Q: Analyze anti-Semitism in Europe from the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890s to 1939
In 1894, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army was accused of passing secrets to the German army. He was sent to prison but later found innocent. The Dreyfus Affair was the beginning of extreme anti-Semitism issues in Europe. After the Dreyfus Affair and a surge in Jewish nationalism, major resentment of Jews occurred in both France and Germany, and, after the fall of the Weimar Republic, are targeted for genocide.
Leading up to the Dreyfus Affair, Jewish nationalism had greatly increased. In 1848, at the Frankfurt Assembly, German Jews were granted full freedom, and in 1871, the German Empire began working on Jewish acceptance in central Europe, which was successful. However, in 1873, after the stock market crash, anti-Semitism returned with full force, and in the 1890’s there were political parties in Germany formed completely around anti-Semitism. This led Jewish leaders such as Theodore Herzl to advocate for a Jewish homeland, or Zionism. Unfortunately, Karl Lueger, an Austrian anti-Semitist promoted anti-Semitism in Vienna, where a young Adolf Hitler was ready to absorb extreme anti-Semitism and ideas of racial superiority. In Russia, Jews experienced especially harsh treatment. At this time, Russia had never emancipated Jews, and they were an easy source to target for blame whenever there was political unrest. There would be violent and morally awful treatment to Jews and their property, as police would stand by and watch. From the 1880s to 1914, 2.75 million Jews emigrated out of Europe to Palestine or the United States.
In 1917, the British signed the Balfour Declaration, which recognized Palestine as a home for the Jewish. It would seem there was hope for reduced anti-Semitism, but it wasn’t completely pure. The British claimed only to recognize Palestine as a Jewish homeland as long as they weren’t disrupting other social groups or religions living in Palestine; which was very unlikely.
In 1918, when the Germans were defeated in World War I, Adolf Hitler, who had developed an extreme hatred for Jews, blamed the defeat of Germany on the German Jews. A year later, he joined the German Workers’ Party, which was heavily anti-Semitic and worked to denounce Jews. In 1923, after he had taken over the government, but was serving time in Jail, he released his writing Mein Kampf, which was German anti-Semitism propaganda that focused on racial superiority and racial cleansing. It was wildly popular and millions of copies were sold and read in Germany, fueling even more anti-Semitism. In 1935, Hitler furthered his racial segregation into the Nuremburg Trials, which defined what made someone a Jew, and limited their social rights. In 1938, a wave of violence known as Kristallnacht occurred, where groups of Nazis went around Germany and destroyed Jewish homes, workplaces, and property. After Kristallnacht, the Jews were blamed and were forced to pay for the costs of the damages. As a result of fear, not many people stepped up and opposed Hitler’s racial tactics. After Kristallnacht, not much stood between the Jews and Nazis into a full on holocaust.
After the Dreyfus Affair in 1894, Jews were generally resented, and, although some migrated out of Europe, most experienced extreme anti-Semitism from Russia, and the beginnings of racial purification from Germany.
Leading up to the Dreyfus Affair, Jewish nationalism had greatly increased. In 1848, at the Frankfurt Assembly, German Jews were granted full freedom, and in 1871, the German Empire began working on Jewish acceptance in central Europe, which was successful. However, in 1873, after the stock market crash, anti-Semitism returned with full force, and in the 1890’s there were political parties in Germany formed completely around anti-Semitism. This led Jewish leaders such as Theodore Herzl to advocate for a Jewish homeland, or Zionism. Unfortunately, Karl Lueger, an Austrian anti-Semitist promoted anti-Semitism in Vienna, where a young Adolf Hitler was ready to absorb extreme anti-Semitism and ideas of racial superiority. In Russia, Jews experienced especially harsh treatment. At this time, Russia had never emancipated Jews, and they were an easy source to target for blame whenever there was political unrest. There would be violent and morally awful treatment to Jews and their property, as police would stand by and watch. From the 1880s to 1914, 2.75 million Jews emigrated out of Europe to Palestine or the United States.
In 1917, the British signed the Balfour Declaration, which recognized Palestine as a home for the Jewish. It would seem there was hope for reduced anti-Semitism, but it wasn’t completely pure. The British claimed only to recognize Palestine as a Jewish homeland as long as they weren’t disrupting other social groups or religions living in Palestine; which was very unlikely.
In 1918, when the Germans were defeated in World War I, Adolf Hitler, who had developed an extreme hatred for Jews, blamed the defeat of Germany on the German Jews. A year later, he joined the German Workers’ Party, which was heavily anti-Semitic and worked to denounce Jews. In 1923, after he had taken over the government, but was serving time in Jail, he released his writing Mein Kampf, which was German anti-Semitism propaganda that focused on racial superiority and racial cleansing. It was wildly popular and millions of copies were sold and read in Germany, fueling even more anti-Semitism. In 1935, Hitler furthered his racial segregation into the Nuremburg Trials, which defined what made someone a Jew, and limited their social rights. In 1938, a wave of violence known as Kristallnacht occurred, where groups of Nazis went around Germany and destroyed Jewish homes, workplaces, and property. After Kristallnacht, the Jews were blamed and were forced to pay for the costs of the damages. As a result of fear, not many people stepped up and opposed Hitler’s racial tactics. After Kristallnacht, not much stood between the Jews and Nazis into a full on holocaust.
After the Dreyfus Affair in 1894, Jews were generally resented, and, although some migrated out of Europe, most experienced extreme anti-Semitism from Russia, and the beginnings of racial purification from Germany.