The term "pogrom" in the meaning of large-scale, targeted, and repeated anti-Jewish rioting, saw its first use in the 19th century, in reference to the anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire. The issue of pogroms arose sometime after the Pale of Settlement was created by the Russian government to prevent the Jewish population from spreading over the country unless they would convert to Christian Orthodox.
Read more about Anti-Jewish Pogroms In The Russian Empire: Pre-1881 (Odessa), 1881-1884, 1903–1906, Organization of The Pogroms, Influence of The Pogroms, Russian Pogroms in Arts and Literature
Famous quotes containing the words russian and/or empire:
“A country is strong which consists of wealthy families, every member of whom is interested in defending a common treasure; it is weak when composed of scattered individuals, to whom it matters little whether they obey seven or one, a Russian or a Corsican, so long as each keeps his own plot of land, blind in their wretched egotism, to the fact that the day is coming when this too will be torn from them.”
—Honoré De Balzac (1799–1850)
“It is an immense misfortune to the empire to have a king of such a disposition at such a time. We are told and every thing proves it true that he is the bitterest enemy we have.... To undo his empire he has but one truth more to learn, that after colonies have drawn the sword there is but one step more they can take.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)