In this series, we are discussing the events of World War I that led to the partition of the Ottoman Empire.
This is episode 5-22: Zionists and Palestine.
Before we get into the episode, let’s do a brief recap of where we are so far:
- Frustrated with the progress of the war, Britain chooses Lloyd George as its new Prime Minister in December 1916
- Lloyd George is an imperialist and Christian Zionist, and wants to create a semi-autonomous Jewish state in Palestine
- In the Spring of 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicates his throne and Russia descends into civil war
- Later that year, Georges Clemenceau becomes the new Prime Minister of France
- With Russia out of the war, Britain and France hope to convince millions of Russian Jews to support the Allied cause
And with that, let’s begin our discussion of the Balfour Declaration.
Christian Zionism
Religion is often overlooked as a factor of World War I. Each of the major participants had different religious environments and each government viewed religion differently.