Language:
English
Year of publication:
2010
Titel der Quelle:
European Review of History
Angaben zur Quelle:
17,3 (2010) 431-444
Keywords:
Jews History 1800-2000
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Jews History 1800-2000
Abstract:
Compares antisemitic discourses of leading Polish nationalist writers of this period (e.g. Popławski and Dmowski) with those of Russian nationalists (e.g. Suvorin and Menshikov). Despite all the differences between the Polish and Russian integral nationalisms, their depictions of the Jew as "other" and as an enemy of the Polish and Russian nations respectively are similar. Having moderately pro-Western orientation, both groups of nationalists define Jews as an "oriental sect", the result of an Asiatic invasion of Europe, and describe them in racial terms. They depict Jews as an alien group, overtly cosmopolitan, but internally cohesive and aspiring to reach domination over Poland or Russia respectively. With this goal in mind, the Jews disseminate socialism. It is doubtful that the Polish writers could borrow ideas from their Russian counterparts and vice-versa; most probably, both Polish and Russian nationalists were influenced by some Western antisemitic authors, like Renan or H.S. Chamberlain. Characteristically, for Menshikov the Jews constituted a serious problem for Poland, where they had corrupted the nobility, but a less acute problem for Russia, which had other burning issues like its backwardness and Ukrainian separatism.
DOI:
10.1080/13507486.2010.481941
URL:
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