"Champions of the wronged people" : English responses to Jewish persecution in the Russian Empire 1881-1890

Bibliogr. s. 147-148

Humanitarian missions and diplomatic interventions on behalf of persecuted minorities were part of the British foreign policy. In this context, missions were undertaken to benefit oppressed Jews in Europe and beyond. For this purpose, the English and English Jews repeatedly extended their influence, sent official delegations, and influenced public opinion. Not surprisingly, the Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire triggered a loud reaction from the British. The article aims at tracing the official public debate - with a particular reference to the meetings at the Mansion House in 1882 and the Guildhall in 1890 - and compare it with the less well-preserved response from the press. The article discusses the official government policy, the context of Great Britain's humanitarian missions, as well as local conditions resulting from the increased immigration of Jews from Russia.