Żydokomuna

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Żydokomuna (Polish neologism for "Judeo-Communism" or "Judeo-Bolshevism") is a pejorative term used to express antisemitic stereotype blaming Jews for advocating, introducing, and running Communism in Poland^[1]. The term is similar to the "Judeo-bolshevism" rhetoric of Nazi Germany, wartime Romania^[2] and other war-torn countries of Eastern Europe.^[3]

Contents 1 Origins and use 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading

[edit] Origins and use

The term has been used from the time of Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921), when the Jews were blamed for their support for Bolsheviks.^[4]

Polish Communist Party (KPP) had a very strong power base among the Jews. In Polish court proceedings agaisnt communists between 1927 and 1936, 90% accused were Jews. Out of fiteen leaders of KPP central administration in 1936, eight were Jews. Jews constituted 53 percent of the member of the "active members" (aktyw) of KPP, 75 percent of its "publication apparatus", 90 percent of the "international department for help to revolutionaries" and 100 percent of the "technical apparatus" of the Home Secretariat. In terms of membership, before its dissolution in 1938, 25 percent of KPP members were Jews; most of urban members of KPP were Jews^[5] - a significant number when compared to 8.7% of Jewish minority in pre-war Second Polish Republic. Nonetheless research of voting patterns of Poland's parliamentary elections of 1920's has shown that Jewish support for communist parties was proportionally less than their representation of the total population; ^[6] based on the 1928 election data it can be estimated that only 5% of Jews were sympathetic enough to the communist cause to vote for the KPP.^[5] In the end while most Jews were not communists or comunist symphatisers, a very significant and quite visible portion of Polish Communists in the interwar period were Jewish. This disproportionatly large participation of Jewish in communist movement led to the spread of the Żydokomuna myth, which in late 30's was widely used in nationalist Endecja party propaganda, which was hoping to seize the power after death of Józef Piłsudski in 1935 ^[7]

After the Soviet invasion of Poland, compared to Poles, significant percentage of Jews where sympathetic to the Soviets; while Poles saw Soviets as invaders, many Jews saw them for what they claimed to be - protectors from the Nazis.^[8] Large numbers of Jews welcomed the Soviet invasion, implantig in Polish memory the image of Jewish crowds greeting the invading Red Army as their liberator.^[9] Many Jews declared, through words and actions, their disdain for the Poles and Polish state, and loyalty to the Soviet Union, In turn, many local Jews were rewarded with positions of authority by the new Soviet government.^[9] What Poles saw as occupation and betrayal, many Jews saw as an opportunity for revolution and retribution.^[9] This has significantly worsened Polish-Jewish relations, leading to growing tensions.^[9] It should be noted that although Jews reapt some benefits of their collaboration with the Soviets; the Soviet terror soon begun to strike out at the Jewish populations as well; Jewish independent organizations were abolished; activists arrested - ironically this combined with prevailing censorship led to many Jews to seek haven in German-occupied Poland.^[9] After Operation Barbarossa and begining of Nazi terror on former Polish eastern territories, many Jews joined Soviet partisans who increasingly clashed with Polish partisans; this contributed to yet one another argument that Jews work with the Soviets and against the Poles.^[9]

After the Second World War Polish Jews again were blaimed for their participation in Polish Communists organizations, particulary the secret police, Ministry of Public Security of Poland (also known as Służba Bezpieczeństwa). According to Toranska, “all or nearly all of the directors (of the Ministry of Security) were Jewish”.^[10] This allegation was denied by official sources which claimed that the Ministry of Security employed only one Jewish officer, presumably the head of the Ministry, Jakub Berman.^[11] Nonetheless recent study carried by Polish Institute of National Remembrance showed that out of 450 people in director position in the Ministry (from 1944 to 1954), 167 (37.1%) were of Jewish ethnicity - a significant number, when compared to approximatly 1% of Polish post-war population that Jews composed.^[12] However Szwagrzyk also quotes Jan T. Gross, who argued that many Jews who worked for the communist party cut their ties with their - Jewish, Polish or Russian - culture, and tried to represent the interests of international communism, or at least that of the local communist government, only.^[12] Nonetheless this contributed to the post-war archeotype of a Jews as an agent of the secret police.^[9] Because Jews were also overrepresented in the ranks of other Polish Communists organizations,^[9] this all further fed the 'zydokomuna' theory.

Chodakiewicz argues that violence developed after the Soviet takeover of Poland amid postwar retribution and counter-retribution and was exacerbated by the breakdown of law and order and a Polish anti-Communist insurgency.^[13] Some Jewish avengers endeavored to extract justice from Poles who harmed Jews during the War and in some cases Jews attempted to reclaim property confiscated by the Nazis. These phenomena further reinforced the stereotype of Żydokomuna, a Jewish-Communist conspiracy, and Poles reacted with violence.^{[citation needed]}

Jewish numbers in Communist structures gradually fell with time, with more Poles joining the Communist party and with the Mieczysław Moczar's "anti-zionist" faction in the Polish communist party becoming increasingly influential, the Urząd Bezpieczeństwa being liquidated, and most remaining Jews leaving Poland after the March 1968 events.^{[citation needed]}

In the late 20th century after the collapse of the People's Republic of Poland the term lost its original meaning and is now being used almost exclusively by the non-mainstream nationalist, commonly associated with Radio Maryja. In this usage it usually refers to former members of the Communist Party and "liberals" that support capitalist reforms, globalization, and European integration. During that time organizations often called Żydokomuna were SLD and UW political parties, and Gazeta Wyborcza daily newspaper.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Jewish Bolshevism
• Kielce pogrom
• Bund
• Zionist-Occupied Government
• History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union: Jews and Bolshevism

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• (Polish) August Grabski, "Działalność komunistów wśród Żydów w Polsce (1944-1949)", Trio, Warszawa 2004, ISBN 8388542877