▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁prove ▁their ▁commit ment ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁hom eland . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁census ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁prove ▁that ▁Jews ▁were ▁bet ray ing ▁the ▁Father land ▁by ▁sh irk ing ▁military ▁service . ▁According ▁to ▁Am os ▁El on , ▁" In ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁when ▁almost ▁three ▁thousand ▁Jews ▁had ▁already ▁died ▁on ▁the ▁battle field ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁seven ▁thousand ▁had ▁been ▁decor ated , ▁War ▁Minister ▁Wild ▁von ▁H ohen born ▁saw ▁fit ▁to ▁san ction ▁the ▁growing ▁pre jud ices . ▁He ▁ordered ▁a ▁" J ew ▁census " ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁actual ▁number ▁of ▁Jews ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁lines ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁those ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁rear . ▁Ign oring ▁protest s ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁and ▁the ▁press , ▁he ▁proceeded ▁with ▁his ▁head ▁count . ▁The ▁results ▁were ▁not ▁made ▁public , ▁ost ens ibly ▁to ▁" sp are ▁Jewish ▁feelings ." ▁The ▁truth ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁census ▁dis pro ved ▁the ▁accus ations : ▁ 8 0 ▁percent ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁lines ." ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁position ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁census ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁dis cred it ▁growing ▁anti - sem it ic ▁sent iments ▁and ▁rum ors . ▁However , ▁the ▁evidence ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁government ' s ▁intention ▁was ▁the ▁opposite : ▁to ▁ac quire ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁the ▁pur port ed ▁ill ▁de eds . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁Jews ▁in ▁Germany ▁being