Language:
English
Year of publication:
2012
Titel der Quelle:
Jewish Historical Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
44 (2012) 75-102
Keywords:
Jews History 1500-
;
Mass media
;
Jews History 1800-2000
;
Mass media
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
Abstract:
Examines reactions to the rise of antisemitism in Weimar Germany of the four most influential English-language newspapers: the British "Times" and "Manchester Guardian", and the U.S.'s "New York Times" and "Chicago Daily Tribune". Focuses on three cases of German antisemitism in 1918-33 and Anglo-American reactions to them: the upsurge of antisemitism during the German revolution and foundation of the Weimar Republic in 1918-19; anti-Jewish riots in the Scheunenviertel, Berlin, in November 1923; and Nazi antisemitism from the Reichstag elections of September 1930 until Hitler's seizure of power in January 1933. Shows that despite occasional differences along national or ideological dividing lines, the coverage of German antisemitism by these papers showed a remarkable similarity. The papers regarded German antisemitism as evidence of a deep-rooted political and social crisis in the Weimar Republic. At the earlier stage, their reports were neutral and somewhat tainted with antisemitism: the journalists subconsciously absorbed the antisemitic bias of their German sources, and the reports also reflected the antisemitism prevalent in Britain and the U.S. in the 1920s. The papers underestimated the radical nature of Nazi antisemitism, sometimes seeing it as a propaganda show to rouse the support of the discontented. Preconditioned by their liberal stance, the papers did not expect the Nazis to transform their race hatred into a policy of Jewish persecution. The Nazi antisemitic campaign of the first weeks of Hitler's rule came to them as a shock.
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