Pogrom
A pogrom refers to a violent riot or mob attack, typically aimed at racial, national, or religious minorities, with the term most commonly associated with the organized assaults on Jews in Russia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Originating from a Russian word meaning "destruction," pogroms were often sanctioned or facilitated by local authorities, reflecting deep-seated religious and racial hatred toward vulnerable communities. Historically, these events unfolded during periods of social and political turmoil, with significant waves of pogroms occurring between 1881 and 1921, each becoming more brutal than the last. The initial wave followed the assassination of Czar Alexander II, fueled by rumors linking Jews to the incident, which incited mobs in over two hundred towns. Pogroms not only resulted in widespread violence and loss of life but also prompted systematic discrimination and persecution of Jewish populations by the Russian government. The legacy of these acts of violence contributed to a broader acceptance of anti-Semitic violence across Europe, influencing later attacks in Poland and Germany. Understanding pogroms is crucial for comprehending the historical context of anti-Semitism and its devastating impact on communities.
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Pogrom
Originally a Russian word meaning “destruction,” “riot,” or “devastation,” as an international term, pogrom was applied to mob attacks coordinated or conducted by Russian authorities against the lives and property of racial, national, or religious minorities. Most commonly, pogrom refers to Russian mob attacks and systematic persecution of Jews living in Russia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is an expression of religious and racial hatred toward an easily identified powerless minority.
In modern Russian history, pogrom-like attacks were initially leveled against the Armenians, Tatars, and the Russian intelligentsia. As it is employed in many languages specifically to describe the pillage, murder, and rape of Russian Jews, however, the term pogrom denotes three large-scale waves of devastation between 1881 and 1921. Each of these pogroms surpassed the preceding one in scope and savagery and occurred during periods of severe social and political upheaval in Russia. For example, the first pogroms followed the assassination of Czar Alexander II in 1881 as a result of false rumors about widespread Jewish involvement in the plot. Mobs from more than two hundred towns, inspired by local leaders acting with official support, took part. Pogroms greatly influenced Russian Jewry and history. In their wake, the Russian government adopted systematic policies of discrimination, harassment, and persecution of the Jews. The murder of innocent individuals and whole families was commonplace. This led numerous European anti-Semites to conclude that violence was legitimate and thus helped to pave the way for pogroms to be carried out later in Poland and Germany.
Bibliography
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Dekel-Chen, Jonathan, et al., editors. Anti-Jewish Violence: Rethinking the Pogrom in East European History. Indiana UP, 2010.
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Ratzabi, Hila. "What Were Pogroms?" My Jewish Learning, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-were-pogroms. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.