Soon, Al had his answer in a detailed reply from Sam…
Dear Al,
I can’t say I am comforted by the global appeal of fascism you described. As to the “diseased offspring law” you asked me about, the news is not good there either. This German law, which became effective in January 1934, calls for compulsory sterilization of citizens with genetic diseases. These include: schizophrenia, manic depression, and inherited blindness or deafness, not to forget “any severe hereditary deformity,” among others.
This law was patterned after an American counterpart, which applied only to residents of psychiatric hospitals. No such restriction here! Cases are brought before a “Genetic Health Court.” It will be interesting to see how broad this law becomes here in Hitler’s Germany. I predict it will be busy.
Hitler sure has been busy, mostly with Jews. The army has come up with a law that gets rid of all Jewish officers.
How’s this one, Al? There is a Nuremberg Race Law that prohibits Jews from sexual relations with non-Jews. Good thing we were good boys, huh? Also Jews cannot marry non-Jews. Good thing we married nice Yiddish girls.
You begin to understand how a man like Hitler starts acting like a God; all individual rights go up in smoke as long as Hitler pulls the strings. And he pulls the strings because he is a believer that a country must have a “strong leader” since a “democracy can never work.”
For your additional edification, here are the details of the Nuremberg Law in two parts:
Reich Citizenship Law states that anyone who enjoys the protection of the Reich is viewed as its subject and is obligated to the Reich. Notice that Hitler does not speak of Germany, but rather he now speaks of “The Reich,” or “The Kingdom” (The Third Reich) as he prefers to demonstrate what he has accomplished via German world history, assuring everyone that “The Third Reich will last for a thousand years.”
Also, the law states that all Reich citizens must be of German blood or Germanic origin and prove their loyalty before they can receive an official certificate of Reich citizenship giving them full political rights.
In my opinion, here’s what this really means. Now Hitler is free to disenfranchise Jews by denying them civil rights and liberties.
The second part of the law is “The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor.” Those with “German blood” could not marry or have sexual relations with Jews. Previously, such marriages were allowed, but German citizens were encouraged to divorce their Jewish partners. A few did; most did not. Also Jews were not permitted to hire female house servants under age forty-five for fear of risk of seduction and pregnancy by male members of the Jewish household. After all, we Jews are lascivious bastards, aren’t we?
Putting so many restrictions on Jews demanded a definition of a Jew: someone with at least three Jewish grandparents. Two Jewish grandparents labeled you half-Jewish.
I’m still here, so I’m in big trouble as Hitler works out his plans. I believe it is just a matter of time before I will be forced to leave to save mine and my family’s lives. Those that predicted this development years ago were the prophets. You are one of the lucky ones, Al, since you no longer live here.
Finally, Al, here are a few more icings on the cake of Hitler’s anti-Judaism. A new law regarding taxes forbids Jews to serve in the capacity of tax consultants. Jews cannot be veterinarians since they can’t be trusted with pets you see, and Jewish teachers can no longer teach in grade schools. After all, we don’t want Nazi children defiled by Jewish thinking.
One last thing to report, Al, I’ll briefly go over the Locarno pact for you, because it has relevance now. In 1925, in Locarno, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland met at the request of Stresemann of Germany for a mutual guarantee of the Rhineland, and a guarantee of the boundaries of Belgium, France and Germany. Germany also signed arbitration treaties with Poland and Czechoslovakia agreeing that the eastern borders of Germany will never change unless only by arbitration. For all this, Germany was guaranteed entry into the League of Nations. That was all before Adolph Hitler took power, you see. So now that he has arrived on the scene, he tore up the treaty and remilitarized the Rhineland! I think that tells you what the world is up against with this madman. The time is fast approaching for a major decision from me and my family.
All the best,
Sam
CHAPTER 15
More Consolidation
By 1938, Hitler had fully cemented his power in place by clamping down or eliminating all opposition. If there were any loopholes in his anti-Jewish laws they would quickly be closed. Here are a few of the laws as written: Jews could not change their names nor could they change the name of any business they own; they could not be auctioneers or sell guns or ammunition; male Jews must have the first name of Israel and female Jews must be named Sara; all passports owned by Jews will be stamped with J; no Jew can attend a health gym; Jewish assets exceeding five thousand reichsmarks must be reported; Jewish-owned businesses must close; Jews cannot keep carrier pigeons; Jewish midwives are barred from practicing their profession; all state contracts with Jews are null and void; all precious metals owned by Jews must be returned to the state without compensation.
Germany was not the only country in the world that had undergone upheaval. This was a worldwide phenomenon as exemplified by the following examples in 1937: Poland, known for its anti-Semitism at the time, has its own “Jewish problem.” A Polish Colonel stated, “Fifty-thousand Jews would be fine, but we have three million. Where can we send them?”
Mussolini, Italy’s dictator and anti-Communist, is certain only fascism as manifested by Italy and Germany can save Europe.
Russia fights a battle between Stalin and Trotsky for control of the country. Trotsky flees for his life, but Stalin’s forces would eventually find him in Mexico and kill him.
Hitler starts the first of his many demands as he withdraws Germany from the Versailles Treaty, insists on a return of German colonies, and refuses to make any more reparations payments.
A civil war in Spain between Communists and Nationalists rages on. Germany and Italy align themselves with General Franco, a nationalist, and bomb the city of Guernico killing over 1600 people.
Pope Pius XI condemns atheistic Communism.
Neville Chamberlain becomes Great Britain’s new Prime Minister.
Japan invades China. War starts as General Chiang Kai-shek of China fights back.
Stalin’s great purge starts the killing of what would eventually amount to 724,000 people as he consolidates his power.
China signs a military pact with Russia strengthening Chinese Communism.
The United States, still reeling under the depression, is isolationist. Communism and Fascist elements arise, but the majority of American citizens want to stay out of entanglement in European affairs. As the intertwined world evolves during this period, that would be proven to be naiveté to the extreme.
Hitler, slowly emboldened over time, was now ready for some aggressive moves. He put his sites on Austria already reeling under the impact of Nazi agitators within Austria’s borders. Dr. Kurt von Schuschnigg, Austrian Chancellor hoped to calm Hitler’s roving eyes by efforts at a peaceful settlement. He met face to face with Adolph Hitler, although shocked over the fact that three of Hitler’s top Generals were in attendance. He soon learned why. Hitler was not here for a friendly give and take. He was here to throw down ultimatums which he did with forceful gestures. He wanted Austria pure and simple; it was Austria or all-out war. He got Austria, and soon thereafter he used the same tactics and took over the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia where many ethnic Germans lived. The rest of the world stood by, but realized that Hitler was carving out another empire and moving in the direction of another war that would undoubtedly engulf the world.
From the time that