From 1930-1945 (Hitler's Reign) it was commonly believed, as result of Hitler's sly tongue, that few were to be considered equal in Germany."Racial Purity" played a major role in the Nazi belief system. Only people who were considered to originate from "The Aryan Master Race" who were citizens with blond hair, blue eyes and tall were acceptable. People of the "Germanic Race" were also accepted but were considered lesser than "The Aryan Master Race". Many people could not be classified as either and were discriminated against as a result. These groups included: Jews, Gypsies/Romanies, Freemasons, anyone who didn't agree with the Nazis, Gays, People with mental/physical disabilities, "unruly" children, homeless people etc.
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Jews:
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No one is exactly certain where Hitler's hatred from the Jew's stemmed from. Some believe that it was because a Jewish doctor was unable to successfully treat his mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Others believe that it was from Hitler's theory that Germany's defeat in WW1 was their fault. We may not know Hitler's exact reasoning but we do know one thing: Hitler wanted all of the Jews dead. He gave numerous speeches depicting how they were "unfit to live". He then sent them away on trains to concentration camps where they were almost certain to parish. Many had to undergo grotesque human experiments while others were put to never ending work cycles and slaughtered in mass when they became too weak to continue.
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Gypsies/Romanies:
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Hitler hated the Gypsies/Romanies because he believed they were "racially undesirable". The fact that they were not a part of a well ordered society also annoyed him. Soon enough the Nazis began capturing them and placing them in camps with the same treatment as the Jews.
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Freemasons:
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While Freemasonry was generally disliked among the Nazi culture it was not a top priority. People who were a part of the Freemason lodges were simply looked down on and excluded from the Nazi party. However despite this they did encounter some violence from SS and SA units.
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Gays/Lesbians:
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Gays were extremely hated in the Nazi party(almost as much as Jews). Any text that inherently hinted to homosexuality was burned. Not only that but being homosexual was outlawed. Anyone who identified as gay was either sentenced to jail time or sent to concentration camps. Any homosexuals in concentration camps were forced to wear upside down pink triangles which deteriorated the men/women's morale since the pink triangle was a gay rights sign.
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The Disabled:
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"Wartime was the best time for the elimination of the incurably ill." -Adolf Hitler
Hitler and the Nazi party believed that the disabled were nothing but "useless" commonly slaughtering them to prevent them from "threatening the Aryan genetic purity". The disabled were chosen to be killed through the "euthanasia program" which involved thorough examination of a handicapped patient's medical records. German doctors then decided which should and shouldn't be killed. |
The Unruly:
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other's were imprisoned or killed if they were deemed unruly or didn't show faith in the Nazi belief system.
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