Who were the Nazi's against?
1 Answer
The Nazis were anti-Jew and "Jew" meant Jews but it mean also a lot of other people. Nazis were pro Aryans by which they meant "Germans", a simultaneously inclusive/exclusive group.
Explanation:
Hitler's antisemitism was a bit messy and he handed over to a bunch of bureaucrats and pseudo-scientists who ran with it. It covered a lot of people: Slavic people, Gypsies, Negros, Mentally ill, Homosexuals, disabled people and "Jews". "Jewishness" was also considered a disease to be eradicated. Millions of minority people could be suddenly found unsuitable to be considered German.
How you "looked" was important. Nazis were also to be on the lookout for "Aryan" looking people (blonde, blue eyed) that would be considered good breeding stock. Women in occupied territories who became pregnant by German soldiers could be paid to have their children by the German government, subject to ancestry requirements. "Aryans" should get the best of everything.
Officially to be a Nazi you needed to prove your ancestry was Jew free to 3 or 4 generations. There was an exact line that got refined over time.
Interestingly, it didn't seem to make much difference when recruiting for SS units later in the War, they would take just about anyone.
