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2.
Hitler ran for Chancellor of Germany as the candidate of the National Socialist German Workers (Nazi)
Party on a platform that blamed Germany’s current crisis on the Jews. Despite having fought bravely for
Germany in WWI, they were blamed for Germany losing the war and were labeled as traitors. They were
also blamed for the economic situation in Germany and the world. They were “paramount among the
sources of misfortune and tragedy” (
Through Our Eyes
)
3.
Once elected in January 1933, Hitler quickly began a systematic process to rid Germany of Jews. He first
wanted to make them leave of their own choice. This included laws that deprived them of their citizenship,
removed them from their occupations, and slowly dehumanized them in the eyes of their fellow Germans.
The unwillingness of German Jews, many of whom had family histories going back hundreds of years in
Germany and considered themselves more German than Jewish, to leave caused Hitler to work harder to
make them feel unwanted and ultimately to murder those who had not left.
4.
All resources at the Nazis’ command - media, lessons in schools, economic boycotts, books and games -
were used to create a belief in the mind of the average German that Jews were to blame for their situation
and that only by ridding Germany of all Jews would the native “Aryan” people be able to regain their
previous glory on the world stage.
Watch “With My Own Eyes”
You could prep your students by going over the discussion questions prior to watching the film to guide
their viewing or trust that the preceding discussions will do that for you.
After viewing
The discussion can be led by their questions and observations but being sure to cover the suggested
questions below will help move along the lessons of this unit.
Questions:
What was the result of the Jews being scapegoated by Hitler and the Nazis?
Where else has the creation of a scapegoat caused genocide?
What is the danger of creating a scapegoat?
What is the appeal of creating a scapegoat?
How is creating a scapegoat connected to bullying?
How is what happened in the Holocaust connected to bullying?
What else did they learn or notice in the film?
