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Concept
Political views of Albert Einstein
Summary
Albert Einstein was predominantly known during his lifetime for his development of the theory of relativity and his work in the field of physics in general. However, his political views were of public interest through the middle of the 20th century due to his fame and involvement in political, humanitarian, and academic projects around the world.
Einstein was a peace activist and a firm advocate of global federalism and world law. He was in favour of socialism, especially in his later life, detailing his economic views in a 1949 article titled "Why Socialism?" for the Monthly Review. His visible position in society allowed him to speak and write frankly, even provocatively, at a time when many people were silenced in Europe due to the rise of Nazism in Germany. Einstein, an Ashkenazi Jew, was staunchly opposed to the policies of the Nazi government; shortly after the outbreak of World War II, he relocated to the United States and became an American citizen in 1940. Following his move, he frequently objected to the mistreatment of African Americans throughout the country and also worked with various civil rights organizations. Einstein was a prominent supporter of Labor Zionism for Israel, and also advocated Arab–Jewish cooperation after the outbreak of the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Born in Ulm, Einstein was a German citizen from birth. As he grew older, Einstein's pacifism often clashed with the German Empire's militant views at the time. At the age of 17, Einstein renounced his German citizenship and moved to Switzerland to attend college. The loss of Einstein's citizenship allowed him to avoid service in the military, which suited his pacifist views. In response to a Manifesto of the Ninety-Three signed by 93 leading German intellectuals including Max Planck in support of the German war effort, Einstein and three others wrote a counter-manifesto.
Einstein accepted a position at the University of Berlin in 1914, returning to Germany where he spent his time during the rest of World War I. Einstein also reacquired his German citizenship.
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