On the night of November 9th, 1938, the Nazis placed a series of massive coordinated attacks on the Jews throughout the German Reich. This incident was known as The Night of Broken Glass, or Kristallnacht. The Night of Broken Glass was one of the many brutal and tragic events that the Jews suffered through during Hitler’s power. Jewish homes, businesses, synagogues, schools, and lives were lost during this ferocious attack. Kristallnacht will forever be remembered as a night that will not be forgotten. Surprisingly, a seventeen year old boy was responsible for Kristallnacht. Herschel Grynszpan learned that his parent had been refused entry into their homeland, Poland. Herschel’s rage led him to shooting and killing a member of the German Embassy
…show more content…
Hitler saw this act of rebellion as an opportunity to encourage Germans to "rise in bloody vengeance against the Jews." In the late hours of November 9th, 1938, German Police stood by as chaos broke out because Nazi officials ordered police to do nothing of the attacks. Nazi storm troopers, members of the SS, and Hitler Youth burned down Jewish homes and buildings, and beat/murdered Jews. All throughout Germany and Austria, houses and shops were having their windows shattered by Hitler supporters. Nazi mobs destroyed and torched 267 Synagogues while fire stations stood by helpless. Firefighters were instructed to only extinguish a fire if Aryan-owned property was at risk. Thousands of Jewish homes, schools, hospitals, cemeteries, and businesses were destroyed. The streets of Jewish communities were scattered with broken glass, thus earning the title, “The Night of Broken Glass.” The most damage was done in Berlin and Vienna, home to the two largest Jewish communities in the German Reich. Nazis held Jews responsible for paying for the damages and fines, which was around $400 million. There were a very high …show more content…
This created a storm of negative publicity in newspapers and radio stations. The Jews had a wakeup call and realized they needed to start making plans to escape Germany. Even non-Jews that lived in Germany were applying for visas in a desperate attempt to escape the violence. Hitler supporters found nothing wrong with all the acts of violence and continued to support Führer. American president Franklin D. Roosevelt read a statement to the media where he harshly denounced the events occurring in Germany. Roosevelt’s ambassador, Hugh Wilson, was recalled to his homeland, Germany. The U.S. was refusing to drop the restraints that allowed large amounts of German-Jew refugees seeking safety to enter the country. This was mainly because the U.S. was nervous of Nazis legally settling down in America. Personally, I was shaken when I learned about Kristallnacht. It was nothing like what I expected it to be. The Night of Broken glass really made an impact on me. It helped me understand the ruthlessness of Hitler and the Nazi Party. I was infuriated by the harsh cruelty that Hitler forced upon all of those innocent people. The worst part is that The Night of Broken Glass was just one of the many vicious attacks on the Jews. Only 100 people died that night compared to the total of 6 million that were murdered all together in the twelve years of the
Hitler saw this act of rebellion as an opportunity to encourage Germans to "rise in bloody vengeance against the Jews." In the late hours of November 9th, 1938, German Police stood by as chaos broke out because Nazi officials ordered police to do nothing of the attacks. Nazi storm troopers, members of the SS, and Hitler Youth burned down Jewish homes and buildings, and beat/murdered Jews. All throughout Germany and Austria, houses and shops were having their windows shattered by Hitler supporters. Nazi mobs destroyed and torched 267 Synagogues while fire stations stood by helpless. Firefighters were instructed to only extinguish a fire if Aryan-owned property was at risk. Thousands of Jewish homes, schools, hospitals, cemeteries, and businesses were destroyed. The streets of Jewish communities were scattered with broken glass, thus earning the title, “The Night of Broken Glass.” The most damage was done in Berlin and Vienna, home to the two largest Jewish communities in the German Reich. Nazis held Jews responsible for paying for the damages and fines, which was around $400 million. There were a very high …show more content…
This created a storm of negative publicity in newspapers and radio stations. The Jews had a wakeup call and realized they needed to start making plans to escape Germany. Even non-Jews that lived in Germany were applying for visas in a desperate attempt to escape the violence. Hitler supporters found nothing wrong with all the acts of violence and continued to support Führer. American president Franklin D. Roosevelt read a statement to the media where he harshly denounced the events occurring in Germany. Roosevelt’s ambassador, Hugh Wilson, was recalled to his homeland, Germany. The U.S. was refusing to drop the restraints that allowed large amounts of German-Jew refugees seeking safety to enter the country. This was mainly because the U.S. was nervous of Nazis legally settling down in America. Personally, I was shaken when I learned about Kristallnacht. It was nothing like what I expected it to be. The Night of Broken glass really made an impact on me. It helped me understand the ruthlessness of Hitler and the Nazi Party. I was infuriated by the harsh cruelty that Hitler forced upon all of those innocent people. The worst part is that The Night of Broken Glass was just one of the many vicious attacks on the Jews. Only 100 people died that night compared to the total of 6 million that were murdered all together in the twelve years of the