A Deadly Legacy: German Jews and the Great WarShortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2018 This book is the first to offer a full account of the varied contributions of German Jews to Imperial Germany's endeavors during the Great War. Historian Tim Grady examines the efforts of the 100,000 Jewish soldiers who served in the German military (12,000 of whom died), as well as the various activities Jewish communities supported at home, such as raising funds for the war effort and securing vital food supplies. However, Grady's research goes much deeper: he shows that German Jews were never at the periphery of Germany's warfare, but were in fact heavily involved. The author finds that many German Jews were committed to the same brutal and destructive war that other Germans endorsed, and he discusses how the conflict was in many ways lived by both groups alike. What none could have foreseen was the dangerous legacy they created together, a legacy that enabled Hitler's rise to power and planted the seeds of the Holocaust to come. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actually already anti-Semitism appeared army attack August Ballin battle became Berlin Bernhard border British called campaign census concerned continued cultural death defeat Deutsche deutschen Deutschland early east Eastern European Jews effort enemy Europe example explained fighting final followed forced Frankfurt French front further Georg German army German Jews German-Jewish Germany’s helped Hindenburg History idea January Jewish communities Jewish soldiers Juden Jüdische July kaiser killed later living Ludendorff managed March military months needed never newspaper November October offered officer once organisation party peace plans political population position proved rabbis Rathenau reason remained role Russian seemed sense September served simply social society started suggested territorial took turned University Press victory Vossische Zeitung wartime workers World Zeitung