Examining the Claim: Jews' Responsibility for Germany's WWI Loss

This research paper delves into the controversial claim that Jews were responsible for Germany's significant losses in World War I. It explores the historical context of rising anti-Semitism in Europe during the early 19th century, and the arguments made by figures like Adolf Hitler, who blamed Jews for Germany's defeat. The paper examines the role of Jewish soldiers in the German military, the spread of anti-Semitic narratives, and the impact of events like the Spartacist uprising. Through a literature review and analysis of secondary data, the paper investigates how historical events and political ideologies fueled the perception of Jewish betrayal and responsibility for Germany's defeat. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex historical arguments surrounding this issue, drawing on various sources and perspectives to analyze the validity of the claims.

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Introduction
The First World War, the most appallingly savage global conflict in all preceding history,
had an insightful impact on world Jewry (Scheff, Daniel & Sterphone, 2018). This was because
of the existence of a considerable amount of concentration of Jews within one of the fundamental
grounds, the mobilization of unprecedented numbers of Jews to the armies of the belligerent
countries along with the accomplishments of Jewish leaders in leveraging the dogmatic policies
of major powers (Voigtländer & Voth, 2015). Furthermore, elevating rate of apprehensions
during the war years intensified the hostile attitudes towards the Jews specifically in Germany as
well as in Eastern Europe (Eckardt, 2017). The following research paper will argue on the way
Jews were primarily responsible for the significant loss of the Germans in the First World War.
Research Question
How were the Jews responsible for the significant loss of the Germans in World War I?
Hypothesis
Jews were responsible for the major loss of the Germans in World War I. (H1)
Jews were not responsible for the major loss of the Germans in World War I. (H0)
Rationale
During the early phase of 19th Century, there had been observed a substantial amount of
anti-Semitism in Europe (Voigtländer & Voth, 2015). This had further been noted that in the
Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler argued that the Germans who inaccurately signified them as Aryan
race was regarded to be superior to all others. Takala & Auvinen, (2016) further stated that
Jewish were primarily responsible for Germans to lose the First World War. Studies conducted
by Mach, (2017) revealed the way Hitler claimed that Jews who constituted an insignificant
proportion of 1% of the populace were gradually conquering the nation by regulating the major

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political party in Germany known as the German Social Democrat Party along with several
recognized organizations and nations’ newspapers. The fact as per the perspective of Takala &
Auvinen (2016) that Jews have achieved significant positions in a democratic society was
considered as an argument against democracy- a hundred blockheads which do not equal one
man in wisdom. It was perceived that the Jews were primarily involved with Communists in a
Joint conspiracy in order to acquire the world (Voigtländer & Voth, 2015). Hitler argued that the
amalgamation of Jews and Marxists had already attained significant success in Russia and
claimed to have threatened the rest of Europe. Studies conducted by Takala & Auvinen (2016)
disclosed that once Hitler attained decisive position he exhibited immediate articulation towards
anti-Semitic notions (Spielvogel, 2016). Furthermore, a crucial factor facilitating such an anti-
Semitic narrative in order to flourish relied on the Spartacist uprising of early 1900s in Germany.
However, Gluckstein (2018) shed light on the primary aim of the Spartacist which was to
replicate the Russian Revolution of 1917 in Germany supposing that influence, power and
prosperity must be shared equally among working sections that should operate German society.
Literature Review
During the First World War, an approximate of 100,000 German Jews proudly served in
military uniform as armed soldiers, sailors, executives, administrators and airmen. However,
Housden, (2018) found that far from a superior public opinion of Germany’s Jewish citizens
following Germany’s major defeat there was observed a subsequent increase in anti-Semitic
narratives. Furthermore, scholars in their research mentioned that among certain common myths
disseminated during assertions revealed that Jews were primarily war profiteering at home
(Takala & Auvinen, 2016). The first explanation for alleging Jews for Germans’ significant loss
occurred when the Germans military forces returned home in defeat in November 1918. The

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primary reasons for their capitulation were obscured to several Germans identified as enemies
who had never touched German soil (Housden, 2018). Furthermore, during the initiation and end
of the war the Kaiser’s forces appeared to be winning the war. Thus Housden (2018) at this
juncture, speculated that Germany had been betrayed by socialists as well as the Jews. Historians
considered the right-wing Germans alleged their Jewish nationals for their massive defeat as well
as for the dishonour and humiliation of Versailles’ punitive harmony. Meanwhile, Gluckstein
(2018) through the studies observed lesser degree of inclination to memorize that for major
proportion of the war German Jews along with gentiles stood proudly together in defence of their
nation. Jews perceived the war as a fight for justice, integrity autonomy and significantly for the
German culture (Takala & Auvinen, 2016).
Scheff, Daniel and Sterphone (2018) denoted that during the first frenzy of war in the
early phase of 1914, even the German Zionists claimed no significant disparity between Jews
and other Germans. Russia when it participated in the war, exhibited its commitment towards the
greatest crime in world history. Russia further showed a deeper consideration for Jews across the
world as being their major oppressor and opponent (Stammers, 2017). Meanwhile, Gluckstein
(2018) stated that Germany’s primary purpose lied on fighting to bring liberty and autonomy for
Russia as well as the world from the unprecedented oppression. German Jews were identified to
be prominent supporters of the endeavours and performances of the military forces aimed to
colonize the East. However, Housden (2018) were in the view that not those German Jewish
soldiers developed a sense of kinship with Russian Jews, the invaders typically appalled by the
immorality of shtetl existence. Scheff, Daniel & Sterphone, 2018) further revealed that when
Germany witnessed a great influx of refugee Jews from the East, German Jews typically
withdrew from them rather welcoming refugee Jews with open arms. When the Germans

