American Jews in World War I - German Propaganda Courting the American Jewry

Bachelorarbeit , 2004 , 34 Seiten , Note: A

Geschichte - Sonstiges

In early August 1914, the first days of World War I, Germany’s attention was focused on the United States. The world’s biggest economic power had so far remained neutral and was therefore the field of the “Krieg der Geiste” (War of Minds). England tried to push the United States into the war against the Central Powers and Germany tried to keep the United States out of the war and worked through diplomatic efforts to ensure that the US stayed completely neutral.
The German Empire saw Americans of the Jewish faith as major allies in this effort. Many of these American Jews were powerful financiers, including immigrants from both Germany and Russia. The German Empire hoped that it had the support of the highly influential Jewish bankers as well as of many Jewish -American voters.
The sources on which the research is based are former works of the German propaganda efforts in the United States, material from the New York Times and accounts of contemporary people.
This research will show how the German Empire tried to win and keep the favor of these particular groups of Americans and why they hoped that the American Jews were on their side, what measures German Jews made to achieve this goal and why it ultimately failed.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• The socio-structure of the American Jewry
• The German Propaganda
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German Zionist
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German Harvard Professor
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German Ambassador
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German Publicist
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German-Jewish Professor
• The German Propaganda and the American Jewry - The German Propaganda and the American Jewry
• Fazit
• Literaturverzeichnis

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This paper investigates the German propaganda efforts aimed at influencing the American Jewish community during World War I. It examines the social structure of American Jewry, particularly the Eastern European and Western European Jewish groups, and explores how their backgrounds and experiences shaped their views on the war. The paper also analyzes the attempts by German Jews to influence their co-religious in the United States, highlighting the motivations behind these efforts and the degree of cohesion between German and American Jewry. The main focus is on the German propaganda strategies employed to win the favor of American Jews, considering their potential impact on American policy and the financial market.

• The social structure of American Jewry and its influence on their perception of the war.
• The motivations and strategies behind German propaganda efforts targeting American Jews.
• The role of prominent individuals, such as Hans Jacob Schiff and Dr. Isaac Straus, in promoting the German cause.
• The impact of German propaganda on American Jewish opinion and its potential influence on American policy.
• The relationship between German and American Jewry and the extent of their cohesion during the war.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction sets the stage by presenting a letter from Maurice Leon, a New York attorney, who expresses concern about the American Jewish community's seemingly one-sided pro-German stance during the war. Leon suspects German influence behind this sentiment. The paper then establishes the context by highlighting the existence of propaganda efforts by all warring nations, particularly England's extensive use of cables and connections to American news agencies. It also acknowledges the pro-Entente sentiment among most Americans, while recognizing the antipathy some ethnic minorities, including American Jews, held towards certain Entente nations.

The paper delves into the social structure of American Jewry, focusing on the two main groups: Eastern European Jews who immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and Western European Jews, primarily of German origin, who were well-established in American society. The Eastern European Jewish group, the largest among the 3 million Jews living in the US, consisted mainly of craftsmen and shopkeepers with limited educational backgrounds. They resided primarily in cities on the East Coast, with New York City being the largest Jewish community in the country. This group maintained their cultural identity and did not assimilate quickly into American culture. The Western European Jewish group, on the other hand, was a small but influential elite, well-integrated into American society. They had lived in the United States for generations and actively promoted the cultural assimilation of Eastern European Jews, advocating for the abolition of Yiddish culture.

The paper then explores the German propaganda efforts targeting American Jews. It examines the motivations behind these efforts, considering the potential influence of American Jews on American policy and the financial market. The paper investigates the role of prominent individuals, such as Hans Jacob Schiff, a representative of private individuals, and Dr. Isaac Straus, a German Zionist, in promoting the German cause. It also discusses the influence of Hugo Münsterberg, a German Harvard Professor of Psychology, who, although of Jewish faith, focused on broader arguments unrelated to Jewish aspects of the war.

The paper concludes by analyzing the effectiveness of German propaganda efforts, highlighting the potential impact of intrapropaganda interferences on their success. It draws upon primary sources, including accounts from contemporaries like the German Ambassador Count Bernstorff, Bernhard Dernburg, the publicist Binjamin Segel, and the German-Jewish professor Hermann Cohen, as well as contemporary articles from the New York Times and other newspapers. The paper also references important monographs, such as Zechlin's "Die deutsche Politik und die Juden im Ersten Weltkrieg," Rappaport's "Jewish Immigrants and World War I," and Szajkowski's "The Attitude of American Jews to World War I," which offer different perspectives on the American Jewish community and World War I.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include German propaganda, American Jewry, World War I, Eastern European Jews, Western European Jews, cultural assimilation, Yiddish culture, Hans Jacob Schiff, Dr. Isaac Straus, Hugo Münsterberg, Count Bernstorff, Bernhard Dernburg, Binjamin Segel, Hermann Cohen, and the influence of American Jews on American policy and the financial market.

• Hochschule: Juniata College
• Note: A
• Autor: Thomas Löwer (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2004
• Seiten: 34
• Katalognummer: V130668
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640374779
• ISBN (Buch): 9783640374502
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Erster Weltkrieg, Propaganda, Juden, Kommunikationsgeschichte, USA