From the beginning of the 20th century, several revolutionary movements in Russia sought to overthrow the autocratic tsarist regime. Heavily discriminated against, Russian Jews—confined to “residence zones” and persecuted during bloody pogroms—joined revolutionary parties in large numbers to fight for social justice.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 unfolded in two stages: the first, in February, culminated in the fall of the tsar. The second, in October, led by the Bolsheviks (the future Communist Party), established Soviet rule.
Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War demonstrated the fragility of the tsarist regime, which had already been shaken by the 1905 Revolution. The February Revolution of 1917 led to the fall of the tsarist regime and the formation of a provisional government. The October Revolution of 1917, led by the Bolsheviks, established the power of the Soviets (workers’ and soldiers’ councils).
A violent civil war pits the “Red” revolutionaries against the so-called “White” Russians.
As victims of discrimination and deadly pogroms under the tsar, the Jews welcomed this revolution, which they were convinced would eliminate both class oppression and anti-Semitism.
This significant participation of Jews in the Bolshevik Revolution fueled an anti-Semitic view of the Bolshevik Revolution and reinforced the myths of “Jewish Freemasonry” and “Judeo-Bolshevism.”
Jews became the target of those who believed in the “international Jewish conspiracy against civilization.” This ideology was a key component of Western anti-communist propaganda, culminating in the Nazi extermination of the Jews during World War II.
Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, members of the M.O.I. Resistance movement, were imbued with the spirit of brotherhood that characterized the early days of the October Revolution.
Their commitment to an idealistic form of communism, rooted in a passion for social justice, guided their involvement in the Resistance’s struggle to eradicate Nazism and liberate France.
Reference:
Ferro, Marc, 1967, The Revolution of 1917, Paris: Aubier, “Collection Historique” series.
