I thought the Nazis first and foremost hated communists, but since huge parts of the population were industrial workers (and due to communist agitation quite informed about their exploitation through capitalism), their disdain had to be redirected to convince them to vote for the Nazis. Jews were a convenient scapegoat since antisemitism had been rampant in Germany for centuries and was still thriving.
Antisemitic stereotypes made that easy - Jews were said to be extortioners and instead of capitalism, they were blamed for the workers' misery. What happened then is interesting imo because part of it still happens - Nazis claimed communism was a Jewish conspiracy, and since Jews were discredited as capitalism's evil, communism had to be anti worker.
The Nazis went great length to convince the population how the Soviet Union was anti worker, e.g. by creating an exhibition and a propaganda film that ironically used footage from Nazi concentration camps.
This is not meant to diminish the horror and brutality of the following Shoah in any way. I'm not a historian and I'd be glad if someone corrected me on that matter.
The nazis thought communism was a Jewish conspiracy to undermine the west. It's not terribly coherent, they're nazis.
I thought the Nazis first and foremost hated communists, but since huge parts of the population were industrial workers (and due to communist agitation quite informed about their exploitation through capitalism), their disdain had to be redirected to convince them to vote for the Nazis. Jews were a convenient scapegoat since antisemitism had been rampant in Germany for centuries and was still thriving.
Antisemitic stereotypes made that easy - Jews were said to be extortioners and instead of capitalism, they were blamed for the workers' misery. What happened then is interesting imo because part of it still happens - Nazis claimed communism was a Jewish conspiracy, and since Jews were discredited as capitalism's evil, communism had to be anti worker.
The Nazis went great length to convince the population how the Soviet Union was anti worker, e.g. by creating an exhibition and a propaganda film that ironically used footage from Nazi concentration camps.
The first concentration camps weren't built for Jews btw. - first they came for the socialists.
This is not meant to diminish the horror and brutality of the following Shoah in any way. I'm not a historian and I'd be glad if someone corrected me on that matter.