What political motives did the British have for the Balfour Declaration?

Question

I'm curious about what the British were hoping to get in return for the Balfour Declaration. I heard that it was to appease the Bolsheviks (such as Trotsky) and get them to side with the Allies after the revolution, but the dates don't seem to match. What did they hope to get from promising the Zionists a homeland at that time?

Answer 1

Chordite. That was all of it. Just Chordite.

Answer 2

I assume you mean the Balfour Declaration of 1917, promising a Zionist homeland. The reasons the British Government allowed this letter - for that is what the declaration was:-

'Dear Lord Rothschild,

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:

"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country".

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours sincerely
Arthur James Balfour'

are hotly disputed. It was sent in the second half of WWI to a leading Jewish financier and can be seen as an attempt by the allied Governments to obtain the backing of the Jewish community. There were negotiations under way at the time in many capitals - both allied and axis - in respect of a Jewish homeland. From the British point of view the declaration can be seen as having a twofold purpose - getting financial support from the world Jewish community at a time when coffers were getting depleted and secondly - and really the mirror of that - it would prevent such aid being given to the opposition Germans. It is arguable that it was designed to appease the Bolshevists including Trotsky. Most of the leaders at the time were Jews. Russia was on the point of signing a peace treaty with Germany, but a view is taken that the Declaration would serve to keep Russia and Germany 'at arms length' and Germans troops still tied up on the eastern front.

Your confusion over dates may be caused by the fact that there was a second Balfour Declaration of 1926 recognising Dominions of the British Empire as fully autonomous states.