Three quarters of the U.S. population believed at the end of the war that several hundred thousands of Jews had been exterminated in German concentration camps. As a matter of fact, nearly six million Jews perished in those camps. But why did hardly anyone care, or rather know, about the Jews’ fate in Europe? Many U.S. American people faced severe problems in their own country – the aftermath of the Great Depression was still noticeable. Even between 1938 and 1939 an estimated number of eight to ten million people were unemployed in the USA. Consequently, a latent anti-Semitism existed in the U.S. society and was stirred up by people like W. D. Pelley as well as by Father C. E. Coughlin.
But Pelley and Coughlin were not the only ones in opposition to the immigration of Jews; especially the State Department (responsible for immigration quotas) blocked foreign immigration due to bureaucratic inefficiency; the U.S. immigration quotas permanently decreased from 1939 to 1945 and in a way locked up Jews in Europe. Even the different groups of American Jews (e.g. Zionists versus Non-Zionists) were not able to establish a concentrated conglomerate in order to support European Jews.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The 1930s up to 1939
3. The War Years 1939 - 1945
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the evolution of U.S. refugee and foreign policy during the period from the 1930s to 1945, specifically addressing the question of why the United States failed to provide more robust assistance to European Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. It analyzes how domestic economic distress, latent anti-Semitism, and political bureaucratic hurdles constrained governmental action, even as reports of the Holocaust surfaced.
- The impact of the Great Depression on U.S. immigration policy and public opinion.
- The influence of anti-Semitic sentiment and xenophobia on political decision-making.
- The limitations of diplomatic initiatives like the Bermuda Conference.
- The role and effectiveness of the War Refugee Board in saving lives.
- The strategic prioritization of military victory over humanitarian rescue efforts.
Excerpt from the Book
2. The 1930s up to 1939
Groups in opposition to immigration mainly reasoned with the worsening economic situation within the USA during the early 1930s. According to Wyman (15), they assumed that immigrants would occupy those jobs which were ‘reserved’ for American residents – other opinions, for instance immigrants would be consumers at the same time, were simply ignored. Wyman (19) points out that there were about one hundred anti-Semitic organizations in the USA at that time – the most notorious among them were Coughlin’s National Union for Social Justice, Pelley’s Silver Shirts and the German-American Bund. During their demonstrations they spread anti-Jewish propaganda. Due to these agitations, about one third of the respondents of polls shared the opinion that Jews had too much power (Hertzberg, 286).
When the USA entered the Second World War in December 1941, many of the anti-Semitic leaders were hushed; e.g. Pelley was convicted of sedition and sent into prison for fifteen years. But anti-Semitism remained in the minds of such people – some of them rioted (especially gangs of youths) in the cities of New England and smashed windows of Jewish stores. Some of these ghastly events even resembled the anti-Jewish pogroms of German storm troops during the Night of Broken Glass in 1938. Of course, these anti-Semitic attitudes appeared in U.S. politics as a reflection of the contemporary mood of the society – Dinnerstein (127) reports that a poll of 1938 revealed that 77% of the respondents were against a larger immigration of Jewish refugees from Germany.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context and the prevailing societal climate in the U.S. that hindered active support for European Jews during the Nazi era.
2. The 1930s up to 1939: Examines how economic instability and widespread anti-Semitism led to restrictive immigration quotas and the proliferation of xenophobic rhetoric.
3. The War Years 1939 - 1945: Analyzes the shift in U.S. policy after the outbreak of war, the impact of the "Fifth Column" fear, and the eventual creation of the War Refugee Board.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, noting that while public pressure and political developments eventually led to some rescue efforts, the overall impact remained limited.
5. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources used to research U.S. refugee policy and the historical context of Jewish experience during this era.
Keywords
U.S. Foreign Policy, Refugee Policy, Anti-Semitism, Great Depression, Holocaust, Immigration Quotas, Roosevelt, War Refugee Board, Bermuda Conference, St. Louis Affair, Nazi Germany, Public Pressure, Xenophobia, Humanitarian Aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the U.S. government's refugee policy towards European Jews from the 1930s through 1945 and why these policies were largely restrictive.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the Great Depression's influence on society, political anti-Semitism, immigration bureaucracy, and the struggle to implement rescue measures during the war years.
What is the primary research question?
The work investigates whether the United States missed a significant opportunity to save more Jewish lives during the Holocaust due to its restrictive policies.
Which methodology is used in this research?
The author employs a historical analysis approach, synthesizing existing literature, historical documents, and public opinion data from the period.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body treats the pre-war rise of anti-Semitic organizations, the shift in political focus after the Pearl Harbor attack, and the evolution of rescue attempts like the War Refugee Board.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include U.S. Refugee Policy, Holocaust, Roosevelt, Anti-Semitism, Immigration Quotas, and the War Refugee Board.
How did the "Fifth Column" threat impact refugee policy?
The fear that German spies might hide among refugees led to further tightening of immigration laws and a reduced quota for European refugees.
What was the significance of the "St. Louis" incident?
The St. Louis affair serves as a poignant example of the U.S. government's failure to provide assistance, as the ship was turned away and forced to return to Europe.
Why does the author discuss the bombing of concentration camps?
The author examines the debate over whether bombing rail lines or crematories was a viable military option, contrasting the potential rescue impact with the risk of civilian casualties.
What was the impact of the War Refugee Board?
Despite limited government support, the Board managed to save approximately 200,000 lives through diplomatic negotiations and private funding.
- Citar trabajo
- Stefan Küpper (Autor), 2007, U.S. Refugee and Foreign Policy from the 1930s to 1945, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/144009
