Synopsis: After seizing power, the Nazis began their crusade against Jews with discriminatory laws and the looting of property; they turned to violence openly in what has come to be known as Kristallnacht: the night of broken glass.

In November 1938 German soldiers set on fire some 400 synagogues and destroyed 7,000 Jewish stores and businesses. More than 90 people were killed, 600 committed suicide, and over 26,000 men were deported to concentration camps.

Through rare footage, photographs and documents, THE NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS reveals the background to this orgy of anti-Semitic violence, which – while masterminded by the Nazi regime – is shown to have been largely accepted by the German public.

Review:  The night of broken glass has gone down in infamy as one of the huge turning points of the pre-World War II era Germany.  The level of violence and anti-semetism culminated in this overnight event on November 9, 1938.  These riots throughout Germany and Austria were basically orchestrated by the German government, primarily through instigation by Joseph Goebbels.

Michael Kloft brings us another interesting Nazi documentary.  He has produced a few others in the past for First Run Features, but this one stands out.  There are two narrators, one male and one female.  It is rather distracting and I'm unsure as to what the motivation for this was.  That is the only downside to this short film.  The level of research and rare information and footage is astounding.

This documentary would be fantastic for anyone that homeschools or has any leverage in the classroom to show outside materials.  Its a great and rare in-depth look at one of the most interesting and important events surrounding World War II.   I highly recommend this one!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars