Pogroms: Anti-Jewish Violence in Modern Russian History

Description

Three major waves of anti-Jewish rioting swept southern Russia and Russian Poland in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In this book, distinguished scholars of Russian Jewish history explore the origins and nature of these pogroms, which were among the most extensive outbreaks of antisemitic violence before the Holocaust. Using new approaches to the study of Russian history, the contributors examine each wave of violence in turn. They look at the role of violence in Russian society; the prejudices, stereotypes, and psychology of both the educated society and the rural masses; the work of the Tsarist regime, especially the police and the army as agents of order and control; and the impact of the pogroms on the sense of Jewish identity and security in the Empire. In his conclusion, Hans Rogger compares these riots with both pogroms elsewhere in Europe and anti-Negro violence in the United States during the same period.

"...impressive collection of essays...superb introductory pieces by John Klier...consistently tight editing...This book will prove invaluable not only to students of Russian, Polish, and Jewish history, but also to scholars of other disciplines focusing on mass movements, modern antisemitism, and ethnic group relations." Shofar "A unique collection of well-written scholarly essays...The essays make clear that the old view that Russian pogroms were primarily a result of tsarist government encouragement is simply not accurate." Choice "...should be required reading for students of Russian and Jewish history and for persons interested in ethnic violence in general." Bernice Glatzer Rosenthal, Journal of Modern History "This valuable collection of essays focuses on the three major waves of pogroms that took place almost exclusively on Ukrainian ethnolinguistic territory during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...the collection represents a very positive contribution to the scholarship on this topic, and will be appreciated by specialists in the history of the Jews of the region as well as researchers involved in broader issues." Henry Abramson, University of Toronto, in Journal of Ukrainian Studies "Klier's study has richly added to our picture of the Russian version of [the] debate." Nationalities Papers "...a striking quality of Klier's book is its factual solidity..." Journal of Modern History