Language:
German
Year of publication:
2010
Titel der Quelle:
Transversal; Zeitschrift für Jüdische Studien
Angaben zur Quelle:
11,1 (2010) 79-86
Keywords:
Jews
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
Abstract:
Discusses the pogrom in Zhytomyr (northwestern Ukraine) in April 1905, focusing on the role of the Jewish self-defense unit which was created one year earlier and which might have prompted the attack of the peasants. The Jewish self-defense unit, consisting of 600 young armed men, was established by the Bund in the context of a regime crisis and of growing hostility toward Jews. It acted not only as a self-defense group, but also as an active deterrent, which contributed, as part of the Bund's policy, to destabilization of the tsarist regime. The peasants developed a fear that members of the group were going to attack them. Rumors circulated that when the Jewish group did exercises, they would shoot at a picture of the Tsar, and that in the approaching Easter holiday they would blast the churches of the village. The pogrom took place mainly on the periphery of the town, where the police and the army were absent. The Jewish self-defense failed completely to contain the Christian rioters. Finally, the army arrived and stopped the attack. 17 Jews died, many were injured, and there was severe damage to property.
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