What caused millions of Germans to emigrate?
Western media reported on November 26th that US President Trump has repeatedly expressed doubts about global warming. His most famous words and deeds in this regard were that in 212, he tweeted that climate change was a "scam" designed by China people, and in June this year, he pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement. However, Trump may not know that a climate change caused by natural factors is one of the reasons why 5 million Germans immigrated to the other side of the Atlantic in the 19th century. Among these immigrants, Trump's ancestors and famous families who later founded business empires, such as Heinz, a nutritious food producer, and Pfizer Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Spain reported on November 21st that a study by the University of Freiburg in Germany showed that Germans immigrated to North America not only because Germany was plagued by poverty, war and revolution at that time, but also because of climate change. This immigration tide began at the end of the "Little Ice Age" in the cold period. In this century (19th century), glaciers in the Alps continued to expand, with cold winters and cool summers appearing continuously, and other extreme weather phenomena such as drought and floods appeared.
"In a word, we found that climate indirectly caused 2%-3% of immigrants to emigrate from southwestern Germany to North America in the 19th century", rudiger Glazer, the lead author of the research report, pointed out.
It is reported that researchers can see the effects of climate change in most major migration flows in southwestern Germany in the 19th century. "The chain of effects is clearly visible: bad weather conditions lead to poor agricultural harvests and rising food prices, which eventually prompt people to emigrate," Glazer pointed out, "but this is only a way of influencing". Studies show that climate change exerts its influence in different ways in different migration flows.
The researchers studied the official statistics of immigrants, population data, climate data, harvest status and food prices in the 19th century. They mainly study Baden-Wü rttemberg, where there are the most immigrants, such as Charles Pfizer, one of the founders of Pfizer.
It is reported that the first migration wave occurred after the eruption of Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815. Volcanic ash and gas caused the world's temperature to drop in the following years. In 1816, there was no summer, and it was wet and cold all year round, which led to widespread crop failure, famine and migration. In 1846, there was another migration peak, which was extremely hot and dry in the summer, leading to poor harvest and rising food prices. In these two waves of migration, climate has the greatest influence, while in other waves of migration, economic prospects, government policies, political struggles, wars and other factors have a greater influence.
It is reported that in recent years, with the increase of extreme weather, climate causes have once again become the core topic of immigration discussion.