Language:
English
Year of publication:
2010
Titel der Quelle:
East European Jewish Affairs
Angaben zur Quelle:
40,1 (2010) 43-60
Keywords:
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Jews History 1500-
;
Jews Periodicals
Abstract:
Anti-Jewish violence in Russia in the late 19th century, and to an even greater degree the Kishinev pogrom of 1903 and the wave of pogroms in 1905-6 were crucial in changing American attitudes toward Russia. The Americans increasingly began to see Russia as an uncivilized, barbarian country, and the idea of America's "mission for freedom", aiming in particular to bring freedom and democracy to Russia, received new reasoning. Immediate effects of the bloody pogrom in Kishinev included mass rallies throughout the USA. The "Kishinev petition", signed by 13,000 Americans, including Theodore Roosevelt, was delivered to the Russian government. During the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5, many Americans supported Japan. The anti-Jewish violence brought about by the Russian revolution of 1905 disappointed many Americans and made them see Russia as an irretrievably barbarian country. In addition, the pogroms in Russia coincided with a wave of lynchings of Blacks in the American South and with an upsurge of racism and antisemitism in the country, causing many Americans to view as hypocrisy the shedding of "so many tears" over Jews in Russia while being silent concerning the "outrages perpetrated against black neighbors at home". Includes numerous contemporary cartoons, which appeared in American newspapers.
DOI:
10.1080/13501671003593642
URL:
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