What motivations lay behind the Nazis' revenge during Kristallnacht?

The motivation behind the Nazis' actions during Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, was primarily rooted in the murder of a German diplomat. This incident, which involved the assassination of Ernst vom Rath in Paris by a Jewish student named Herschel Grynszpan, was used by the Nazis as a pretext to launch a violent campaign against Jewish communities across Germany and Austria.

The regime portrayed this act as an assault on the German state, as well as on the lives and property of German citizens, leading to a significant escalation in anti-Jewish sentiment and violence. The Nazis viewed this response as an opportunity to consolidate their power and rally support by uniting the population against a common enemy. The widespread attacks on Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes during Kristallnacht represented a turning point in the Nazis' systematic persecution of Jews, evolving from social discrimination to outright physical violence and organized pogroms.

While other factors, such as the perceived economic influence of Jews or political tensions, played a role in the overall antisemitic ideology of the Nazis, the immediate triggering factor for the Kristallnacht violence was indeed the assassination of the German diplomat. This incident was seized upon by the Nazi leadership to justify their retali