Anti-Fascist Committee

Anti-Fascist Committee
   The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee was authorized to raise money and support for the Soviet Union in the United States during World War II. Its leaders, including the actor Solomon Mikhoels, brought in more than $45 million, but its members were privately critical of Soviet anti-Semitism. When the news of the criticism reached Joseph Stalin, he ordered the MGB to murder Mikhoels and to begin an intensive investigation of the committee’s leadership. Stalin also authorized a general purge of Jews from high positions in the Soviet Union. In 1945, Jews held 12 percent of senior posts in the government bureaucracy and the media; in 1951, the figure was 4 percent. Articles in the press criticized Jews for lack of patriotism and insisted on greater vigilance by the Soviet people.
   As part of his plans for a purge of the Communist Party leadership in 1952, Stalin saw many uses for a series of trials in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia of “Zionists.” The trials would play to Russian anti-Semitism and enrage political opinion. Between 11 and 15 July 1952, 14 Jewish party officials and intellectuals were tried for espionage and treason in Moscow. The most famous of the defendants was Solomon Lozovsky (1878–1952), one of the few Jewish members of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. The trial was the scene of some of the most striking and revolting anti-Semitic denunciations heard outside the Third Reich. Colonel Vladimir Komarov, who conducted much of the case for the state, screamed at Lozovsky that “the Jews are a foul and dirty people” who wanted to “annihilate every Russian.” Lozovsky compared the court to the Spanish Inquisition, which had forced his family to flee Spain three centuries previously.
   All 14 defendants were convicted and 13 were sentenced to death and executed a month later, along with 10 Jewish “engineer-saboteurs” from a Moscow factory. Ultimately the series of trials resulted in the conviction of 125 Jews. Those who were alive on Stalin’s death in March 1953 were released. The executed men and women were posthumously rehabilitated in 1953–1954.

Historical dictionary of Russian and Soviet Intelligence. . 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • ANTI-FASCIST COMMITTEE, JEWISH — ANTI FASCIST COMMITTEE, JEWISH, a group of Jewish public figures and intellectuals in the Soviet Union organized during World War II on the initiative of the Soviet government to mobilize world Jewish support for the Soviet war effort against… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee — The Jewish Anti Fascist Committee (JAC, Russian language: Еврейский антифашистский комитет, ЕАК) was formed in Kuibyshev in April 1942 with the official support of the Soviet authorities. It was designed to influence international public opinion… …   Wikipedia

  • Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee — (JAC)    In the spring of 1942, Joseph Stalin approved the creation of the Jewish Anti Fascist Committee. One of the primary reasons for the creation of the organization was to appeal to world Jewry, but in particular to American Jews, for funds… …   Historical dictionary of the Holocaust

  • Estonian Anti-Fascist Committee — ( et. Antifašistlik Komitee) is an organisation led by Arnold Meri that criticises the policy of Republic of Estonia concerning World War II. Sources * Kultuur ja Elu no 3, 2006: [http://kultuur.elu.ee/ke485 arro.htm Fašismi taassünnist Eestis]… …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public — On March 29, 1983, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union has approved the resolution 101/62ГС to Support the proposition of the Department of Propaganda of the Central Committee and the KGB USSR about …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-Fascist Action — (AFA) was a militant anti fascist organisation founded by Red Action and other left wing groups in the United Kingdom in 1985. [ [http://libcom.org/history/1985 2001 anti fascist action afa 1985 2001: Anti Fascist Action (AFA) | libcom.org ] ] It …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-Fascist Underground Patriotic Organization — ( ru. Антифашистская подпольная патриотическая организация, APPO) was an anti fascist group of Soviet captives, formed during the World War II on the occupied by fascist armies territories of USSR, Poland and France. [… …   Wikipedia

  • Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia — ▪ Yugoslavian organization Serbo Croatian  Antifašističko Veće Narodnog Oslobođenja Jugoslavije (AVNOJ)        umbrella organization established during World War II by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia to coordinate the military campaigns of… …   Universalium

  • Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath — Infobox SCOTUS case Litigants=Joint Anti Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath ArgueDate=October 11 ArgueYear=1950 DecideDate=April 30 DecideYear=1951 FullName=Joint Anti Fascist Refugee Committee v. James Howard McGrath, Attorney General, et al.… …   Wikipedia

  • John Brown Anti-Klan Committee — The John Brown Anti Klan Committee (JBAKC) was an anti racist organization based in the United States. The group protested against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacist organizations, and published anti racist literature. Members of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”