(Jewish Group) Stanford Linguists Show How Nazis Got Away with Murder

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2. Black Earth by Timothy Snyder

was eye opening for me. While I wouldn't argue with this study's conclusion, I think Snyder's take on why Jews were systematically murdered was just as valid. Basically there were financial incentives for either murdering or displacing your Jewish neighbors. As people were deported and murdered, their neighbors quickly swooped in and claimed their property and left over belongings. Even in states where Jews were merely discriminated against, their jobs and businesses were either taken by others or bought at steep discounts.

The Nazi state basically fed off of the assets of Jewish communities. These were, IMHO, a significant reason why they were so successful in getting people to follow them (and when folks weren't cooperative the Nazis just eliminated you and took your assets). Jewish assets were a key financial peg that supported the Nazi state.

There's no arguing that Nazis operated under extreme antisemitism. But the financial incentives for their operations shouldn't be discounted.