The boycott of April 1, 1933, was the first national action against the German Jews after the Nazi seizure of power on January 30 of that year. The boycott was proclaimed on the initiative of Joseph Goebbels, after consultations with top party leaders. It was declared to be an act of reprisal and warning against the world, to cease what the Nazis called horror propaganda and economic boycott against Germany. SA acts of terror had indeed aroused indignation throughout the world and anti-Nazi boycotts had begun. Julius Streicher was placed at the head of the organising committee and everything was thoroughly planned. At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, the boycott was to begin simultaneously all over Germany. In some places, it actually began the previous day, a direct continuation of earlier harassment. On the morning of the boycott, guards of uniformed, sometimes armed, Nazis were placed in front of every Jewish enterprise and their clients were prevented from entering. Trucks patrolled the streets bearing anti-Jewish signs and slogans. An effort was made to avoid violence, but in many places, store windows were shattered, stores pillaged, and Jewish business owners assaulted. Despite the order not to harm businesses of foreign nationals, many were attacked. Guards were also placed at the doors of Jewish doctors and lawyers, and in several cities, Nazis forcibly expelled Jewish judges and lawyers from courts of law. The boycott declaration aroused a wave of international protest seeking its annulment. It was possibly because of these pressures that the boycott - initially declared for an unlimited period - was limited to one day, with the threat that if the situation abroad did not change, it would be renewed on April 4. Some scholars believe the boycott was used as a "safety valve" by Nazi leaders for pressures from the rank-and-file party members, who demanded that radical steps be taken against the Jews in the economy as the Nazi platform promised. The aim of the boycott was to allow the postponement of these steps until Germany's financial and international position had stabilised. Other scholars see the boycott as the starting signal for a process of harassment and oppression. Acts of terror, expropriation, and discrimination were now legitimised and soon would become law.
