--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first step in “saving” Germany from…" description: "\"“The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Like oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg" --- # The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other… ![“The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Like other extremist groups, the Nazis hired thugs and organized a private army to kill supporters of the republic.” quote by Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg) > ““The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Like other extremist groups, the Nazis hired thugs and organized a private army to kill supporters of the republic.”” [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote claims that the Nazis saw destroying the Weimar Republic as essential to “saving” Germany, using violence and a private army against supporters of the republic. **In simple terms:** Nazis believed removing the republic was key, using force against its supporters. Key Takeaway Recognize how extremist narratives justify dismantling institutions. Themes extremism political violence propaganda Mood cautious critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - political rallies - academic lectures - museum exhibits - media analysis - public debates Key Concepts totalitarianism state terror historical revisionism Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms allow extremist groups to gain popular support? - How can societies protect democratic institutions from violent subversion? A Different Perspective The quote oversimplifies complex historical causes and ignores broader societal factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazis/) ## Related quotes > [If increased government spending with borrowed or newly created money is a 'stimulus,' then the Weimar Republic should have been stimulated to unprecedented prosperity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-increased-government-spending-with-borrowed-or-newly-created-money/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“The path taken by the authorities in their so-called Rauschgiftbekämpfung, or “war on drugs,” lay less in an intensification of the opium law, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ohler/the-path-taken-by-the-authorities-in-their-so-called-rauschgiftbek/) [Norman Ohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ohler/) > [I'm a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected by seeing the disintegration of any chance of democracy coping with fascism in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-m-a-great-aficionado-of-history-i-was-deeply-affected-by-seeing-the/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Homosexuality is not a civil right. Its rise almost always is accompanied, as in the Weimar Republic, with a decay of society and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/homosexuality-is-not-a-civil-right-its-rise-almost-always-is/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Some commentators have drawn such a stark and gloomy picture of the Weimar Republic's early difficulties that the Republic seems foredoomed to failure from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-fulbrook/some-commentators-have-drawn-such-a-stark-and-gloomy-picture-of-the/) Mary Fulbrook > [In the Germany of the l920s, the Weimar Republic, both orga­nismic biology and Gestalt psychology were part of a larger intellectual trend that saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/in-the-germany-of-the-l920s-the-weimar-republic-both-orga-nismic/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [“The Weimar Republic gave nectar to the artists, social reformers and progressive people of all classes. They drank it, unaware that they were sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-wolff-m-d/the-weimar-republic-gave-nectar-to-the-artists-social-reformers-and/) [Charlotte Wolff, M.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-wolff-m-d/) > [As Eric Weitz argues, the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) was not responsible for the Reich; it was a democratic, socially aware and progressive government, way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/as-eric-weitz-argues-the-weimar-republic-1919-1933-was-not/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [“If this is Upper Silesia, what on earth must Lower Silesia be like?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/if-this-is-upper-silesia-what-on-earth-must-lower-silesia-be-like/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [We don't need the Nazis to destroy us. We're destroying ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-frank/we-don-t-need-the-nazis-to-destroy-us-we-re-destroying-ourselves/) [Otto Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-frank/) > [I thought of such Christian inventions as the ghetto and the Jewish badge of shame. The Nazis didn't have to go very far to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-blue/i-thought-of-such-christian-inventions-as-the-ghetto-and-the-jewish/) [Lionel Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-blue/) > [When you label them, when one of the most powerful social media companies in the world labels people as Nazis, you could make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/when-you-label-them-when-one-of-the-most-powerful-social-media/) [Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/) > [“Odd, don't you think? I have seen war, and invasions and riots. I have heard of massacres and brutalities beyond imagining, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/odd-don-t-you-think-i-have-seen-war-and-invasions-and-riots-i-have/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [“The Nazis had been one thing. The communists were another. But now there were academics crawling all over the palace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-flyte/the-nazis-had-been-one-thing-the-communists-were-another-but-now/) [Magnus Flyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-flyte/) > [When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren't able to kill millions of people and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/when-history-looks-back-i-want-people-to-know-the-nazis-weren-t-able/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) ## More by Phyllis Goldstein > [“As accusations spread, so did the false belief that Jews routinely engaged in the practice of ritual murder. An accusation made repeatedly tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/as-accusations-spread-so-did-the-false-belief-that-jews-routinely/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Still, by the end of the thirteenth century, most European Jews were forced to wear badges or distinguishing clothing. The aim was to humiliate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/still-by-the-end-of-the-thirteenth-century-most-european-jews-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Mendelssohn’s books on philosophy and literature were hailed throughout Europe. He was described as “exceptional”—an “un-Jewish Jew,” one of a kind, a genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/mendelssohn-s-books-on-philosophy-and-literature-were-hailed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“135 years later, in 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Judea, the southern kingdom. They destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and forced thousands of Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/135-years-later-in-586-bce-the-babylonians-conquered-judea-the/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“In Arab nations, many people opposed Zionism because they believed that the UN had no right to establish a Jewish state on what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-arab-nations-many-people-opposed-zionism-because-they-believed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“After the Black Death in the mid-1300s, the persecution of Jews intensified, and many Jews in Europe moved farther east. Some left because life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/after-the-black-death-in-the-mid-1300s-the-persecution-of-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Many Jews in the Byzantine Empire welcomed the Persians. Some saw their arrival as an opportunity to win independence or even just a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/many-jews-in-the-byzantine-empire-welcomed-the-persians-some-saw/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“In 1255, a five-year-old boy was found dead in a well in Lincoln, England. Many historians today believe that young Hugh accidentally fell into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-1255-a-five-year-old-boy-was-found-dead-in-a-well-in-lincoln/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“The Greeks and Egyptians in Alexandria understood Flaccus’s announcement to mean that they could now treat Jews as they pleased. After all, people without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-greeks-and-egyptians-in-alexandria-understood-flaccus-s/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“For hundreds of years, Christians had been trying to convert the Jews, and now, for the first time, they had real success. Suddenly thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/for-hundreds-of-years-christians-had-been-trying-to-convert-the-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“With each new rumor, each new accusation, the way Christians thought about Jews became more and more distorted. Jews were increasingly seen as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/with-each-new-rumor-each-new-accusation-the-way-christians-thought/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“The “age of enlightenment” ended some of the isolation, discrimination, and humiliation Jews had experienced in earlier times in Europe. Jews now had more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-age-of-enlightenment-ended-some-of-the-isolation-discrimination/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“When one group defeated another, the newly conquered people were expected to accept the gods of the victor. After all, the new gods had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/when-one-group-defeated-another-the-newly-conquered-people-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Antisemitism did not begin in Germany, or anywhere else, in 1918; Jews had been regarded as dangerous outsiders for centuries, and anti-Jewish feeling usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/antisemitism-did-not-begin-in-germany-or-anywhere-else-in-1918-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“I first heard of antisemitism only later, when my father told me how Oswald Mosley had fomented riots in the thirties by marching his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/i-first-heard-of-antisemitism-only-later-when-my-father-told-me-how/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) [Explore all 86 Phyllis Goldstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## More First step quotes > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [“I remember wondering, within a year or two of taking my first steps, why only men sat to drink tea and converse, and why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/i-remember-wondering-within-a-year-or-two-of-taking-my-first-steps/) [Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/) > [At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/at-least-before-my-hip-replacement-i-had-a-quick-first-step-i-could/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. If they know you and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/larry-kramer-wisely-realized-so-early-on-that-to-change-the-world/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [“How, then, do you make failure into something people can face without fear? Part of the answer is simple: If we as leaders can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/how-then-do-you-make-failure-into-something-people-can-face-without/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [“A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-skillful-literary-artist-has-constructed-a-tale-if-wise-he-has-not/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/) [Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/) > [“What liberty we find when we trade self-esteem for God-esteem, relying on what God’s Word says about us rather than looking solely to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gallier/what-liberty-we-find-when-we-trade-self-esteem-for-god-esteem-relying/) [Laura Gallier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gallier/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Russia may soon get another chance to move closer to the West, to make a step - I do believe the first step toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-voinovich/russia-may-soon-get-another-chance-to-move-closer-to-the-west-to-make/) [Vladimir Voinovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-voinovich/) > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. My first step will blow by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-can-turn-an-idea-into-a-business-before-you-know-it-s-going-to-be/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“So, how do you make value flow? The first step, once value is defined and the entire value stream is identified, is to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-womack/so-how-do-you-make-value-flow-the-first-step-once-value-is-defined/) [James P. Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-womack/) > [“The first step in awareness is to be watchful of your body. Slowly,slowly one becomes alert about each gesture,each movement. And as you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-first-step-in-awareness-is-to-be-watchful-of-your-body-slowly/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) [Browse all 1,815 First step quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Like other extremist groups, the Nazis hired thugs and organized a private army to kill supporters of the republic.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phyllis Goldstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-the-jews-and-other-inferior/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "First step" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-the-jews-and-other-inferior/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29d/phyllis-goldstein-7858_first-step_the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-th_564301.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the…” — Phyllis Goldstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Phyllis Goldstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The first step in “saving” Germany...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-the-jews-and-other-inferior/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-the-jews-and-other-inferior/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```