SOURCE : MADE IN WRLD
Historical Origins of Jewish Persecution
Although World War 2 claimed more than 60 million lives, no other group was targeted with such deliberate and systematic precision. Jews were branded as inferior, stripped of their humanity through discriminatory laws, relentless propaganda, and the brutality of concentration camps.
Before World War 2 began, there were approximately 17 million Jews living around the world. Their history had been marked for centuries by discrimination, prejudice, and persecution, which set the stage for the horrific events that would follow. During the Holocaust, systematic persecution and Hitler’s ideology led to the death of about 6 million Jews, nearly a third of the entire population. After the war, the Jewish population slowly recovered, and today there are around 15 million Jews worldwide. This raises the question: why did Adolf Hitler hate the Jews?
Hatred toward Jews did not begin with Hitler. As early as the 14th century, they were accused of poisoning wells and spreading plague. They were burned, expelled from cities, and often forced to convert to Christianity. During the Middle Ages, Jews were frequently confined to ghettos, banned from certain trades, and their lives in many cities were legally restricted.
By the 19th century, religious prejudice began to mix with racial theories. Jews were no longer seen solely through the lens of religion but as a ''different race.'' Theories about ''inferior'' or ''dangerous'' peoples emerged, further entrenching stereotypes and justifying discrimination. During this period, many European countries developed the idea that Jews controlled banks and finance, an idea later exploited in Nazi propaganda.
SOURCE : WIKIPEDIA
Adolf Hitler and WW1
Hitler's experiences in World War 1 played a key role in shaping his extreme hatred of Jews. He was wounded by poison gas and hospitalized, nearly blinded. When news of Germany's surrender reached him in 1918, nationalist circles spread the idea that Germany had not been defeated on the battlefield, but had instead been ''betrayed from within.''
According to propaganda, Jews were made the primary scapegoats. This narrative of ''betrayal from home'' became a central part of Hitler's ideology and the foundation of his anti-Semitism. His personal trauma, combined with feelings of helplessness and frustration, intertwined with nationalist rhetoric, creating fertile ground for hatred.
Hitler believed Jews were responsible for Germany's defeat and that they destabilized society and the economy. This belief later formed the basis for all his racist laws and extermination plans.
SOURCE : US NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Psychological Explanations
There are various theories attempting to explain Hitler's hatred on a personal level. Some claim he might have had Jewish ancestry through his grandfather, although there is no reliable evidence to support this. It is also suggested that in his youth he may have contracted a venereal disease, which allegedly intensified his feelings of shame and anger.
American psychologist Henry Murray from Harvard, in his 1943 analysis of Hitler's personality, noted that Hitler suffered from ''syphilophobia'', a fear of sexually transmitted diseases, and that his obsession with ''pure German blood'' may have contributed to his extreme anti-Semitism. Hitler valued ''pure German blood'' and was obsessed with the genetic ''purity'' of his nation, which directly influenced his ideology.
Anti-Semitism as a Political Tool
Hitler needed an enemy, someone against whom he could unite the nation. Existing anti-Semitism in Europe, stereotypes about Jewish wealth and financial power, and historical prejudices made Jews an ideal target for propaganda.
Anti-Semitism was not isolated to Germany. Similar ideas of ''inferior races'' existed across Europe and were often used to justify discrimination, segregation, and violence, not only against Jews but also against Roma, Slavs, and other groups.
Economic concerns and national pride were also factors. Hitler's propaganda claimed that Jews controlled banks and industries, portraying them as a threat to the German people. Such rhetoric united parts of the population around the idea that eliminating Jews was necessary for Germany's future.
SOURCE : WIKIPEDIA
Propaganda and Power
Hitler's personal insecurities and sense of inferiority merged with political ideology. Weak and powerless as a child, he later projected his frustration and anger onto an entire people. Jews became a convenient ''scapegoat.''
His strategy was not merely personal hatred, it was also a political tool to unite Germans, mobilize support, and consolidate power. Anti-Semitism was exploited to create a common threat and justify mass violence.
Hitler used propaganda through books, speeches, and films to construct the narrative of Jews as the ''enemy'' and a ''corrupt race.'' These ideas became central in Nazi education and legal regulations, including the Nuremberg Race Laws of 1935.
SOURCE : WIKIPEDIA
The Holocaust
The systematic extermination of Jews during the Holocaust included concentration camps, mass shootings, deportation to labor camps, and forced labor. The most notorious camps, such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibor, became symbols of horror.
Although around 6 million Jews were killed, the racial and religious persecution had long-term consequences: many families were destroyed, and Jewish cultural and spiritual life in Europe was severely weakened. It took more than seventy years for the population to stabilize.
The Holocaust left deep scars in world history, teaching humanity the destructive power of hatred and the importance of protecting human rights and promoting tolerance.
Why Remember the Holocaust?
It is clear that Hitler did not invent anti-Semitism, but he brought it to its most extreme form in history. The planned, systematic destruction of a people makes the Holocaust a unique and horrifying event. Prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination have deep roots. We still witness the persistence of prejudice today, making it crucial to learn from the past and remember these lessons.
History shows that hatred is not just a thing of the past, there is always a danger of new forms of discrimination if we fail to recognize and act against them. Learning about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism is essential to prevent similar crimes from occurring again.