From the beginning the Soviet government in the Ukraine carried on a decisive battle against the lust for pogroms, by preventive measures and the development of agitation, propaganda and organizing activity to that end, as well as by threats and strict penalties.
In the first order issued by Rakovsky in Kharkov, which was repeatedly confirmed by the Soviet government of Kiev, the penalty of death is threatened for pogrom excesses of any kind, and heavy punishments are laid down for all anti-Jewish agitation.
"The Jewish proletariat and the poor population are our confederates. The Jewish bourgeoisie is as good as any other. The order to fight against the Jews is a provocation by the enemy who wants to introduce into the Red Army the spirit of demoralization and betray the interests of the workers and peasants to their enemies." So reads a government pamphlet. At the same time the fight against anti-Semitism took an important place in the pages of the People's Commissariat for military affairs and in their political activity. The anti-Semitic propaganda of the enemies of the government became a dangerous factor in the formation of disciplined military associations. The idea of the government and the people's commissariat for military affairs was to supplement the peasant bands of insurrectionists with workmen. For this purpose they intensified the above mentioned mobilization through the unions and trade councils, and prepared the military education of the workmen. In addition to this the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, in the months of March and April, turned to the Jewish socialist parties of the Labor Bund, to the United Socialists and to the Poale Zionists with the request that they make serious efforts to mobilize the Jewish socialist workmen, pointing to the fact that all of the experiences of the Red Army during the last months showed that even the most backward and anti-Semitically prejudiced peasants became more sensible after living with the Jewish workmen for any length of time, and were accessible to appropriate influence and enlightenment.*
*This step of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs had no significance as a numerical strengthening of the troops, for the summons to the Red Army took place on the basis of the general regulations. The aim here was to utilize most efficiently the forces necessary for carrying out the task indicated.
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The political administration of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs formed besides a special Jewish section for propaganda, the purpose of which was to distribute the Jewish workmen, called to the service by general decree, among the several military units and thus to influence the troops so as to make the Jew-baiting propaganda ineffective.
This section, which had branches in all parts of Ukrainia, received reports from various sides concerning the relation between the Jewish workmen and the other members of the army. According to existing information backward troops received the Jews with the greatest distrust and even animosity. Here and there there were also excesses. The Jewish "intruders" sometimes had to overcome the greatest difficulties. It happened sometimes that the sections were urgently entreated to transfer the Jews to a part of the army that was more tolerant.
The second phase of the mutual relations ended almost always, even in the case of the most prejudiced parts of the army, with the admission, "They are no Jews, they belong to us." This was usually connected with discussions about Jews and anti-Semitism. This part of the work was hard, but it produced political results. Living together gradually led to a removal of the anti-Semitic feelings which had been implanted in the character of the Ukrainian peasant in the course of centuries of historical development.
In addition to the political and cultural work, the government employed force and inflicted penalties. The perpetrators of anti-Jewish excesses and the authors of propaganda were tried and condemned as being counter-revolutionists. On the other hand those troops that were incurably anti-Jewish were isolated, relieved and their constituency changed.
Thus at the end of May in Kiev a whole regiment refused to obey an order to fight, given by the chief military officers, and gave out the watchword, "Down with the Jewish commissars!" The rebels were surrounded by the loyal portion of the regiment and forced to execute the order. The instigators were arrested.
In June an open rebellion broke out in another regiment that was quartered in Kiev. They were burning to plunder the Jews, and announced a similar watchword. In both cases the agitation came from obscure elements, which were supported by some officers of the old tsarist army.