I never fully understood why the Russians have such disregard and hate for the Jews. I do remember when I was in college and took a year of world history, our professor gave a lecture on the Jewish that lived in Germany, Russia and Ukraine. He stated that the reason the Germans hated the Jews was because they had blamed their loss of WWI on the Jews. This was why they decided to annihilate the Jewish population during WWII.
The Russians supposedly were taught that they were superior to the Jews. I think many, many Jews have settled in Ukraine. Both countries, Germany and Russia shared prejudices against the Jews. Both countries are still considered to be anti semitic.
The history of Anti-Semitism is long and involved. But a short overview might give some basic structure to what has been going on.
The Catholic Church forbade usury, the loaning of money in the economic form that became capitalism.
That was true, right through the year 1400 or so.
As a result, the Christians (they were all Catholic back then), made the Jews in the community, the bankers. Since their religious laws forbade the kinds of economic dealings they wanted to make...they made the Jews the bankers.
And, guess what? The bankers were always the richest people...and so, the Jews who were made the bankers, were rich.
The rich are always envied. When they come from a different culture...they are more of a target.
So, the Christians made the Jews the bankers, then hated them for becoming bankers.
Can't make this stuff up.
That is a huge basis for all the Anti-Semitism in the modern world.
As far as the Nazis are concerned, it is really better to think of them not as an ideology, but as a Mafia. One of Hitler's inner circle, was, in fact, the actual Mafia boss of Berlin.
They were power hungry murderous thugs, murdering their way to the top of the political ladder. They used anything to gain power. Hatred of Jews was ripe in Europe at the time. Anger at the peace treaty of World War I was huge in Germany at the time. They used both things to get the public on their side. What did they actually believe?
Well, I think it was Goerbels...he had a sister. His sister was married to a guy who was either Jewish or half-Jewish. So, as an ideologue, what did he do? Did he have his sister arrested? Did he have her husband killed? Nope...he smuggled both of them out of Germany, with about 20 of their Jewish friends.
Personally, I think they were much more Mafia people than anything else. They built a city of mansions in Bavaria, I think. They all had incredible paintings and wine cellars and mistresses and you name it. They were not following some ideology...they were just stealing for themselves.
I am sure there was some Anti-Semitism in the mix, but most of it was for political expedience.
