The Revolution of 1905 in Odessa: Blood on the Steps (Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies)

"...one of the most exhaustively researched studies of modern Russian history to have appeared in many years...In its searching analysis of the pogrom as a 'social movement' and in its sensitive analysis of the interplay between class tension and ethnic violence the study makes a most valuable contribution" - Stephen A. Smith, University of Essex. Robert Weinberg examines the tumultuous events of the 1905 Revolution in Odessa, the fourth-largest city in the Russian Empire at the turn of the twentieth century, and explores why workers in Odessa were the driving force in the near-toppling of autocratic rule. The book also sheds light on the notorious Jewish Question in tsarist Russia and the impace of ethnic conflict on the events of 1905. Jews constituted one-third of Odessa's population, and the bloody October pogrom that left hundreds dead reveals how ethno-religious tensions affected the labor movement and influenced the outcome of the revolution in Odessa. By demonstrating the intricate relationship among labor unrest, politics, and anti-Semitism, "The Revolution of 1905 in Odessa" enriches our understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of revolution in the Russian Empire.