s

While Germany has had violent flashpoints of Anti-Semitism throughout its early history, it had largely been eliminated from political life after the formal emancipation of Jews across a united Germany in 1871. During this period, Anti-Semitic political movements were largely ineffective at garnering support from the masses, and faced much opposition from liberal political parties in the German Reichstag. Unfortunately, with the humiliating defeat of Germany in the first world war, anti-Semitic parties began to gain more popularity among the common masses. This entire situation was then utilized by Hitler and the Nazi party to propel themselves into power and forward their agenda of racial purity. Ultimately, it was the defeat of Germany, coupled with post-war political and economic situation, that led to increased anti-Semitic sentiments among the population.

Jewish communities have resided in Central Europe since the High Middle Ages and has since suffered injustices and persecution at the hands of their predominantly Christian neighbors throughout history. Jewish communities throughout the German states suffered particularly hard during the crusades; a time of radicalized Catholicism, that led to the deaths of countless Jewish people, and the destruction of many Jewish communities in the cities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz^[1]. During the Black Death, Jews were often blamed for bringing about the plague, and thus large numbers of German Jews were forced to migrate in large numbers Eastward, or faced death and persecution where they stayed.^[2] 

Staring from the mid-1800s, the Jewish communities in a various German states received questionable degrees of rights and equality; throughout the period, local government support for the Jewish minority was fickle, to say the least. Anti-Semitism was still very popular among the population, although it was largely propagated by simple reasons, as Peter G. J. Pulzer argues: “Among farmers and traders there was economic discontent; among aristocrats and climbers there was snobbery; among some of all classes there was religious prejudice, dating from a pre-Liberal, pre-capitalist era.”^[3] The eventual unification of Germany in 1871 by Otto Von Bismarck allowed for the formal emancipation of Jewish communities across the fatherland.

Since the unification, the Jewish communities throughout the German Empire enjoyed a period of relative equality and prospered until the Rise of the Nazi Party in 1929. Professor Pulzer also indicates that it is during this time of political liberalism and enlightenment that the Jewish community made great progress in integrating with this new German culture, particularly through trade, finance, politics, and literature.^[4] Regardless of their emancipated status, Jewish communities across Germany and Europe still faced a degree of prejudice in their day to day affairs, although in much minor forms. Political Anti-Semitism was also starting grow in popularity, although it was largely utilized as “a tool used by powerful groups to manipulate the middle class and thus gain political and economic advantage.” ^[5]

 Despite the rise of political anti-Semitism during this period, it faced incredible resistance from Liberals and other political parties, this is made evident by the large numbers of political caricatures of Anti-Semites from the time.^[6] Historian Richard Levy’s book describes in detail the demise of anti-Semitic parties in Imperial German politics in the late 1800s, he sums up the thirty-year lifespan of the anti-Semitic political movement: “The anti-Semites made impressive gains in the 1893 Reichstag elections, obtaining over 340,000 votes (4.4%)...reduced to 130,000 votes in 1912”^[7], he claims that these early anti-Semitic political movements resulted in “no legislation and during the war, they were completely absorbed into the traditional right.”^[8] Despite the high number of nationalistic-inspired anti-Semitism at the time, liberals and reformists alike made great progress in establishing religious equality and harmony.

Before the outbreak of the first world war, radical anti-Semitism was largely confined to the fringes of political discussion throughout most of Europe^[9]; regardless, anti-Semitic attitudes and stereotypes continued to exist throughout German Society. Amidst the growing sense of nationalism, Jewish minorities across the world were eager to demonstrate their loyalty to their respective home nations. According to statistics, at least 100,000 Jews served in the German Armed Forces during the first world war^[10]; it is interesting to note that more Jews fought in World War I than any other ethnic, religious or political group in Germany^[11] But despite their commitment to the German war effort, Jewish communities continued to face discrimination and prejudice, although these sentiments were usually suppressed by the overall war effort. However, this was to change on the October of 1916.