The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were highly significant in the development of Nazi policies towards the Jews. These laws, which included the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour, laid a legal foundation for the systemic persecution and marginalization of Jews in Germany. However, while the Nuremberg Laws were crucial, other events and policies both before and after 1935 also played significant roles in the escalation of anti-Semitic measures leading to the Holocaust.

The Reich Citizenship Law effectively stripped Jews of their German citizenship, reducing them to subjects without rights. This legal change facilitated and legitimized the poor treatment of Jews in various aspects of society, including workplaces and public spaces. By denying Jews the protections and privileges of citizenship, the Nazi regime institutionalized discrimination and set the stage for further oppressive measures. Jews were defined as enemies of the racial state, which justified increasingly severe policies against them. The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour further ostracized Jews by prohibiting marriages and sexual relations between Jews and Aryans. This law also forbade the employment of German females under 45 in Jewish households, further isolating Jews socially and economically.

Despite the significant impact of the Nuremberg Laws, earlier actions against Jews had already begun to shape Nazi policy. In 1933, the Nazis organized boycotts of Jewish shops and businesses, and anti-Semitic propaganda became rampant in the press. Public spaces, including cafes and shops, displayed anti-Semitic signs, often guarded by the SA (Sturmabteilung), which intimidated and alienated Jews. Jews were purged from government positions, and soon after, they were removed from roles as teachers, lawyers, and doctors. These actions not only marginalized Jews but also normalized anti-Semitic sentiment among the German population.

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, in 1938 marked a significant escalation in violence against Jews. This coordinated attack on Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues resulted in widespread destruction and the arrest of 30,000 Jewish men, who were sent to concentration camps. Following Kristallnacht, Jews were further ostracized, being banned from engaging in trade, attending German schools, and participating in recreational activities. The violence and persecution led to a significant exodus, with 40% of the Jewish population leaving Germany by 1939.

The Nuremberg Laws also set the stage for more extreme measures during World War II. In occupied Europe, especially Poland, Jews were forced into ghettos under deplorable conditions. The Einsatzgruppen, mobile killing units, began mass shootings of Jews, killing nearly 800,000. The Wannsee Conference in 1942 marked the formalization of the Final Solution, which led to the establishment of extermination camps where six million Jews were murdered.

In conclusion, the Nuremberg Laws were significant in institutionalizing anti-Semitism and laying the groundwork for further atrocities against the Jews. However, these laws were part of a broader trajectory of escalating anti-Semitic policies and actions by the Nazi regime. Early discriminatory measures, widespread violence like Kristallnacht, and the systematic genocide during the Holocaust all contributed to the comprehensive and devastating persecution of Jews. The Nuremberg Laws were a crucial step in this process, but they were neither the beginning nor the end of Nazi anti-Semitic policies.