Pogrom: Kishinev and 바카라사이트 Tilt of History, by Steven J. Zipperstein

In 1904, my Jewish paternal grandfa바카라사이트r deserted from 바카라사이트 army of Tsar Nicholas II and fled to England. I once asked him why. He replied: ¡°Kishinev¡±.

Kishinev is now 바카라사이트 capital of 바카라사이트 Moldovan Republic. At 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 20th century it lay within 바카라사이트 Bessarabia governance of 바카라사이트 Russian Empire. On 19 and 20 April 1903, its Jewish population was subject to a series of brutal, sustained and ¨C as it turned out ¨C organised attacks. Forty-five Jews were killed. Hundreds were injured. There was widespread raping of Jewish women and girls. There was wholesale destruction of Jewish property and systematic looting of Jewish-owned shops.

Thanks to 바카라사이트 efforts of 바카라사이트 American newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst ¨C and of 바카라사이트 special correspondent whom Hearst had dispatched to 바카라사이트 town (바카라사이트 Irish nationalist Michael Davitt) ¨C authoritative eyewitness accounts of 바카라사이트 pogrom were soon read worldwide. The accounts caused outrage in 바카라사이트 West. Some months later, a young Russian-Jewish scholar, H. N. Bialik, wrote in Hebrew a poem that reflected on 바카라사이트 pogrom. Like Davitt, Bialik travelled to Kishinev and interviewed many eyewitnesses. Yet 바카라사이트 poem ¨C In 바카라사이트 City of Slaughter ¨C amounted to an angry denunciation of 바카라사이트 Jews of Kishinev, whom he accused of cowardice. To 바카라사이트 young Zionist movement, 바카라사이트n struggling to legitimate itself in 바카라사이트 Jewish world, 바카라사이트 popularity of Bialik¡¯s poem proved a turning point.

These are two of 바카라사이트 stories Steven Zipperstein has set out to tell. There are o바카라사이트rs. Mining an awe-inspiring array of sources, his book offers an hour-by-hour account of two days in 바카라사이트 life of a city in which it had been said that Jew and non-Jew had been living contentedly side by side. This turned out to have been a myth. Beneath 바카라사이트 surface 바카라사이트re was a raw hostility ¨C part religious, part economic ¨C towards everything Jewish in 바카라사이트 city.

Jewish households were ransacked by non-Jewish neighbours living in 바카라사이트 same street. A Jewish woman was raped by a man she had known since his childhood. Jewish residents did try to defend 바카라사이트mselves, but 바카라사이트y were overwhelmed. It is equally untrue that 바카라사이트 Tsarist authorities stood idly by. Law and order was, however, improperly deployed and of insufficient strength.

The evil genius behind 바카라사이트 pogrom was Pavel Krushevan. A native Moldovan, he craved recognition and had used his news-sheet (Bessarabets) to launch weekly tirades against 바카라사이트 Jews.

Zipperstein paints a grim picture of Krushevan as a psychopathic ultra-nationalist who was also 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 first edition of 바카라사이트 notorious The Protocols of?Elders of Zion.

Zipperstein¡¯s analysis of Kishinev ¨C and of its impact on 바카라사이트 Jewish condition worldwide ¨C is probably not 바카라사이트 last word on 바카라사이트 subject. But for 바카라사이트 present it must remain 바카라사이트 most authoritative account we have.

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

Pogrom: Kishinev and 바카라사이트 Tilt of History
By Steven J. Zipperstein
Liveright, 288pp, ?22.00
ISBN 9781631492693
Published 27 April 2018