Jews were targeted by the Nazis and others during the Holocaust due to a combination of long-standing anti-Semitic beliefs, economic tensions, political scapegoating, and Nazi racial ideology. These factors interacted amid Germany’s social and political instability in the early 20th century.
Economic factors contributed significantly to why Jews became targets. Jews in Germany had gained prominent positions in finance, media, and business despite being less than one percent of the population. They controlled many banks, publishing houses, newspapers, theaters, and other significant sectors. During the hyperinflation following World War I, Jews acquired a considerable share of property. This financial success, combined with visible prosperity, bred resentment among many native Germans, especially during times of economic hardship.
Historical anti-Semitism in Europe also played a major role. Jews had faced discrimination for centuries. Religious and cultural differences set them apart. They often maintained strict religious practices and a focus on scholarship, which sometimes led to prosperity. Additionally, baseless myths such as Jews committing ritual murders of Christian children and hoarding wealth circulated widely. These prejudices contributed to stereotypes labeling Jews as outsiders and threats.
Hitler’s personal beliefs and Nazi ideology intensified these existing prejudices. He viewed Jews not merely as a religious group but as a biologically distinct and dangerous “race” threatening Aryan Germans. Hitler linked Jews to socialism and communism in a negative way, associating them with laziness and societal weakness. His desire for racial purity and “lebensraum” (living space) justified, in his mind, the removal of Jews from German society.
Politically, Germany was unstable after World War I. The Weimar Republic was young and fragile. Economic disasters like the Wall Street Crash made many Germans lose faith in democratic parties. Many citizens turned to extremist parties such as the Nazis, who promised national revival and blamed Germany’s failures on scapegoats, principally the Jews. This scapegoating unified certain segments of society around anti-Semitism.
European-wide anti-Semitism also facilitated Nazi policies. Many occupied countries during World War II cooperated in identifying and turning over Jews, reflecting widespread prejudice and complicity beyond Germany.
The international context further complicated matters. Jewish communities worldwide organized economic boycotts against Nazi Germany following the rise of Hitler in 1933. Protests and calls to boycott German goods occurred in cities like New York and London. These actions were driven by a desire to oppose Nazi persecution but were used by Nazi propaganda to depict Jews as aggressors, deepening hostilities.
- Jews held significant economic influence in Germany, sparking resentment.
- Ancient religious and cultural biases fueled widespread European anti-Semitism.
- Hitler’s racial ideology framed Jews as a foreign, dangerous race.
- Germany’s political and economic crisis made scapegoating Jews politically effective.
- Collaboration across Europe aided Nazi persecution of Jews.
- Jewish international boycotts against Nazi Germany inflamed tensions.
In sum, Jewish targeting during the Holocaust was not caused by a single factor but by a complex interplay of economic, historical, political, and ideological forces.
Holocaust Historians of Reddit: Why Were Jews Targeted?
Why were Jews targeted during the Holocaust? Simply put, Jews became the scapegoat for a complex web of economic, social, political, and ideological factors that converged disastrously in Germany and Europe during the early 20th century. The hateful targeting wasn’t about one single cause but a tangle of resentment, history, propaganda, and opportunism. Let’s unpack this dense, painful history through the eyes of Holocaust historians on Reddit, who dissect and debate each thread with careful scrutiny and sometimes a dash of dark humor.
The Economic Puzzle: A Minority With Disproportionate Influence
One of the most talked-about reasons often cited by historians is the economic ascendancy of Jews in Germany before and during the interwar period. Despite constituting less than one percent of the German population, Jews held significant power in banking, business, politics, and the cultural industries.
- “It was the Jews with their international affiliations and their hereditary flair for finance who were best able to seize such opportunities,” a Times correspondent in 1938 noted, emphasizing how Jewish ownership even after years of persecution still comprised about a third of real property in the Reich.
- Jews “practically controlled” key banks, included the Reichsbank and big private banks, plus vital sectors like publishing, cinema, theaters, and press—essentially, the media landscape.
- Interestingly, instead of Aryan racial discrimination, it was actually a minority (the Jews) discriminating against the majority in many privileged fields—”there was no persecution, only elimination,” as one historian soberly puts it.
This wealth disparity bred deep resentment. Germans were struggling with poverty and national humiliation after World War I, and here was a small group thriving despite it all. The age-old image of beggars on horseback comes alive here: how popular can a prosperous minority really be with a majority plunged into misery?
Historical Prejudice: Anti-Semitism Through the Ages
Economic factors alone don’t tell the full story. Anti-Semitism has roots that run far deeper than 20th century Europe. The hatred directed towards Jews extends back practically to recorded history, deeply woven into European culture and society.
- The long history includes grotesque accusations, such as Jews murdering Christian children for ritualistic purposes—an absurd myth with no basis but a terrible impact on public opinion.
- Religious and cultural differences amplified the divide. Jews looked different, practiced a different faith, and notably survived the Black Plague far better than their neighbors due to their strict cleanliness rituals, which spurred envy and suspicion.
- By the early 1900s, it was a widespread, though false, belief that Jews hoarded wealth and conspired to control society—myths as persistent as they were baseless.
Put simply, Jews had been “othered” for centuries, cultivating a landscape ripe for the kind of scapegoating that the Nazis would soon exploit.
