A Brief History of Europe

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A Brief History of Europes Jews
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Hebrews are a Semitic (non-European)People
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Conquered by Romans

• Time period of Jesus
• Jews were expelled from Israel after an
  anti-Roman uprising

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Diaspora

• Jews become minorities in countries all over
  Europe and Russia
• As non-Christians and minorities, they are often
  treated poorly
• Kicked out of many countries- Spain
  (reconquista), England but later allowed back in,
  France, etc.

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Jews developed a culture that has its foundation
in their precarious position

• Sometimes Europeans kings would expel them from
  the country just because they wanted their wealth
• Jews thus focus on a highly portable asset --
  education
• Doctors, lawyers, etc.

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Prejudice and Scapegoating

• Jews Were Relatively Successful/Wealthy in Many
  European Nations
• Educated
• Concentrated in cities
• Moneylenders
• Irony of anti-Jewish money-grubbing stereotype?
  
• Persecuted/scapegoated
• Killers of Christ
• Better off than me why?
• Economic depressions often cause hatred of
  money-lenders (why?)
• In the Middle Ages, during the Black Plague, were
  massacred for poisoning the wells since they
  seemed to die at a slower rate than other
  Europeans
• Kosher cleanliness rituals?
• Lack of contact with other Europeans?
• Pogroms

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Attempts to Stop the Plague
Pograms against the Jews
Golden Circle obligatory badge
Jew hat
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Ghetto System

• Europeans dont want the Jews around, and yet
• according to some biblical interpretations, the
  Jews must be present on the Day of Judgment
• they will be given a choice of whether to
  convert/repent or burn in hell
• So you cant get rid of them or you ruin the
  second coming of Christ
• However, you dont want them around, so
• Dont get rid of them, just separate them

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Napoleon Releases Many Jews From European
Ghettoes

• This was part of his genuinely liberal policy
• Once Napoleon was gone, there was an uneasy
  tension between Jews and Gentiles in European
  cities

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Do we see how New Nationalism becomes extremely
important to this story?

• Social Darwinism
• Certain races are superior
• Not surprising that the majority group feels they
  are that race
• We-they outlook
• Scapegoats
• Use of Jews to whip up Bismarck style nationalism
  
• If you can become popular starting wars against
  foreigners, you can probably do the same by
  persecuting the Jews

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Social Darwinism

• Darwins ideas

Boo!
Yay!
VS
Survival of the Fittest among animal species
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Darwins Ideas Were New and Earth-shattering in
the late 19th Century

• How did Social Darwinists use these ideas?
• Darwins ideas applied to human society
• Do we cry for the loser? Why? Why not?
• Justification

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The Dreyfus Affair

• In 1894 a list of French military documents were
  found in the waste basket of the German Embassy
  in Paris.
• French counter-intelligence suspected Captain
  Alfred Dreyfus, ? he was one of the few Jews on
  the General Staff.

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The Dreyfus Affair

• Dreyfus was tried, convicted of treason despite
  very little evidence, and sent to Devils Island
  in French Guiana.
• The real culprit was a Major Esterhazy, whose
  handwriting was the same as that on the
  bordereau.
• The government tried him and found him not guilty
  in two days.

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The Dreyfus Affair

• A famous author, Emile Zola, published an open
  letter called JAccuse!
• He accused the army of a mistrial and cover-up.
• The government prosecuted him for libel.
• Found him guilty ? sentenced to a year in prison.

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JAccuse!
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The Dreyfus Affair
Dreyfusards
Anti-Dreyfusards

• Public opinion was divided ? it reflected the
  divisions in Fr. society.
• The Dreyfusards were anti-clericals,
  intellectuals, free masons, socialists.
• For Anti-Dreyfusards, the honor of the army was
  more important than Dreyfus guilt or innocence.
• Were army supporters, monarchists, Catholics.

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Dreyfus, the Traitor!
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Dreyfus Affair

• In 1905, Dreyfus was finally given a new trial
  and exonerated

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The Zionist Movement

• Was motivated by the Dreyfus trial to write the
  book, Der Judenstaat, orThe Jewish State in
  1896.
• Creates the First Zionist Congress in Basel,
  Switzerland.
• Father of Modern Zionism.

Theodore Herzl1860-1904