Russian Political Anti-Semitism Before, During, And After the Russian Revolution of 1905

The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a wave of mass political and social unrest through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The revolution saw the collapse of imperial autocracy and led to the rise of the Soviet Union, as well as the creation of the first constitution in Russia.

The Jewish population played an active role during the 1905 Russian Revolution. The Jewish Bund, which united Jews across Russia under socialist principles, was one of the largest socialist groups during this period. The Bund was heavily involved with organizing strikes and demonstrations – including a huge general strike that started on January 9 – 13, 1905 – leading up to Bloody Sunday.

Before the revolution, there was a wave of pogroms in 1903-1906. These pogroms stirred up a lot of anti-Semitism among the people, and they were also a source of propaganda for the far right. Jews in Russia were treated with suspicion and hostility by large parts of Russian society. They were not allowed to become citizens; they had to live in the Pale of Settlement, and they were forbidden from living in Moscow or Saint Petersburg.

After the revolution, many Jews felt that they had finally reached equality with other nationalities; some Jews even joined socialist parties to fight against discrimination. The 1905 Revolution was a watershed event that changed many things for Jews in Russia. They became citizens, gained more rights, including the right to reside outside the Pale of Settlement, and saw an increase in their educational opportunities. This increased nationalistic sentiment led to an increase in antisemitism, which culminated with the pogroms.

Some of the key players in the revolution include Tsar Nicholas II and his government, the Tsarist government. The Tsarist government had anti-Jewish programs that confined Jews to the Pale of Settlement. Tsar Nicholas II was very conservative and against liberalization reform. Jews were then targeted by the Tsar and his government, which led to a revolution in October of that year. The October Manifesto granted basic human rights to citizens, including Jews.

Bibliography

Agranovskii, Genrikh. "Jewish socialist parties during the 1905 Russian Revolution." East European Jewish Affairs 42, no. 1 (2012): 69-78.

Hetényi, Zsuzsa. "Three serpents with tongues and eyes of flame”: the 1905 pogroms in Russian‐Jewish literature." East European Jewish Affairs 40, no. 3 (2010): 285-296.

Stein, Sarah Abrevaya. "Faces of Protest: Yiddish Cartoons of the 1905 Revolution." Slavic Review 61, no. 4 (2002): 732-761.

Ury, Scott. "The Jews of the Russian Empire in a Time of Revolution and Violence, 1904–1907: An Introduction." Studia Judaica 20, no. 39 (2017): 1-16.