25. A Reinterpretation Of The Ottoman Neutrality During The War

Abstract

The Russo-Japanese War broke out at an important stage in modern Jewish history. At the beginning of the twentieth century, half of the world's Jewish population, or about five million Jews, resided in the Russian empire, constituting about four percent of the empire's population. When the war broke out, thousands of Jews were drafted, as part of the general mobilization. The most remembered Jewish soldier in that war was Joseph Trumpeldor. In 1912, he emigrated to Palestine, where he organized the first Jewish fighting unit, which saw action on the British side in the battle of Gallipoli in World War I. Although thousands of Jews fought and died on the Russian side, Jews all over the world were elated by Japan's victories. The Russo-Japanese War stirred an interest in the Jews among the Japanese. These events convinced many Jews that there was no future for them in Russia. Keywords: Japan's victories; Jews; Joseph Trumpeldor; Russian empire; Russo-Japanese War; World War I