The domestic and foreign policy of Nazi Germany in many respects was defined by a personal position of the head of state — Adolf Hitler — in relation to an ethnic question. Many nations were recognized as defective according to the Nazi doctrine, however prosecution of Jews was especially fierce. The personal hostility of Hitler to this nation was one of the reasons.
The historical and ideological reasons of hatred to Jews
Since the Middle Ages in Germany there lived the large Jewish community. By the time of arrival of Nazis to the power rather most part of Jews assimilated and led the same life, as ordinary Germans. The exception was made by the few religious communities. However anti-Semitism existed and even tended to increase.
Hitler at first sight had no reasons for special hatred to Jews. He came from the German family and spent the childhood in the German environment. Most likely, his views began to be formed as reaction to a difficult situation of Germany after World War I. The country was in a political and economic crisis. Except external causes — payments of reparations, defeat in war — Hitler began to look for the internal reasons of problems in the country. The ethnic question became one of them. It carried Jews to the disabled nations harming development of the state.
There is an opinion that one of Hitler's grandfathers was Jew, but official confirmation of this theory is not found.
Hitler leaned on the stereotypes which arose in the Middle Ages, emphasizing insidiousness of Jews and their desire to seize power. He tried to confirm fidelity of the words with the fact that Jews historically, including the beginning of the thirtieth years, owned considerable property, quite often held high posts in the intellectual sphere. It caused hostility of the people who did not achieve success including Hitler, and provoked them to thoughts of the world Jewish conspiracy.
The anti-Jewish views of Hitler were supported by the population in many respects because of the strengthened political crisis in the country and the world economic crisis of 1929-1933.
Practical aspect of hostility to Jews
The hostility to Jews had not only ideological, but also practical aspect. At the beginning of government of Nazis Hitler supported the Jewish emigration, at the same time confiscating from their riches leaving the most part. Originally instead of physical extermination of Jews their total expulsion from the country was planned. However over time the Fuhrer changed the opinion. Jews became free labor, thus to their arrests and contents in concentration camps the economic justification appeared. Also Jewish roots became an opportunity to control and intimidate a part of the population. Those who had at least one Jewish relative, but at the same time mostly were German, usually were not deported, however the mode had an opportunity to have over them the additional power.