Figure 1.--.
|
Figure 1.--. |
Primeminister Herbert Asquith and his Liberal government had no interest in a Jewish entity in Palestine. They saw British support for such an entity as detrimental to British strategic aims in the Arab-populated Middle East. The Conservative (Tory) David Lloyd George became prime minister (December 1916). He chose Arthur James Balfour as his foreign secretary. Lloyd George and his Tory supporters were much more committed to preserving Britain's imperial position in the world. Lloyd George believed that Britosh possession of Palestine would help butress the security of Suez. Thus he was more interested in establishing British possession of Palestine than participating in an international "condominium" with the French. Here a factor was the British build-up in Egypt. British forces in Egypt wre expanded to 300,000 men for the offensive through Palestine toward Syria. It is not clear just when Lloyd George decided on Palestine, but he is known to have held the opinion (March 1917). He felt that a British army in possession of Palestine would more than offset the Sykes-Picot Agreement
It is not fully understood just what promted Lord George's Government to make an initiative to Jews and Zionists. There are several factors that must have been part of the British decession. Neither Lloyd George or Balfour ever provided a clear statement as to their motivation. Surely the war situation was a factor, but there were several other factors that seem to have been important. Whatever the reasons, the Balfour declaration formally committed the British Government to the Zionist cause (November 1917).
World War I broke out in Europe (August 1914). This came as a great surprise to European statemen, many of whom thought another major war was inconceivanle. Even after the War began, most Europeam leaders and militart experts thought it ould be a short war of movement. It almost was as the Germans drive thriyugh Belgium and into northern France driving toward Paris. The Russians precented the Germans from focus the full force of their army on France. The British helped slow down the German drive through Belgium. Then the French stand on the Marne (September 1914) turned the War into a long grueling struggle between the Central Powers and the Allies. Germany with Europe's strongest army had the advatage in a short war which could be sided in Europe. The Allies had the greatest human and economic resorces. And the British Royal Navy imposed an increasingly effective blockade on Germany. Thus as the War dragged on, the advantages shifted to the Allies. And the War expanded to areas outside of Europe, including the Middle East.
The Germans sought to bring the declining Ottoman Empire into the War to put draw Russian and British resources from the two main fronts of the War. The Ottomans joined the Central Powers (October 1914). They had suffered significan territorial losses in the Balkans and the Caucauses at the hands of the Russians and saw alling themselves with the Germans was one way of regaining lost territory from the beleagered Russians. The War quickly turned into a disaster when the Ottoman army invading the Russian Causcasses was decisively defeated. An Ottoman offensive from Palestine to take Suez was defeated by the British.
The Allies needing a way to open up supply lines to the Russians and seeking gto known the Ottomans out of the War conceived of the Galipoli Offensive. The Australians were used along with New Zealand, British, and French troops in the costly Gallipoli campaign (1915). The concept was to releave the Russians who at the time were ill equipped and suffering enormous losses. The Australians 4 1/2 months of training near Cairo, the Australians were transported by ship to Turkey. They were deploye on the Gallipoli peninsula, together with New Zealand units. The landings were made at ANZAC Cove (April 25, 1915). They gained the steep slopes above the beach. Then the capaign became an Allied effort to break out and a Ottomon attemp to elinate the Allied beachhead. The fighting turned into a costly stalemate continued throughout the remainder of 1915. Finally the Allies withdrew (December 19-20). The Allies might have done this earlier, but a withdrawing force was very vulnerable. The Allies executed a successful deception campaign and managd to evacuate with minimal casualties.
Sharif Husayn encouraged by his correspondence with the British launched the fmed Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire June 5, 1916). Husayn declared himself "King of the Arabs" (October 1916). The Arab revolt in the Hejaz broke out, surprising the Ottomans (June 5, 1916). British and French agents played a major role in inducung the Arab rising. The Arab Revolt, led chiefly by Col. T.E. Lawrence, Emir Faisal, and his father Sherif Hussein, "King of the Hejaz". Tge first major success was tsking the Ottoman garison at Aqaba. The Arab Revolt broke out in full force (January-September 1918). The Arabs took control of Arabia cutting rail lines. Isolated Ottoman garrisons were besieged throughout the Peninsula. The Ottomans hrd oressed by the British in Palestine were unable to deal with the Arab Revolt.
Primeminister Herbert Asquith and his Liberal government had no interest in a Jewish entity in Palestine. They saw British support for such an entity as detrimental to British strategic aims in the Arab-populated Middle East. The Conservative (Tory) David Lloyd George became prime minister (December 1916). He chose Arthur James Balfour as his foreign secretary.
