In 1933, Hitler assumed the chancellorship of Germany and the Nazi political party became the main government of Germany. Hitler then immediatley began taking drastic legal actions against the Jews. He declared a one day boycott against all Jewish owned shops and businesses, and by 1936, Jews where not allowed to take place in parlimentary elections. By 1938, all Jews where required to carry identification cards.

Hitting Close to Home

On October 28, 1938, appoximately 17,000 Jewish citizens of Polish descent where arrested and deported to an unwelcoming Poland. One of those deported that day was Zindel Grynszpan. Grynszpan had owned a small store in 1911 and on the night of October 27, 1938, he was forced out of his home and was deported to the Polish Border. Grynszpan wrote a postcard to his daughter telling her what was happening to him, and she later give the postcard to Grynszpan's 17 year old son Herschel. Herschel was so angered by the news that he decided to take action against the Nazi party. His main goal was to assasinate the German Ambassador to France. On the morning of November 7th He took a loaded pistol and went to the German embassy in Paris. Much to his misfortune, the Ambassador was not in the embassy that day. Therefore, he settled for a lesser official, and shot Secretary Ernst Von Rath fatally. Rath died of his injuries the next day.

Hitler takes action

Upon learning what had happened, Hitler and the Nazis denounced the killing as a Jewish worldwide conspiracy against the Germans. This also gave Hitler's chief of propaganda (Goebbels) an excuse to launch a progrom against the Jews. The pogrom was to start the next day.