National pride was a key factor in the German people's indifference or participation in state-sponsored genocide and murder. There are five main reasons why. Jews were among those blamed by German military officers who made excuses to explain Germany's defeat in World War I, and thus were linked to the loss of national pride. Jews were believed to destroy the economy by taking up space and manipulating other Germans into giving Jews their money to fuel the Jews' inherent greed. Hitler had helped create a national and cultural unity in Germany that included strong feelings of anti-Semitism at its core. Jews were generally seen as inferior and genetically impure, so improving one's nation would involve their removal. Finally, due to intense national pride, many Germans may have simply thought that whatever their country and their leadership do should not be questioned because there must be a good reason behind it, even if the action taken by their country is a massacre and genocide. In the aftermath of World War I, Germany was completely humiliated. The propaganda put out by the German government assured its citizens that Germany was crushing its opponents: the English, the French and the Americans. However, Germany was defeated on the battlefield, which caused a great shock to the German people. As a result of this defeat, on July 18, 1919, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, causing further emotional turmoil in Germany due to the terms of the Treaty. The Treaty forced the German army to surrender its armaments and ended it with massive financial sanctions that severely damaged the German economy. German commanders immediately stated that it was not their fault, but the Jews, Communists and left-wing politicians... at the center of the card... who were to blame for the German people's participation in or indifference to the genocide. Because of the paranoia and guilt of German leaders, Jews were linked to many events that hurt German national pride. German national pride also led to Jews being viewed as inferior and inhuman to Germany's “Aryan master race,” and the anti-Jewish national and cultural unity that Hitler helped create also strengthened German pride. National pride also blinded Germans to the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party against minorities, primarily Jews, and even made Germans feel that these acts were necessary for Germany's survival. Works Cited http://www.projetaladin.org/holocaust/en/history -della-shoah-dell-olocausto/le-radici-dell-olocausto.html http://web.mnstate.edu/shoptaug/AntiFrames.htm http://www.fcit.usf.edu/Holocaust/timeline/nazifica.htm