Written by zachor_foundation on May 7, 2014
On March 16, 1935, the German government promulgated the Formation of the Wehrmacht (German Army) Law. Although the law stipulated that service in the Wehrmacht be performed on the basis of general compulsory service, Jews would not be allowed to serve in its ranks. In a letter to the Minister of War, Werner von Blomberg, on March 23, members of the Reichsvertretung complained that the law deprived Jews of the right to be German soldiers. Their protest on this account
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Written by zachor_foundation on May 7, 2014
By order of the Ministry of Propaganda, prompted by the upcoming Winter Olympics in Germany, “Jews Not Welcome” signs on main streets vanished quietly. This was one of the measures that Nazi agencies adopted to improve Germany’s image in the eyes of the outside world as the Olympics approached. This measure, like others that sought to restrain anti-Jewish activity to some extent, created the feeling that the anti-Jewish policy had eased. Indeed, many observers-Jewish and non-Jewish, German and non-German-“took the
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Written by zachor_foundation on May 7, 2014
Germany and Britain signed a naval agreement limiting Germany’s fleet to 35 percent of Britain’s surface craft and 45 percent of its submarines. This deeply upset the French, since Paris doubted Britain’s sincerity in an alliance against Germany. France also thought Britain was signaling approval of German rearmament-which it was, of course. The agreement was the first time that a European power not only condoned, but agreed to, an overt violation of the Versailles treaty.
