A Specter Haunting Europe: The Myth of Judeo-Bolshevism, by Paul Hanebrink

In April 1919, 바카라사이트 papal nuncio in Munich reported to Rome his impressions of 바카라사이트 Soviet regime that had established itself in 바카라사이트 Bavarian capital following 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 German monarchy 바카라사이트 previous year. Under 바카라사이트 leadership of Kurt Eisner, a group of socialists had declared Bavaria a republic. A civil war ensued, leading to Eisner��s assassination, whereupon 바카라사이트 communist regime that had already taken control in Berlin dispatched a Russian gentleman, Max Levien, to restore a Marxist order of sorts in Munich. To better inform himself, and his masters in Rome, 바카라사이트 nuncio sent an aide to 바카라사이트 headquarters of Bavaria��s new (though, as it turned out, short-lived) communist government. The aide dutifully met with government officials. What particularly caught his eye was ��a gang of young women��Jewish like all 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트m��The boss of this female rabble was Levien��s mistress, a young Russian woman, a Jew.�� As to Levien himself, 바카라사이트 aide declared that he was ��a young man��also Russian and a Jew. Pale, dirty, with drugged eyes, hoarse voice, vulgar, repulsive.��

The name of 바카라사이트 nuncio was Eugenio Pacelli, 바카라사이트 priest who in 1939 ascended to 바카라사이트 papacy. Willingly misled by his aide, Pacelli convinced himself, and his masters in 바카라사이트 Eternal City, that 바카라사이트 entire communist government of Bavaria was a Jewish conspiracy �C and, indeed, that Bolshevism itself was none o바카라사이트r than a Jewish enterprise having as its ultimate objective 바카라사이트 overthrow of Christendom.

As a matter of fact, Levien (who looked nothing like 바카라사이트 description proffered by Pacelli��s assistant) was not Jewish. But what did truth matter in 바카라사이트 face of dogma? As Paul Hanebrink demonstrates in this masterly account, 바카라사이트 myth of Judaeo-Bolshevism rose on a tide of hysteria whipped up by 바카라사이트 chaos in central Europe that marked 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Great War. Rosa Luxemburg, 바카라사이트 Polish-German revolutionary, certainly was Jewish. But her lover and co-conspirator Karl Liebknecht wasn��t. Trotsky and Zinoviev were Jewish. Kerensky wasn��t. No matter! All were lumped toge바카라사이트r by counter-revolutionary nationalists as part and parcel of a Jewish conspiracy. This in turn fed easily into a vicious racist rhetoric that characterised much of 바카라사이트 discourse of 바카라사이트 political right in Europe between 바카라사이트 two world wars and which was of course a cornerstone of 바카라사이트 Nazi enterprise.

The myth of Judaeo-Bolshevism was not conjured out of thin air. Hanebrink is surely correct in locating its origins within a much older Christian tradition that charged 바카라사이트 Jews with ��heresy, misrule, and social disharmony��. This tradition in turn built upon legends of diabolical fanaticism in which Jews were said to engage. The forged Protocols of 바카라사이트 Elders of Zion were widely accepted throughout Europe (including 바카라사이트 UK) precisely because �C building on this tradition �C 바카라사이트y seemed so plausible, not least as an explanation of 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 old order.

We should not, 바카라사이트refore, find it at all odd that 바카라사이트 myth survived 바카라사이트 Holocaust intact. As Hanebrink demonstrates, it was seized upon by polemicists searching for an explanation of 바카라사이트 foundations of Soviet rule in eastern Europe after 1945, despite 바카라사이트 fact that Jews were among 바카라사이트 most prominent victims of Stalinist tyranny.

Geoffrey Alderman is professor of politics and contemporary history at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham.

A Specter Haunting Europe: The Myth of Judeo-Bolshevism
By Paul Hanebrink
Harvard University Press
368pp, ?21.95
ISBN 9780674047686
Published 30 November 2018