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protested through Belgium during the early phase of 1914, the Allies were rapid to support as
well as encourage narratives regarding the cruelty of Germans (Tshaka, 2015). Thus
experienced to certain forms of atrocities and violence, German Jews similar to other Jews
leaped in the defence the military forces belonging to their nation. Studies of Lindemann, (2014)
indicated the way the Jewish returned on the attack by giving rise to severe atrocities of their
own.
Drawing significance from the work of Scheff, Daniel and Sterphone (2018), it has been
revealed that the refugee Jews emerged from an uncertain obstruction of the Marne which had
posed critical challenges and impediments for Germans and turned the war into a highly
agonizing and unbearable game of slow destruction. Now Germany was combating on two
fronts, resentful of its desire which reflected a successful loss of France in World War I with the
dreadful and unbearable spectre of trench conflict emerged along with it the anticipation of
acquiring new arms that would contest their opponents with a decisive loss. Stammers (2017)
also expressed similar views which revealed that unlike African-Americans involved in the
American military forces, German Jews were greatly influenced as well as incorporated into their
nation’s armed forces whereby events of anti-Jewish abuses were also atypical. On the other
hand, studies of Mach (2017) stated that as the war ground of First World War was relentlessly
existent, substantial rate anti-Semitic speculations began to disseminate among German people
stating acts of cruelty done by Jews and the way they had been exploiting the war rather than
sincerely fighting in it. The concluding gasp of Germany’s period of war objective transpired in
the spring of 1918 in which the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk had rewarded a major proportion of
Russian territory to Germany during the end of the war in the East. However, as per the studies
of Gluckstein (2018), in the East, German armed forces under the regime of General Ludendorff

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pushed the British along with the French military forces back thirty-seven miles which resulted
to almost half a million of fatalities. Furthermore, with the affirmation of Rathenau on the Treaty
of Rapallo with the Soviets it accentuated Germany’s land assertions from the First World War
(Tucker, 2016). This affirmation thus resulted in the rise of the notion of Jewish betrayal during
as well as after the war paved its way for a political association that perceived Jews as not only
mere traitors but as a noxious opponent.
Research Design
The research paper will be based that are typically collected by and voluntarily accessible
from other resources. As secondary data analysis primarily relies on the published data or based
on original resources it will be highly resourceful for this area of investigation on significant
events of WWI. As this research will be based on qualitative data with critical evaluation of the
past historical events, it will enable the researchers to efficiently facilitate the development of a
clear understanding of the underlying conjectures of the events occurred in the First World War.
The role of the researcher in this study of qualitative exploration is to attempt to access the
thoughts and outlooks of study of sampling size of 20 participants.
Discussion
Moser (2016) stated the importance to look back almost a century to the end of World
War I to successfully evaluate the situations and requisites whereby Hitler made his political
manifestation. The German military forces had been positioned on French as well as Belgian
territory for almost the entire four years of the warfare. It had drawn much significance from the
studies of Lindemann (2014) that during the warfare, German showed immense resistance in
considering their loss because of armed forces. Rather the Germans were highly convinced of
events of deliberate infidelity and disloyalty from the end of Kaiser Government along with its

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military force by insidious factors which stabbed Germany at the back. This significantly opened
avenues for apprehensive political disturbance which further triggered the existing severe anti-
Semitism of the former Conservative Party and constructed on the several centuries of European
call for anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism (Scheff, Daniel & Sterphone, 2018). At this juncture,
Griech-Polelle (2018) elaborated on the undemanding efforts of anti-Semites and biased
opportunists to affirm that Jewry was the chief, subversive, subtle, attacking element. However,
it did not facilitate that Jews had been permitted to develop as full citizens since 1871 when
several German states along with their principalities had amalgamated into a single nation
(Housden, 2018). However, according to Voigtländer & Voth (2015), several scholars failed to
emphasize on the discontinuity of Hitler’s self-control which resulted to the conclusion of legal
discrimination held against the Jews. Furthermore, the so-called ‘Aryan Paragraph’ particularly
implemented to any individual descended from even the non-Aryans in particular the ones with
Jewish parent or grandparent. While Tshaka (2015) stated that reasonably only some Jews were
engaged in the field of civil service during that period in which the regulation recognized the
principle which would act as a centre of all succeeding legislation.
Conclusion
Thus from Hypothesis 1, it can be stated that Hitler’s underlying assumptions regarding
First World War would later continually return to a single point which implies the way German
could mitigate relentless errors occurred in the Second World War. However, for Hitler, the
infidelity myth bought the First World War to an unexpected and degrading conclusion. Such an
abrupt conclusion that Hitler signified as German’s incompetence to identify issues and
obstructions of race and especially concerning the Jewish danger and threats. This resulted to the
extreme right in Germany during the early 1900s to initiate the seizing on current narratives of

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Jewish infidelity or betrayal along with an elevating Jews develop as a targeted association by
historians.

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References
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