Lev Shternberg: Anthropologist, Russian Socialist, Jewish Activist

6. The Years of Turmoil, 1914-17

224 6. The Years of Turmoil, 1914–17 In early August 1914 Russia entered the war against the Central Powers. Although some of the more radicalized segments of Russia’s population and the political parties of the extreme left, particularly the Bolsheviks, opposed the war, a majority of Russians supported it. Patriotic feelings swept across the intelligentsia and the Kadets, the main liberal party representing it. Even many of the srs, including those on the right and to a lesser extent the center of the party, refused to take an antiwar stand. While they rejected the aggressive designs of the warring governments, they argued that the defense of the motherland was imperative and were willing to halt their antigovernment activities for the duration of the war.1 Many of these socialists viewed Germany and AustroHungary as the more conservative European regimes that had to be destroyed by Russia and its more liberal allies. The Kadets and the srs also hoped that once Russia won the war, it would begin to liberalize its own political system (see Melancon 1990). Like most other non-Russian inhabitants of the empire, the Jews (especially the city dwellers) initially expressed their strong support for their country’s war effort. Large patriotic demonstrations by Jews took place in the first weeks of the war, and the Jewish press expressed its patriotism passionately. Here is an example of these sentiments from an editorial in Novyi Voskhod (1914, no. 29:3– 4), published in the same issue as the tsar’s manifesto on Germany’s declaration of war against Russia: In this great historical moment, which is unprecedented in history , all the Russian Jews will rise to defend their motherland. Every 225 the years of turmoil, 1914–17 one of us will carry his duty—to the very end—with firmness and courage. . . . We were born and raised in Russia, [and] here lie the remains of our ancestors. We, the Russian Jews, are linked to Russia by unbreakable ties, while our brothers who have been carried overseas by a wicked destiny carefully preserve the memory of Russia. His Majesty’s manifesto about the declaration of war says, “In this dangerous hour of trial, may the internal strife be forgotten.” This strife is the last thing the Jews of Russia are thinking about in this fatal moment. In this common rush to defend the motherland , they stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Russia’s population , and their courageous conduct will demonstrate that right now is not the time for internal disagreements and serious insults inflicted upon us. . . . The entire world has been drawn into this military conflict. A tight circle of friends is being formed to oppose the Germans and, first and foremost, Prussia, the main culprit responsible for this terrible disaster. This unprecedented coalition, a coalition headed by France and England, the constant bearers of culture and civilization , is becoming a war of the entire progressive humankind against the burden of militarism, which has been hanging over the whole world. The sacrifices, which will have to be made, are the guarantee of the future life of freedom, an opportunity to live in peace, and great accomplishments in science, art, and social development. The Jewish people have always stood in the forefront of those who fight for the improvement of humanity’s life. We have always been the most dedicated fighters for the great ideals of truth and justice. In this historical moment, when our motherland is threatened with a foreign invasion, when a brute force has begun an attack on the greatest ideals of humankind, the Russian Jewry must bravely appear on the battlefield and fulfill its sacred duty. (1914, no. 29:3–4) These patriotic sentiments and hopes for a better future for all of Russia’s inhabitants , including the Jews, overwhelmed Lev Shternberg as well. Like many 226 the years of turmoil, 1914–17 other members of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia, he learned about the war while vacationing at a Finnish resort. Along with other summer vacationers, he rushed back to the capital. At the railroad station in Abo (Turku) he met his old friend and colleague Dubnov. The latter reminisced how the two of them watched the passing trains overloaded with Russian soldiers traveling to the front lines. The soldiers yelled “farewell” to them, and Shternberg responded by shouting “good luck!” Everyone understood that the events...