Lloyd George and his Tory supporters were much more committed to preserving Britain's imperial position in the world. Lloyd George believed that British possession of Palestine would help butress the security of Suez. Thus he was more interested in establishing British possession of Palestine than participating in an international "condominium" with the French as probided for in the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
A factor in Lloyd-George's attitude was the British military build-up in Egypt. British forces in Egypt wre expanded to 300,000 men for the offensive through Palestine toward Syria. It is not clear just when Lloyd George decided on Palestine, but he is known to have held the opinion (March 1917). He felt that a British army in possession of Palestine would more than offset the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
Surely the war situation was a factor. The Tsar had been deposed (February 1917). The Provisional Government that replaced the Tsar kept Russia in the War, but the Russian Army's ability to resist the Germans rapidly deteriorated. The Bloshevick Rbolution brought to power aleadership determined tgo quit the War. This mean that the Germans could now shift forces west for a determined new effort to defeat the Allies.
The British saw the Zionists as a potential new ally that would cooperaste with British authorities in Palestine..capable of safeguarding British imperial interests in the region. The Jews were a minority in Palestine, but they were an important minority.
Britain, with substantial assistance from the Kaiser, had at last succeeded in brining America into the War (April 1917). While America had sat out the war as a neutral, there was considerable enthuisam when America went to war. The British calculated that support for a Jewish entity would help build support for the War. This seems a misreading of American politics. Jews primarily as a result of immigration from Russia had become an important minority in the United States. While they were nitter toward Russia, they had little investment either in the outcome of the War. Nor were American Jews attracted by Zionism. Most probably would have prefeerd to stay our of the war, but they had little influence on the Wilson Administration.
The British were still hopeful that the Russians could be kept in the War. Some leading Bolshevicks were known to be Jews. The British thought that support for Zionism might by them influence with the Bolshevicks. Here they wee mistaken. The Bolshecicks were firmly committed to quiting the War. Undoubtedly Lennin understood that this had been a major part of their success and continuong the War would have certainly ruined their ability to hold on to power. While important Bolsevicks were Jews, they were not Zionists. The Bolshevick Jews were convinced that Socialism was the answer to anti-Semitism.
The British Foreign Office seems to have believed that the Germans were planning to preempt them by making a commitment to the Zionists. This seems unlikely as the Ottoman Empire was still an important ally nd Palestine was an Ottoman province.
Lloyd George and Balfour were both devout Christians and regular churchgoers. They read the Bible regularly and were very familiar with the Old Testament as well as the New Testamenent. They thus both saw religious significance to the return of the Jews to their promised homeland.
The British negotiations for a Jewish entity were conducted with Chaim Weizmann, a gifted statesman and scientist. Weizmann impressed Balfour throughout the negotiations. Weizmann also cleverly handled the British press.
The outcome of the negotiations between Balfour and Weizmann was a letter from Balfour to Lord Rothschild This letter is what is now referred to as the Balfour Declaration. Balfour in the letter declared the British government's "sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations" and viewed with favor "the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish People". The Foreign Secretary also stated the British Government's intention to make possible the achievement of this objective. There was a diplomaric phrase at the end with the reservation that "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
The Balfour declaration formally committed the British Government to the Zionist cause (November 1917). It did not specify, however, the character of the "Mational Home" to be created. Nor did it bind the Briish Government in perpetuity. In fact the British would after the War gradually back track from that commitment. What the Balfour Declaration did was to significantly change the status of the Zionist movement. Until the Balfour Declaration, the Zionist movement was widely seen, even within the Jewish community, as a quixotic fantasy on the part of fanatical Jews without any real hope of success. The endorsement of the British Government changed this. It gave the Zionist international recognition by a great power that their effort was a legitimate undertaking. British recognition also gave considerable support to the dream that a Jewish Himeland could be achieved.
The Balfour Declaration is one of the most controversial documents in modern history. It was rejected by the Arabs, especially Palestinian Arabs. It is seems at a minimum, contrary to the spirit of British pledges in the Husayn-McMahon correspondence which played a role in the Arab Revolt. It also seems to cotradict the Sykes-Picot agreement. Balfour and Weissmannworked very carefully on the wording, but Jews and Arabs as well as others argue endlessly as to the meaning and validity of the doument. The essential problem is that the document includes two incompatible commitments. One is the establishment of a Jewish national and two is preservation of the rights of non-Jewish communities, the largest of course was the Arabs. There may have been room for compromise in a secular state. There is, however, no such thing as a purely secular state in the Muslim world. Turkey comes the cloesest to this, but in the Arab world there are many advantages given to Islam even in states that are not openly Islamic. These are enforced through both legal and extra-legal actions.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Zionism and World War I page]
[Return to the Main Zionism page]
[Return to the Main Judiaism page]
[Return to the Main Israel page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]