Chapter 15
German Anti-Semitism

Adolf Hitler rose to power during one of the most difficult periods in German history. The nation had been beaten at war and subsequently defiled and humiliated. Its economy was in shambles, the national currency virtually worthless. Once one of the proudest and most formidable nations in the world, Germany was transformed into a beaten dog. Who was responsible? According to Hitler, it was the Jews. The German people weren’t to blame, Hitler told them; it was the Jews and other impure elements who were the problem. Eliminate them, Hitler raged, and Germany would rise once again to take its place among the world leaders.