The Second World War was highly significant in determining Nazi policies towards the Jews, as it provided the context and means for the radicalization and implementation of the Holocaust. However, the foundations for these policies were laid before the war, with increasingly anti-Semitic measures taken by the Nazi regime since its rise to power in 1933. This essay will explore the significance of the Second World War in shaping Nazi policies towards the Jews, while also considering the importance of pre-war anti-Semitic policies.

During the Second World War, Nazi policies towards the Jews escalated dramatically, leading to the Holocaust. The invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the beginning of the Nazi occupation of vast territories in Eastern Europe, where the regime's anti-Semitic policies could be implemented on an unprecedented scale. The establishment of the General Government in Poland saw the creation of ghettos in cities such as Warsaw and Krakow, where Jews were forcibly confined in deplorable conditions, marking a significant step in the radicalization of Nazi policy.

One of the most brutal aspects of this radicalization was the Einsatzgruppen, mobile killing squads that followed the German army into the Soviet Union in 1941. These units were responsible for the mass shootings of Jews, resulting in the deaths of approximately one million people. This method of mass murder marked a significant shift from previous policies of discrimination and persecution to systematic extermination.

The Wannsee Conference in January 1942 was a pivotal moment in the Holocaust, where high-ranking Nazi officials formalized the "Final Solution" – the plan to eliminate all European Jews. This decision led to the establishment of extermination camps such as Treblinka, Sobibor, and Auschwitz, where mass gassing and cremation were carried out with industrial efficiency. The use of gas chambers and crematoria marked the culmination of Nazi genocidal policy, resulting in the murder of over six million Jews by the end of the war.

The war also facilitated the enforcement of policies that dehumanized Jews and identified them for extermination. Jews were required to wear the yellow Star of David, making them easily identifiable and subject to arrest, deportation, and murder. The war environment, with its chaos, secrecy, and militarization, allowed the Nazis to carry out these atrocities with less scrutiny and opposition than might have been possible in peacetime.

However, it is essential to recognize that the foundation for these wartime policies was laid in the pre-war period. Upon assuming power in 1933, the Nazis began implementing a series of anti-Semitic measures. The SA's boycott of Jewish shops, the removal of Jews from the civil service, and the barring of Jews from various professions were early steps in the systemic exclusion and persecution of Jews. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 further institutionalized anti-Semitism by denying Jews German citizenship and prohibiting marriages between Jews and Aryans. These laws marked a significant escalation in the legal and social marginalization of Jews.

Kristallnacht in November 1938 was a turning point, representing the first large-scale, organized violent attack on the Jewish community by the Nazi regime. This pogrom resulted in the destruction of Jewish businesses and synagogues, the death of nearly 100 Jews, and the arrest of 30,000 Jewish men who were sent to concentration camps. Following Kristallnacht, Jews were increasingly barred from owning property and businesses, attending schools, and participating in many aspects of public life. By 1939, about 40% of the Jewish population in Germany had emigrated, seeking refuge from the escalating persecution.

In conclusion, while the Second World War was crucial in determining the radicalization and implementation of Nazi policies towards the Jews, leading to the Holocaust, these policies were rooted in the systematic anti-Semitism that characterized the Nazi regime from its inception. The war provided the means and the context for the mass extermination of Jews, but the groundwork for these policies was laid in the years leading up to the war. Thus, both the pre-war and wartime periods were significant in the development and execution of Nazi policies towards the Jews.