The Independent Jewish Workers Party (russian: Еврейская независимая рабочая партия) was a

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

ish

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. The party was founded in 1901 on the initiative of

Sergei Zubatov Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov ( rus, Серге́й Васи́льевич Зуба́тов, p=zʊˈbatəf; March 26 ( O.S.), 1864 in Moscow – March 15 ( N.S.), 1917 in Moscow) was a famous Russian police administrator, best known as the advocate o ...

, the head of the Tsarist secret police (the ''

Okhrana The Department for Protecting the Public Security and Order (russian: Отделение по охранению общественной безопасности и порядка), usually called Guard Department ( rus, Охранное отд ...

'').Independent Jewish Workers Party
/ref> Zubatov had been impressed by the growth of the General Jewish Labour Bund, a clandestine Jewish socialist party. The Independent Jewish Workers Party was intended to counter the influence of the Bund, mobilizing Tsarist loyalty among Jewish workers. The party argued that Jewish workers would benefit economically from Tsarist rule, as long as they stayed aloof of political protests. Its followers were nicknamed ''Zubatovchikes''.Johnpoll, Bernard K. ''The Politics of Futility; The General Jewish Workers Bund of Poland, 1917-1943''. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1967. p. 28 The party had its headquarters in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

, and local branches in

Vilno Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

, Kraslava,

Bobruisk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 20 ...

and

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrat ...

. The party was led by disgruntled former Bundists such Manya Wilbushewitz (later Shochat), A. Tschermerisky, G. Shakhnovich and Y. Volin. The party was also joined by figures from the Minsk faction of

Poale Zion Poale Zion (also spelled Poalei Tziyon or Poaley Syjon, meaning "Workers of Zion") was a movement of Marxist–Zionist Jewish workers founded in various cities of Poland, Europe and the Russian Empire in about the turn of the 20th century afte ...

, such as Joseph Goldberg and Hayyah Kagan. In 1902, the party was joined by Heinrich Shayevich (a

General Zionist The General Zionists ( he, הַצִיּוֹנִים הַכְּלָלִיים, translit. ''HaTzionim HaKlaliym'') were a centrist Zionist movement and a political party in Israel. The General Zionists supported the leadership of Chaim Weizmann an ...

). The total membership of the party probably never went beyond 4,000. The Bund fiercely opposed the launching of the Independent Jewish Workers Party. When the party held demonstrations, the Bund organized militant counter-manifestations. The party often had to cancel meetings due to Bundist protests. Due to anti-Jewish policies of the Tsarist government, manifested through

pogroms A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russian E ...

, the party failed to take root. In 1903 the Minister of Interior,

Vyacheslav von Plehve Vyacheslav Konstantinovich von Plehve ( rus, Вячесла́в (Wenzel (Славик)) из Плевны Константи́нович фон Пле́ве, p=vʲɪtɕɪˈslaf fɐn ˈplʲevʲɪ; – ) served as a director of Imperial Russ ...

, ordered that the party disband itself. On February 5, 1903 the party informed its members in Vilno that party activities would temporarily cease. In June, a party conference decided to liquidate the party.Minczeles, Henri. ''Histoire générale du Bund: un mouvement révolutionnaire juif''. Paris: Editions Austral, 1995. pp. 103-104

References

{{reflist Political parties of minorities in Imperial Russia Political parties established in 1901 Political parties disestablished in 1903 Jewish political parties Monarchist parties in Russia