Nazi Germany and the Palestine partition plan

Abstract

After World War I Germany lost the influence she acquired in the Near East at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. During the Weimar Republic German political activity in the Arab countries was almost nil. At that time Germany had neither the means nor the will to attack British and French positions in that area. In the inter-war period Germany was to some extent interested in the Arab countries as markets for German goods. For, despite the decline of German exports during the Great Depression, these markets had some significance for German firms. The fate of the British Oil Development Co. is of some interest in this respect. By participation in this company, which in 1930 obtained a concession to prospect for and exploit oil in Iraq, German firms tried to win markets for themselves 2. But their financing difficulties proved insurmountable, and the German firms withdrew in 1936. A similar step was taken by the Italians who had greater influence in the company, and the British Oil Development Co. became the property of the Iraq Petroleum Company. Lesser arms producers also tried to acquire markets in the Arab East, but their deals were of small significance 3. In 1937-38 German firms tried to obtain orders from Egypt for army supplies, electric power facilities, concessions to build a nitrogen plant and to exploit the iron ore deposits at Assuan 4. These endeavours were however in vain. Having gained a strong position in Turkish and Iranian trade, Germany could not boast of similar successes in the Arab East. The only exception was Palestine, where for specific reasons dwelt on below, Germany did gain a foothold.