Introduction
The European Jewish life had many challenges after 1800, which greatly changed their lives. The European Jews experienced communal development as the modernized way of life changed their status as Jews. This exam paper will tackle question one, about the Jewish developments after 1800 and question two on the incidences of developments that led to great impacts to the life. In addition, the paper will handle question three on the major developments in the European economy between 1850 and 1940. Moreover, the paper will give evidence and supportive arguments of the mentioned areas of concern.
The extent through which this text on the Europeans’ developments highlights the issue of Jewish development somehow lags behind the main issues, but the grasp is unique.
The Jewish migration impacts and process
The migration processes and challenges that the Jews underwent are not clearly redefined. For instance, the Jews represented the largest population in the world during their migration era. Their migration into the Eastern and Central Europe from Germany marked a new era of opportunities, risk-taking, and life change. The Jewish population kept increasing in Russia and Romania, but the situation worsened during the 19th Century.
Ultimately, the economic performance in Romania and Russia worsened due to high dependency ratio on the limited resources especially in Galicia. Moreover, the population growth of the Jews increased rapidly, which culminated in constant domestic violence with political tensions. The general living standards of the Jews signified poverty increase, which led to financial constraints in the Jewish economy. Consequently, the Jews in Eastern Europe considered moving to the United States to look for better living standards. This migration opened a great opportunity and chapter to the Jews who experienced cultural diversity. The Jews became a large community and by the start of the 20th Century, the population had risen to almost ten million.
The economic growth in Europe
The text on the developments is underemphasized, as it does not detail the economic and social developments of the Jews. For instance, the 1800s era marked the political, industrial, and societal changes to the Jewish life. Moreover, the Jews gained social status, as they were in a position to invest and live comfortably. Specifically, the Jews were permitted to acquire national identity cards coupled with having the opportunity to prosper in the European economy. Significantly, the Jews flooded the banking, finance, and accounting sectors in the European countries and the United States. This aspect led to the rapid economic growth in the European and the US economies, which started gaining financial momentum.
Jewish social status and unity
Another special aspect that the Jews had in Europe was the formation of Zionist movements. Due to the increase of the Jews in the Central and Western Europe, Zionism was formed together with Jewish cultures and traditions. The Zionist movement aimed at uniting the Jews and making their name stronger and superior in Europe, and especially in London. Ultimately, the Jewish life after 1800 underwent several changes that placed the Jews at different political, social, cultural, and economic status.
The Jews felt comfortable in Europe since the governments allowed cultural diversity and treated them with dignity. However, the Jews seemed to aim at dominating the European lifestyle due to their large population growth even though the Europeans strongholds kept an eye on their tactics. Nevertheless, the Jewish culture seemed difficult to tame since the Jewish strongholds maintained their cultural beliefs and traditions that exist even to date. The liberal nature and stubbornness enabled the Jews to persevere the harsh economic, social, political, and demographic conditions in Europe.
The World War II led to great impacts on the life and standards of living on the European Jews more than any other political or economic Jewish encounter.
The World War II was the most life-changing and historic tragedy event to the Jewish life in Europe. In 1945, the American troops together with the Soviet battalions discovered corpses, bones, and burnt human bodies beyond recognition after the Holocaust. This scenario was the result of the Nazi mass murder that left only a few Jewish survivors.
Moreover, the survivors had several disease infections due to the pathetic conditions that they were subjected to, while others were under starvation. However, after the war, Jews feared to return to their homes since they were highly discriminated. For instance, in 1946, police in Kielce killed 42 Jews during Polish riots and others were left badly wounded. Consequently, the Jewish survivors across Europe migrated to the Western Europe where they were accommodated in Bergen-Belsen refugees’ camps in Germany.
Fortunately, the United Nations sponsored and took full responsibility of these displaced persons in the camps. In addition, due to the Jewish unity, some strong Jews helped their colleagues to re-settle. The American-Jewish union provided the basic needs and vocational training for the Holocaust survivors. Ultimately, President Harry Truman weakened the Nazi -displaced persons’ immigrant restrictions and processed 400,000 US immigration visas in 1946, which led to a high influx of Jews into the United States. Other Jews moved to different parts of the world including Europe, North America, and Africa among other places, where they live even to date. Ultimately, the Second World War left a great impact on the Jewish economic, social, and political life, which remains the most tragic history of the Jewish even to date.
