Survivors of the night of the 9th November 1938 all have one thing in common: they have never forgotten. "My whole life, I've never been able to get those pictures out of my head," says Charlotte Knobloch.¹ "I became a grown-up on that day," says Ruth Winkelmann. "The pogromA violent riot with the aim of massacring or forcing out an ethnic group, particularly Jewish people. night took away my childhood."²

It is easy to understand why. The memories they have are traumatising: sacred buildings ablaze, families terrorised and screaming, as the police and fire brigades stood by and watched. They had been ordered not to intervene by the Nazis.

Called Kristallnacht in German, or the "Night of Broken Glass" in English, it conjures images of the shattered glass littering German streets after the pogrom, as synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses and even homes were plunderedSteal goods, typically by force., their residents brutalisedTo treat someone in a needlessly violent and brutal way.. Even tombstones were violated, whilst precious prayer books, scrolls and other religious texts were burned or desecratedTreat with violent disrespect..

Nearly 100 Jews were murdered during the violence. The Nazis imposed a collectiveDone by people acting as a group. fine of $400 million (in 1938 rates) on the German-Jewish community, claiming they were responsible for the damage.

Kristallnacht was a grotesque forerunnerA sign or warning of something to come. of Nazi Germany's genocidal campaign against Jewish people. But many fear that antisemitism in Europe is on the rise once again. The Community Security Trust reports that antisemitic incidents in Britain increased by more than 300% last week.³ Meanwhile, the German federal agency monitoring antisemitism documented a rise of 240% compared to last year.⁴

And it carries terrifying echoes. Some Berlin residents have reported that the Star of David has been graffitied on their homes. Three Jewish schools in London closed last week amid fears that they would be targeted.⁵

Some believe that these aggressions and tensions may even be the harbingerSomeone or something that announces the approach of something else. An indicator. of brewing war. Historians have identified many causes for war, including territorial ambition, religious sectarianismPolitical or cultural conflict between two groups. Between 85% and 90% of the world's Muslims belong to the Sunni sect. Shias account for roughly 10%.  and political aims. But they believe there are several key signs that war may be imminentAbout to happen.: economic instability, propaganda, prejudice, division, and violence.

We are experiencing all of these factors today, with the added complications of dangerous new technology in the hands of a rich minority, climate catastrophe, and a shift in the world economic order. For many Jewish people, the recent spike in antisemitic hate is a reminder of just how close we may be to repeating our history.

After all, not so long ago, experts believed that the era of geopolitical rivalry was over. They felt that we were living with a "post-war" ethosThe characteristic spirit of a culture.: an ability to make concessions, negotiate, rebuild. But now, critics increasingly draw parallels with the rocky conditions that preceded World War One and Two.

Some think the problem is globalisationThe growing interdependence of the world's economies, peoples and cultures., drawing parallels with the isolationismThroughout American history, some presidents (like George Bush and Barack Obama) have promoted co-operation and intervention in world affairs. In contrast, Trump talks about putting Americans first and not being restricted by international treaties. that characterised foreign policy in the war-torn 20th Century. Others blame inequality and technological change. But many believe that if war does come, it will show its true colours in the kind of violence and persecutionIll treatment and oppression, especially due to a person's beliefs or race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other factors. that Knobloch and Winkelmann saw not even 100 years ago.

Yes: The parallels between now and the period that preceded World War One and Two are innumerable. War is not inevitable, but it is clear that our ethos is distinctly pre-war.

No: We have learned our lessons from the 20th Century. Discrimination, hate and intolerance are always going to play a role in society, but it does not mean that the majority can ever again be persuaded to play along.

Or... We are in a mid-war age. There are huge conflicts raging almost all around the world, with a complex web of national interests meaning that all of us are involved in them somehow.