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

Bachelor Thesis , 2004 , 34 Pages , Grade: A

History - Miscellaneous

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.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The socio-structure of the American Jewry

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper investigates the effectiveness of German propaganda targeted towards American Jews during World War I. It aims to analyze the social structure of the American Jewish community, exploring their backgrounds and attitudes towards the warring nations. Furthermore, it will delve into the attempts by German Jews to influence the perceptions of their American co-religionists and examine the specific tactics employed by German propaganda to sway American Jewish opinion in their favor.

• The social structure of the American Jewish community
• The role of German propaganda in shaping American Jewish perspectives on the war
• The influence of German Jews on American Jewish opinion
• The tactics employed by German propaganda to win over American Jews
• The effectiveness of German propaganda in achieving its goals

Chapter Summaries

• Introduction: The introduction introduces the topic of German propaganda targeting American Jews during World War I and sets the stage for the research question. It explores the differing views of Maurice Leon, a New York attorney, and the general American sentiment towards the war. The introduction also highlights the importance of understanding the social structure of the American Jewish community to understand their reception of German propaganda.
• The socio-structure of the American Jewry: This chapter delves into the social structure of the American Jewish community, highlighting the two primary groups of interest to the German Empire: Eastern European Jews and Western European Jews. The chapter explores the reasons behind the mass emigration of Eastern European Jews, their cultural identity, and their position in American society. It also examines the contrasting experiences of Western European Jews, particularly those of German origin, and their role in shaping American Jewish identity.

Keywords

The main keywords and focus topics of this text include: German propaganda, World War I, American Jews, Eastern European Jews, Western European Jews, social structure, cultural identity, assimilation, Yiddish culture, German-Jewish relations, and American policy.

• College: Juniata College
• Grade: A
• Author: Thomas Löwer (Author)
• Publication Year: 2004
• Pages: 34
• Catalog Number: V130668
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640374779
• ISBN (Book): 9783640374502
• Language: English
• Tags: Erster Weltkrieg, Propaganda, Juden, Kommunikationsgeschichte, USA