Lalaevs Haus brennt. Das Februarpogrom von 1905 in Baku – Paralysierter Staat und Massengewalt im Russischen Reich

Abstract

Lalaev's House is Burning. The 1905 February Pogrom in Baku – Paralysed State and Mass Violence in the Russian Empire

Previous studies on the February Pogrom in Baku concentrated on the social tensions between Armenians and Turks. In this article, the pogrom is interpreted as an example for working and failing leadership on the periphery of the Russian Empire. Contrary to the generally accepted interpretation that the state initiated or tolerated the violence expecting additional advantages, a detailed analysis shows that the inactivity of the authorities can be explained by their respective logics of action and the tensions (civil/military, formal/informal) between them. Furthermore, the article discusses the rumours accompanying the whole pogrom as well as their possible interpretations. Decisive for the conduct of the aggressors and the spectators, the rumours informed the reactions at crucial points. They kept the crowds on the streets and made firm action by the authorities difficult. However, the «dense description» of one part of the pogrom shows that there was nevertheless room for the authorities to take decisive and successful action. From this point of view, the February Pogrom allows conclusions about the dynamics of mass violence and the conditions of leadership on the periphery of the Russian Empire.