Hitler wanted power in order to reshape Germany.

He wanted Germany to be a
strong, racially pure, People’s community. Anything that stood in the Nazi’s
way of achieving these aims would be eliminated. Although the oppression and
ill-treatment of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped and a-socials was
important, solving unemployment, and gaining control of the citizens was more
urgent.

Firstly, the victimization of the minorities was important because, Hitler and the
Nazis had firm views on race, believing Germans were the Master Race and
anyone who blocked that was considered untermensch (sub-human) and a
biological threat to the superiors. There were anti-sematic ideologies throughout
Germany due to religious beliefs in that Jews were blamed for the death of Jesus
Christ and the fact that not only did they run many of the successful businesses
and had been blamed for Germany’s defeat in the First World War.

As a result, 6 million German Jews were gradually squeezed outwards to

society’s edge via a plethora of laws, statutory decrees and straightforward
chicanery. The Nuremberg Laws marked an escalation in the persecution of the
Jews. Jews were stripped off their German citizenship and were banned from
marrying and having sexual intercourse with ‘Aryans’. Furthermore, in
November 1938, the Nazis organized a riot, known as Kristallnacht (Night of
Broken Glass). This attack against Jews included the physical destruction of
synagogues and Jewish-owned stores, the arrest of Jewish men, the
vandalization of homes, and the murder of individuals. These aimed to racially
cleanse and protect German people of true ‘Aryan’ descent.

Secondly, from 1939-45 Nazi racial ideology was buttressed by scientists who
advocated “selective breeding” (eugenics) to “improve” the human race. The
future number of genetic “inferiors” were removed through involuntary
sterilization programs: 320,000 to 350,000 individuals judged physically or
mentally handicapped and 30,000 Gypsies, were subjected to surgical or
radiation procedures so they could not have children. Some 5,000 to 15,000
homosexuals were imprisoned in concentration camps; under the 1935 Nazi-
revised criminal code, the mere denunciation of a man as “homosexual” could
result in arrest, trial, and conviction. Their literature was confiscated, and they
lost their jobs, unemployment benefits, pensions, and all social welfare benefits.
The a-socials were sent to prisons and concentration camps in Nazi Germany,
and their children were sent to juvenile detention homes and orphanages. This
showed how dedicated the Nazi’s were to their ideology despite the ongoing
war.
On the other hand, the Nazi’s focussed on more pressing issues such as
unemployment and gaining control of thee citizens. Dr, Hjalmar Schacht
organised Germany’s finances, funded almost entirely by the government, to
build a huge programme of work creation by sending men on public work
projects such as building network of motorways and railways. Conscription
was reintroduced which brought back the ned for weapons, uniforms Engineers
and designers creating jobs in the coal mines and steel and textile mills. As a
result, popularity among industrial workers was insured who were need to make
Germany strong.

Furthermore, propaganda was one of the most important tools the Nazis used to
shape the beliefs and attitudes of the German public. There was censorship of
the press. Newspapers could only print stories favourable to and approved by
the Nazis and 69% of newspapers were directly owned by the Nazis. All radio
output was controlled by Goebbels’ Ministry. 9 million radios were sold
cheaply so that most Germans could afford one and thus be indoctrinated. These
“People’s Receivers” could only be tuned to the Nazi station. By 1939, 70 per
cent of households owned one of them. Radio wardens were used to ensure
people listened to major speeches being broadcast. There were mass rallies to
show public support for Nazism which involved music, speeches and
demonstrations of German military strength. The Nuremberg Rally for example
were characterised by order and discipline, marching, massive displays of flags
and symbols, rousing music and the clever use of modern Sports events were
held to allow people to be either spectators or participants in mass activities.
The Strength Through Joy (KdF) movement organised many of these. Berlin
hosted the Olympics of 1936, which the Nazis used as an opportunity to
showcase the success of the regime and to demonstrate the superiority of
the Aryan race. These made German citizens proud as all of Nazi values such as
a grand vison, efficiency, power strength and achievements were showcased.

While the Nazi Germans did focus immensely on the persecution of minorities,
this wasn’t much compared to their focus on solving unemployment and gaining
control of the German Citizens by the means of propaganda. If it weren’t for
rearmament, The Nazi’s wouldn’t have the economy or the means to build
concentration camps in the first place. Furthermore, if it weren’t for
propaganda, there would have been wide opposition which would have simply
reduced the longevity of the Nazi regime.