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From Prejudice to Destruction: Anti-Semitism, 1700–1933
Jacob Katz here presents a major reinterpretation of modern anti-Semitism, which blends history of ideas about the Jews gradually became transformed and then, around 1879, picked up so much social force as to result in the premeditated and systematic destruction of the Jewish people of Europe.
Mr. Katz revises the prevalent thesis that medieval and modern animosities against Jews were fundamentally different. He also rejects the scapegoat theory, according to which the Jews were merely a lightning rod for underlying economic and social tensions. On the contrary, he argues, there were very real tensions between Jews and non-Jews, because the Jews were a highly visible and cohesive group and so came into conflict with non-Jews in competing for social and economic rewards.
In the late 19th century, Mr. Katz argues, hatred of the Jews shifted from their religion to more essential aspects of their character and behavior. The term “anti-Semitism,” he explains, which first came into use around 1870, was meant to describe this change. Thus, ironically, just as Jews were being integrated into the political state, skillful propagandists such as Theodore Fritzche and Houston Stewart Chamberlain were extraordinarily successful in spreading notions of Jewish racial inferiority and its threat to the pure Aryan stock. And so when Hitler came on the scene, the seeds of Jewish race hatred were widely sown.
Mr. Katz revises the prevalent thesis that medieval and modern animosities against Jews were fundamentally different. He also rejects the scapegoat theory, according to which the Jews were merely a lightning rod for underlying economic and social tensions. On the contrary, he argues, there were very real tensions between Jews and non-Jews, because the Jews were a highly visible and cohesive group and so came into conflict with non-Jews in competing for social and economic rewards.
In the late 19th century, Mr. Katz argues, hatred of the Jews shifted from their religion to more essential aspects of their character and behavior. The term “anti-Semitism,” he explains, which first came into use around 1870, was meant to describe this change. Thus, ironically, just as Jews were being integrated into the political state, skillful propagandists such as Theodore Fritzche and Houston Stewart Chamberlain were extraordinarily successful in spreading notions of Jewish racial inferiority and its threat to the pure Aryan stock. And so when Hitler came on the scene, the seeds of Jewish race hatred were widely sown.
402 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 2, 2020
Jews were caught in a whirlwind of forces they couldn't control ... whenever things seemed to be getting better, the reaction made things worse ... throughout Europe (late 18th c to mid 19th c), they were "emancipated" and received full citizenship ... they took advantage of these new rights to advance economically, socially and politically ... which then generated jealousy and resentment from those who feared their new competitors ... at the same time, many Jews were changing from inbred shtetl lives to fully interactive lives of culture and business in what was known as Haskalah (the Jewish enlightenment) ... Jews became important in literature, theater, science, and many other fields
Germany (late 19th c) went through economic and political downturns, which, to avoid accepting their own responsibility, they blamed on Jews ... then they started and lost WWI (1914-18), which they also blamed on the Jews ... then came Hitler
Underlying all of these external factors were critical fundamentals of Judaism itself, which made it easy to resent and hate Jews: ... we are the chosen people ... our God is the only God ... we will not inter-marry ... we will not eat food in your homes ... in every situation, we will favor fellow Jews over gentiles
Katz portrays all of this clearly and compellingly ... the combination of external and internal factors meant that Jews never had a chance ... they were smart and they were successful, and that success was resented ... when the forces of hate grew, there was no one to defend them and they could not defend themselves
In many ways, this tragic story repeats a pattern I described in my first novel THE HERETIC ... The Heretic ... around 1400 in Spain, the Catholic Church began a huge effort to force Jews to convert to Christianity ... about 1/3 did convert, another 1/3 were murdered, and then the movement ran out of steam and the remaining 1/3 were left to live as Jews until they were expelled in 1492 ... but, Christians soon learned that the converted Jews (conversos) had become powerful new competitors in every field of activity ... to stop this competition, the Catholic Church initiated what became the Spanish inquisition, which persecuted and murdered conversos who were charged with secretly retaining their Jewish ways