The remaining Jews in the Eastern Europe separated themselves from other communities after the Nazi mass killing. This aspect led to a significant loss of property, low self-esteem, and racism in the Eastern and Central Europe. The Jews developed a feeling of hatred, which culminated to disunity in Europe. However, the governments tried to reunify the lost grace and harmony that existed before the war. Finally, the historic migration of the Jews created a disunity gap between the Jews and other world communities. Consequently, the Jews treat themselves as special, the suffering God’s people, which remains a controversial issue to uniting them with the rest of the world.
The presence of diversified culture and traditions in Eastern and Central Europe marked an economic shift to Europe at large. The Jews had their own innovative economic tactics boost in a unique way.
The major developments in European economy in 1850-1940
The major developments that took place in Europe were mainly cultural and religious, with a few economic boosts. The following developments shaped the European economies.
Cultural diversity
The Jewish Historical Museum of Amsterdam was launched in 1930. This move led to a great cultural and religious diversity in Europe and the Jews regarded Europe Synagogues as special. The synagogues acted as a uniting tool for the Jews and Europeans as mutual understanding led to political stability. Due to the stable government that existed in Europe, the cultural diversity led to inventions, innovations, and technological development in the Eastern and Central Europe. Moreover, the Jews who migrated to the Eastern Europe were more specialized in commerce and technology. This aspect later marked a new era for Europe as the technological advancement grew rapidly. This move led to better living standards across Europe.
Technological photographing
In the period 1850-1940, the development of less costly and fast photograph producing skills evolved. This aspect greatly welcomed the modernization era in the media technology. Moreover, the bricks used in Spinoza’s feet statute at Hague were found to have been left behind by the Jews during their migration. This aspect indicates that the bricks served as labor provision evidence that the Jews offered to the Europeans.
Family planning methods invention and e-commerce
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the mortality rate in Europe greatly reduced, which ultimately led to industrialization and economic growth. The growing population in Europe needed a control so that the dependency ratio would be manageable. Significantly, the development of family planning methods played a central role in the control of populations. The Jewish inhabitants were obsessed with technology and the e-commerce businesses. Remarkably, the Jews dominated the majority of the successful banking and finance business enterprises.
In addition, the growing population in Europe led to the innovation of the family planning methods that have been advanced in the modern times. For instance, the Jewish families only raised two or three children. This aspect marked the perspectives and norms of family size to the Europeans as the culture was assimilated into the Europeans’ way of life. This trend of raising two or three children is currently becoming popular across the world. Interestingly, the roles of women in the European society were shaped in a different way by the Jewish culture.
Availability of rough diamonds
The Jews valued diamonds in their cultural and religious ways. The Jews assured a constant supply of the rough-structured diamonds, which played a major role in the economic boost in Europe. All these cultural, social, economic, and political changes led to improved developments across Europe. Specifically, the Netherlands enjoyed most of the benefits like introduced family planning methods, accessible skilled labor, and adequate supply of the rough diamonds from the Jews. Ultimately, the value of diamond led to foreign exchange, foreign investments, and vocational training sponsorships in mineral programs. Moreover, the introduction of diamonds led to the formation of schools, infrastructural developments, and the need for career pathways in individuals’ education life.
Conclusion
The historic life and migration of Jews into Europe marked a new era for both the Jews and Europeans in all dimensions of developments. The Jews had a unique lifestyle, which to some extent created friction in their homeland. In addition, the migration of Jews into Europe led to many political, cultural, social, and demographic changes. The Second World War led to haunting memories in the minds of the European Jews, who later spread to Canada, Mexico, the United States, and Australia through migration. Due to the challenges and obstacles that the Jews went through, a feeling of hatred and neglect dominated their minds. Therefore, the Jews refer to themselves as the suffering God’s children. Due to the migration, Europe experienced technological, cultural, political, and economic developments, which significantly shaped its lifestyle to date.