After the Reichstag building burned down in February 1933 under suspicious circumstances, Hitler used this event to suspend all civil liberties - blaming all communists. Then all the communists were imprisoned without any trial, into the 1st established concentration camp built in Dachau. However, this was just the beginning of long reign of persecution.
'Crystal Night' is an English translation for Kristalnacht. This horrific event happened in Germany in 1938, November 9th. That night began when all the synagogues burned, Jewish business were destroyed. Nazi gangs treated Jews harshly. After many synagogues burned, people started to become suspicious and fearful of Nazi party. On this night of broken glass, the Nazis had burnt 275 synagogues and killed at least 100 Jews. But that was not all. Hitler was really persuasive orally and accused Jews of being responsible for Germany's problems. 30,000 Jews were in concentration camp after this event. The Nazis' real purpose at this stage, was not killing the Jews, but banishing them out of the country. All Jews had to be obedient in order to save their lives. After this night, many Jews tried to leave the country as well. Goering, who was the minister of the interior, head of the police, and the violent S.A militia, said 'Jews must bear the consequences', and as expected, Jews were to be hurt.
I feel it is amazing how some Germans were actually seduced into the Nazi party, claiming all Jews as the problem. Hitler's conspiracy worked too well, leaving naive Jews to face the pain and suffering they never deserved. Also, I was astonished with Andre's family's situation ( Class Reading from Facing History) Andre, a young boy, was deciding whether to join the German crowd throwing stones at the Jewish shops. His dad and mother said they would follow Andre's choice, and as Andrew rejected the vicious idea, the whole family decided to leave the country to avoid having to make choices like this. Refusing to participate would cause them to be labeled as anti-Hitler and they would be in danger of being sent to the concentration camp. This type of event makes me feel sad. I hope that I would have had Andre's courage, being an up-stander against wrong acts.
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