Ein vergessenes Kapitel jüdischer Diplomatie: Richard Lichtheim in den Botschaften Konstantinopels (1913–1917)

Abstract

AbstractThis article deals with Richard Lichtheim’s (1885–1963) successful diplomatic negotiations on behalf of the persecuted Jewish community in Palestine during the First World War. Between 1913 and 1917 the Berlin-born emissary represented the Zionist Organization in Constantinople. Here, his top priority eventually became to win the political support of the Great Powers in order to protect the Yishuv against the harassment of the Turkish authorities, who occasionally threatened the existence of the Jewish settlements in Palestine. Thanks to Lichtheim’s relentless efforts, both the German Reich and the United States repeatedly exerted their influence on the Sublime Porte and thus prevented the expulsion of the Jewish population of Palestine. This article sheds light on a forgotten chapter of Jewish diplomacy. It introduces Richard Licht­heim as an important policymaker during the First World War and shows how he succeeded in winning over both the German and American ambassadors as influential advocates for the Jewish community in Palestine.