Nazi Germany's discrimination against the Jews throughout World War II.

As a result of anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, a system of violent suppression and control emerged that ultimately took the lives of an estimated 6 million Jewish people

Anti-Semitism is an opposition to, prejudice against, or intolerance of Semitic people, most commonly Jews. Anti-Semitism has existed throughout history, since Israel's dispersion in 70 AD. In every land in which the Jews have lived, they have been threatened, violated and murdered, century after century.

After Germany's defeat in World War I, many Germans found it hard to accept their defeat. These Germans connived a theory that the citizens at home had betrayed them, "especially laying blame on Jews and Marxists in Germany for undermining the war effort" (http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/ends.htm). This is the main reason that led to the extreme discrimination and removal of basic rights of Jewish people in Germany during the 1930's and 1940's, however, there were many other reasons including Christianity's general hatred for Jewry.

Jews were often the victims of Nazism. The first Jewish victims of the Nazi era were 8 innocent people who were killed in the streets on 1 January 1930 by Brownshirts. Soon after that, violence against Jews in the streets became common.

Violence was an integral part of the Nazi programme... Jews were molested in cafes and theatres, synagogue services were disrupted and anti-Jewish slogans became the daily calling card of Nazi thugs. (Gilbert,2001:31)

One particular night of violence, known as Kristallnacht, is remembered with fear. During the night of November 9-10, 1938 thousands of windows were smashed out of Jewish businesses and homes, hundreds of synagogues were burnt to the ground, and more than ninety Jews were murdered.

On March 9, 1933 the first Nazi concentration camp was opened at Dachau. On April 1, a boycott of all Jewish shops was put in place.