Paving the way for Hitler

After Napoleon conquered Prussia in 1807, reforms were instituted that changed the general political structure of the country so that the middle class became “free” and the noble class lost its privileges. This effectively changed Prussia from an enlightened despotism to a “modern” nation state, which would eventually become the German Reich. It was this change that first sparked a new wave of anti-Semitism in Prussia. In Prussia the emphasis on freedom and equality, and free trade led to anti-Semitism; not simply because of their financial success, in 1812 an emancipation edict reassured the fact that Jews did have equal rights. In reality however, the edict only affected the wealthy and useful Jewish groups who were already privileged—this angered the aristocracy who had just lost their privileges.
The aristocracy was so outraged, that it chose a spokesman who submitted a lengthy petition to the government arguing against Jews receiving special advantages—he spoke of the transformation of the old awe-inspiring Prussian monarchy into a new-fangled Jew-state.
The state had been transformed, not into a Jewish state, but modern state, with the majority of the wealth in the hands of the middle class, many of whom were Jews. The nobles and the wealthy Jews were both opposed to the middle class centered government that praised the individual above all else. Both aristocratic and Jewish culture emphasized family, and ones duty to family as more important than the individual. Both groups considered national allegiance second to loyalty to the family.
By eliminating the privileges of the aristocrats that he conquered, Napoleon helped pave the way for a modern Europe, with a large middle class. He also laid the foundation for stronger anti-Semitism and the possibility for rulers such as Hitler.