A young Jewish man living in Paris was horrified by the letters he received from his family in Germany. In despair, he took a gun to the German Embassy and shot a minor diplomat. The diplomat lingered for two days. On his death, the German government issued a warning to the police that there might be riots. Kristallnacht then burst out, led by plainclothes SS or Gestapo (I forget which).

The Jews were held responsible for the insurance claims against damaged property when the government learned that simply paying for the broken plate glass would bankrupt the insurance companies.