The Logic of the Objective Enemy

Jews, Martial Law, and Nazi Security Policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

Abstract

This article analyses Nazi repressive policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during two periods of martial law – autumn 1941 and summer 1942 – with particular attention to the treatment of Jews as targeted enemies. It shows that Jews were not only affected by martial law; they also occupied a distinct and structurally significant position within its repressive framework. Theoretically grounded in Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “objective enemy”, the article interprets Nazi repression as part of an ideologically driven security logic. Drawing on court records, archival documents, and deportation databases, it combines quantitative analysis with individual case studies to identify recurring patterns of anti-Jewish violence. The article suggests that martial law served as an important instrument for implementing racialised security policies in which Jewish existence was construed as a security concern. By examining the overrepresentation of Jews among those persecuted and the specific forms of violence directed against them, the study seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between Holocaust history and the broader repression of civilian populations in occupied Europe.