Germany (late 19th c) went through economic and political downturns, which, to avoid accepting their own responsibility, they blamed on Jews ... then they started and lost WWI (1914-18), which they also blamed on the Jews ... then came Hitler
Underlying all of these external factors were critical fundamentals of Judaism itself, which made it easy to resent and hate Jews: ... we are the chosen people ... our God is the only God ... we will not inter-marry ... we will not eat food in your homes ... in every situation, we will favor fellow Jews over gentiles
Katz portrays all of this clearly and compellingly ... the combination of external and internal factors meant that Jews never had a chance ... they were smart and they were successful, and that success was resented ... when the forces of hate grew, there was no one to defend them and they could not defend themselves
In many ways, this tragic story repeats a pattern I described in my first novel THE HERETIC ... The Heretic ... around 1400 in Spain, the Catholic Church began a huge effort to force Jews to convert to Christianity ... about 1/3 did convert, another 1/3 were murdered, and then the movement ran out of steam and the remaining 1/3 were left to live as Jews until they were expelled in 1492 ... but, Christians soon learned that the converted Jews (conversos) had become powerful new competitors in every field of activity ... to stop this competition, the Catholic Church initiated what became the Spanish inquisition, which persecuted and murdered conversos who were charged with secretly retaining their Jewish ways
July 22, 2015
Superb analysis of the topic. Heavy going but detailed and worthy of study.
November 15, 2019
Haunting
June 5, 2022
I just finished reading From Prejudice to Destruction: Anti-Semitism 1700-1933 by Jacob Katz. It was quite a worthwhile slog.. The material is new to me. Also, there is a focus on philosophy and philosophers, one subject I didn't take in college. Still, I recommend reading this book.
The book focuses almost exclusively on Anti-Semitism in Western and Central Europe, specifically, France, (modern) Germany, and Austria-Hungary, sometime separately and sometimes jointly. Of particular parochial interest was the portion about Hungary. I had not realized that Hungary included Bratislava, in modern Slovakia. That is where my father's side of the family hailed from. The book explained, basically, why it was necessary for them to flee despite what we believe to be their good fortune, complete with a large house with servants, for an essentially penniless existence in New York City. As good as having "emancipation" in Europe was, i.e. full economic rights and political freedom, the levels of hatred of Jews because much worse. We know how it ended, unfortunately.
All the history aside, this book adds to the several I've previously read, including Why the Jews? by Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, Why the Germans? Why the Jews?: Envy, Race Hatred, and the Prehistory of the Holocaust by Aly, Götz, and Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition by David Nirenberg. These books all take a slightly different approach. None satisfactorily explain why Anti-Semitism is a persistent problem. I posit that it's not as much of a problem in "new world" countries, where the focus is what a person brings to the table, not who they are. All of these books, though, hint at the problem is "who" in the cradle of European "civilization."
The book focuses almost exclusively on Anti-Semitism in Western and Central Europe, specifically, France, (modern) Germany, and Austria-Hungary, sometime separately and sometimes jointly. Of particular parochial interest was the portion about Hungary. I had not realized that Hungary included Bratislava, in modern Slovakia. That is where my father's side of the family hailed from. The book explained, basically, why it was necessary for them to flee despite what we believe to be their good fortune, complete with a large house with servants, for an essentially penniless existence in New York City. As good as having "emancipation" in Europe was, i.e. full economic rights and political freedom, the levels of hatred of Jews because much worse. We know how it ended, unfortunately.
All the history aside, this book adds to the several I've previously read, including Why the Jews? by Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, Why the Germans? Why the Jews?: Envy, Race Hatred, and the Prehistory of the Holocaust by Aly, Götz, and Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition by David Nirenberg. These books all take a slightly different approach. None satisfactorily explain why Anti-Semitism is a persistent problem. I posit that it's not as much of a problem in "new world" countries, where the focus is what a person brings to the table, not who they are. All of these books, though, hint at the problem is "who" in the cradle of European "civilization."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews