Language:
German
Year of publication:
2009
Titel der Quelle:
Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft
Angaben zur Quelle:
57,1 (2009 5-25
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
States that Soviet ethnic policy in Latvia helped prepare the ground for Latvians' receptivity to Nazi antisemitic propaganda. Stalin promoted Russian nationalism and mistrusted non-Russians; he also believed in a policy of "divide and conquer". Thus the Soviet-imposed regime favored ethnic Russians and Jews over ethnic Latvians. Jews, who had suffered discrimination and consequent empoverishment under the previous regime, made up a large part of the mob in the "spontaneous" riots that welcomed the Soviet invasion. The communists wooed the Jews through their fight against antisemitism, although they also prohibited the Zionist movement and took over other Jewish organizations and the Jewish press. They enlisted ethnic Rusians and Jews in auxiliary guard troops and appointed them to key positions in the party, the government, and the secret police. Although the great majority of Jews remained politically uninvolved, Jews in such positions created the impression of a "Russian-Jewish regime". The situation was similar in the other Baltic states.
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