A Study On The Jewish Policies Of The Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration

It was the time of gradual escalation that Nazi Germany persecuted Jews when Franklin D.Roosevelt was in power during 1933-1945.In the face of fascist aggression,President Roosevelt chose to "act as a bastion of democracy in the world," he showed the humanitarian gesture in the relief of Jewish refugees.However,it doomed that his relief is limited because of the domestic isolationist,Anti-Semitism and the economic crisis and other factors.In domestic affairs,President Roosevelt appointed a large number of Jewish elites so as to restore and develop the economy of the Great Depression during 1929-1933.His trust of the Jews in his appointment was unprecedented in all the previous presidents in the United States before him. Roosevelt's Jewish policy and the the dual attitude of Palestinian question had a significant impact on the Zionism and the subsequent American governments.This thesis is divided into four parts to discuss and analyse the Roosevelt administration's Jewish policies:The first part elaborates the governmental policies on domestic Jews:First of all,it presents the background of the governmental policies on domestic Jews,this mainly reflects in two aspects:on the one hand,the Roosevelt administration was in close contact with the Jews,the Jews were boldly appointed to promote the New Deal to restore the economy and ease contradictions,on the other hand,his government took the advantageous measure to struggle firmly with the Fascist who were Anti-Semitic and Anti-New Deal,this gave the fascist forces a heavy blow.The second part focuses on the duality of the governmental policies of rescuing the Jewish refugees in Europe,the policies had not only positive aspects but also negative aspects.First of all,it presents the gradual Anti-Semitic campaign which was launched by Fascist Germany;Second,it elaborates the negative aspects of accepting Jewish refugees in Europe,this is mainly embodied in two important events:first,before the United States announced the war,the government refused to accept the Jews on the "St. Louis"who were eacaped from the claws of the Nazis,and the other thing was that the government refused to bomb the "Auschwitz" to rescue more Jewish refugees when taking into account the strategic issues in the war;Third,it elaborates the positive aspects of accepting Jewish refugees in Europe which is mainly embodied in three aspects,as follows:Roosevelt administrative department initiated the challenge to the immigration right pattern,President Roosevelt appealed to hold the international refugee conference and president decided to establish the wartime refugee committee.The third part focuses on the duality of the governmental policies on the issue of Jewish nation-building:on the one hand,the government placed the most profound sympathy for the goal of Zionism and supported the Jews to establish their own country in Palestine;on the other hand,the government was not willing to offend the Arab countries.Although the United States must take into account the interests of the oil,President Roosevelt always had a mindset,that is,the land of Palestine should belong to the Jews.The fourth part mainly analyses several factors which restricted the Jew policies Of the the Roosevelt government.Comparatively speaking,the pressure of the governmental policies of rescuing the Jewish refugees in Europe which the government was faced with was much bigger than that of the governmental policies on domestic Jews.First,the United States had formidable isolationism,Anti-Semitism as well as the domestic old immigration quota system which to a large extent impacted the governmental fugee policy;Second,President Roosevelt's dual dispositions affected the duality of the governmental policies of treating the domestic Jews as well as the Jewish refugees in Europe;Third,the economic and military situation of the United States at that time also restricted the Jewish refugee policies.Finally in the conclusion part,the author carries on the appraisal to the Roosevelt governmental Jewish policies.The Roosevelt government made careful response to the slaughter of European Jews which made it too weak reputation in foreign affairs.But president himself unceasingly appealed various countries to receive the Jewish refugees in Europe and tried his best to rescue and resettle the refugees,which caused most Jews who were in the death threat to fill the sincere respect and the sense of gratitude to president;He entrusted Jewish intellectuals with heavy responsibility,he struggled with the Fascist who were Anti-Semitic and Anti-New Deal,which also made him receive much love and respect from domestic Jews,as a result,almost all the ballot of the Jews went to him.