German Jewish Refugees in 1933: Failure of the League of Nations

Abstract

In 1933 the League of Nations had an office at its disposal, the Nansen Office for International Refugees, with the capacity and willingness to address the problem of German Jewish refugees. Instead it created the High Commissioner for Refugees Coming from Germany (Jewish and Other) that was both underfunded and inferior to the Nansen Office, as it was not affiliated with the League or funded by it. Why did the League not extend its protection to German Jewish refugees via the Nansen Office in 1933? This analysis uses the documents of James G. McDonald, High Commissioner from 1933-35 to explore two explanations: the early start of appeasement in the face of the German disarmament crisis and the effects of transnational anti-Semitism. The broader implications of this analysis suggest the extent to which international organizations rely on states to cooperate. In addition, the discussion of transnational anti-Semitism has the potential to fit with a nuanced Constructivist theory of international relations.