Primed for Violence: Murder, Antisemitism, and Democratic Politics in Interwar Poland

In 1922, voters in the newly created Republic of Poland democratically elected their first president, Gabriel Narutowicz. Because his supporters included a Jewish political party, an opposing faction of antisemites demanded his resignation. Within hours, bloody riots erupted in Warsaw, and within a week the president was assassinated. In the wake of these events, the radical right asserted that only "ethnic Poles" should rule the country, while the left silently capitulated to this demand.

As Paul Brykczynski tells this gripping story, he explores the complex role of antisemitism, nationalism, and violence in Polish politics between the two World Wars. Though focusing on Poland, the book sheds light on the rise of the antisemitic right in Europe and beyond, and on the impact of violence on political culture and discourse.

Author: Paul Brykczynski
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Published: 05/11/2016
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN13: 9780299307042
ISBN10: 0299307042
BISAC Categories:
- History | Jewish | General
- History | Eastern Europe | General
- Social Science | Violence in Society

About the Author
Paul Brykczynski is an independent historian who lives in Ontario.