Nazism’s Scapegoating Machine: Hitler’s Convenient Bogeyman
So why choose the Jews? And why then? The answer lies in political desperation and Nazi ideology.
- Hitler needed a scapegoat to unite a fractured nation. Blaming Jews for Germany’s defeat in WWI and all subsequent woes provided a simple narrative: “We wouldn’t have lost if it weren’t for the DAMN JEWS!”
- Hitler propagated a racial ideology dividing humanity into distinct “races.” Jews were labeled a foreign race invading Europe, threatening the purity and survival of the so-called Aryan race.
- The Nazi obsession with lebensraum (living space) involved the belief that the German race needed to expand and that Jews were a barrier to this expansion.
Hitler’s hatred wasn’t random; it followed a pattern of dehumanization, reinforced by years of propaganda that portrayed Jews as both the cause and incarnate of all societal ills. This was an immensely effective tool for gaining support and diverting blame.
Political and Social Chaos: Fertile Ground For Extremism
Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s was a country teetering on the edge. The Weimar Republic was young and fragile. After two devastating economic crashes in less than 15 years, disillusionment with democracy ran high.
- This chaos fueled extremism. The Nazis, with their fiery nationalism and radical ideas, attracted voters tired of center politics and desperate for solutions.
- The Nazis targeted all groups that deviated from their narrow definition of ‘pure’ German society—Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and Slavs among them.
- The economic success and longstanding prejudice against Jews made them the primary target, accepted by a population desperate for someone to blame.
In many ways, the grinding hardships of the period created the perfect storm where hateful ideologies could thrive.
Hitler’s Personal Grievances: Laziness, Socialism and the Jews
Adding to political and economic resentment was Hitler’s personal worldview. He despised what he saw as laziness and socialism, which he believed weakened nations. Fascinatingly, he associated Jews with socialism and laziness, making them enemies beyond economics or race.
This association may sound odd today but was part and parcel of Nazi propaganda. Hitler’s goal was to “remove laziness” from society, a euphemism for getting rid of those he viewed as undermining the German nation—including Jews.
Widespread European Anti-Semitism: Not Just a German Phenomenon
Sometimes people think the Holocaust was solely a German project. But many countries in Europe were willing collaborators or at least complicit. Anti-Semitism was widespread across the continent.
Throughout Nazi-occupied nations, local populations handed over Jews willingly, motivated by long-standing biases and fears. It’s a grim reminder that hatred was not confined to Germany but was a broader European tragedy.
The Jewish Boycott and International Pushback
An often-overlooked factor during early Nazi Germany was the vigorous international Jewish response to Nazi policies:
- Jewish leaders outside Germany pushed back hard against Nazi oppression, eventually organizing widespread protests and boycotts of German goods starting in 1933.
- Mass demonstrations took place in New York City and London, with the American Jewish Congress and others rallying millions against the regime.
- The Daily Express in London even headlined “Judea Declares War on Germany,” framing the global Jewish boycott as an economic crusade against Hitler’s government.
This international economic pressure angered the Nazis, who portrayed it as collective Jewish aggression, fueling further anti-Semitic propaganda and reinforcing their narrative of a Jewish conspiracy against Germany.
Putting It All Together: A Complex, Tragic Confluence
When these factors merge, we see a perfect storm:
- The long history of anti-Jewish myths and religious prejudice set the stage.
- The visible economic success of Jews created envy and resentment among struggling populations.
- Political instability and social despair made extremist solutions popular.
- Hitler’s personal ideology and need for a scapegoat focused hatred on Jews.
- A fractured international response, including Jewish boycotts, escalated tensions further.
Holocaust historians on Reddit dig into these points daily, discussing how each thread contributed to the Holocaust’s horrific unraveling. They remind us that this wasn’t a random or inevitable occurrence but a convergence of multiple tragic human failures.
Lessons and Reflections
So why does this matter today? Beyond remembering the victims, understanding why Jews were targeted helps guard against repeating history. When economic struggles, social division, and scapegoating collide, the consequences can be catastrophic.
It also challenges simplistic explanations. The Holocaust was not just driven by one factor, but a toxic stew, where centuries of hate met modern political manipulation and crisis.
The historians’ conversations often turn reflective: How do we identify scapegoating before it turns deadly? Why do societies allow minorities to be othered? How can we build resilience against extremist narratives?
Learning from the past means recognizing the warning signs now. It means confronting uncomfortable truths about human nature and society’s vulnerabilities.
Engage With the Historians: A Space for Ongoing Discussion
If you’re curious and want a deeper dive, Reddit’s r/AskHistorians features many threads where scholars unpack these complex questions. From primary sources and expert analyses to passionate, civil debates, the platform offers a unique window into how history shapes and warns us.
Want to know something specific? Ask there. Every detail, from economic charts to personal letters, comes alive. Sometimes it’s heavy, but understanding this dark chapter helps us build a future where tragedy like the Holocaust never repeats.
Why were Jews targeted during the Holocaust? Because centuries-old prejudices, economic envy, political turmoil, and a leader’s poisonous vision combined to make them the world’s most tragic scapegoats. Remembering this helps us stay vigilant against hatred’s return.
