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For the most part, studies on Zionism as an international movement have centered on Great Britain. Professor Friedman has focused on a new point of view. Using unpublished official German and Zionist records and contemporary diaries, memoirs, and other private sources, he proves conclusively that, in spite of the opposition of her Turkish ally, the German government emerged as the foremost protector of the Zionist cause during World War I. Germany was the first European power to view Zionist aspirations with favor. Friedman argues that had it not been for her persistent intervention with the Turkish government, the Jewish community in Palestine would not have survived.
This work investigates the complex diplomatic relationship between Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and the Zionist movement during the First World War to determine the extent of German support for Jewish aspirations in Palestine. Professor Isaiah Friedman, a noted historian of the Middle East, utilizes a rigorous methodology involving previously unpublished German and Zionist archives, contemporary diaries, and private memoirs. He challenges the traditional historiographical focus on Great Britain by arguing that Germany acted as the primary diplomatic shield for the Zionist cause against Turkish opposition. The book presents a detailed framework of wartime realpolitik, demonstrating how German intervention was instrumental in the survival of the Jewish community in Palestine.
What You Will Find
Historians and scholars of Middle Eastern studies recognize this text as a significant contribution to the understanding of wartime diplomacy and the origins of the Zionist movement. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous nature of the archival research presented by the author.
Page Count:
461
Publication Date:
1977-01-01
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198225288
ISBN-13:
9780198225287
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