In the nineteenth century; the largest Jewish community the modern world had known lived in hundreds of towns and shtetls in the territory between the Prussian border of Poland and the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea. The period had started with the partition of Poland and the absorption of its territories into the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires; it would end with the first large-scale outbreaks of anti-Semitic violence and the imposition in Russia of strong anti-Semitic legislation. In the years between; a traditional society accustomed to an autonomous way of life would be transformed into one much more open to its surrounding cultures; yet much more confident of its own nationalist identity. In The Jews of Eastern Europe; Israel Bartal traces this transformation and finds in it the roots of Jewish modernity.
#1274972 in Books 2009-04-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .60 x 6.00l; .82 #File Name: 0811735990224 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Company commander in a Soviet penal battalionBy ldw120First hand experience by a front line penal battalion company commander. The title is a bit misleading but I I can see why they did not call it "Penal Strike" instead. The book is actually about a regular officer; trained in the eastern Soviet Union and assigned to a penal battalion composed of disgraced officers serving punishment tours to clear their record. Captain Pyl'cyn has is not being punished; this unit was just where he was assigned. He liked the battalion; liked the men (again; nearly all former officers mostly those that had been captured by Germans early in the war or surrounded) and relates his combat experiences in this narrative.It is not a sweeping narrative of the war against Germany; it is a personalized memoir and he leaves it to your imagination the details of the deadly hand to hand fighting he had to endure.Well worth reading.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Amazing StoryBy Thomas ReiterI have to say that this was one of the most interesting books I've read about the East Front in some time. After hearing so many vague myths about the "shtrafbats"; it was very interesting to read the account of a veteran of such a unit. The author's style; while clearly not that of a professional historian; was refreshingly straightforward and brutally honest. I had the feeling I was sitting with the author on a campstool somewhere while he told his story...It was fascinating to hear about the types of battles that the shtrafbats where used for; and how men ended up in them (and got out of them). It was also interesting to hear about the bonds that grew up between the men in the unit; despite the fact that it was a "penalty" unit; and how commanders at various levels (from battalion to army) affected the morale in the unit. Despite the fact that all of the men in the unit had been declared "traitors" for various (often trivial) misdeeds; most of them considered themselves true patriots; were eager to prove it; and were disgusted by the real traitors and cowards among them. It was also humorous to read how after various confrontations with regular army officers; they would threaten to send the author to a "shtrafbat"; only for him to inform them that he was already in one...This is not a "study" of strafbats; nor a professional history; so readers should manage their expectations. There are no maps; and indeed; the author often didn't know exactly where he was; what enemy units he was facing; or even which Soviet units they were supporting. Nonethelss; it is a fascinating personal account of a little-known aspect of the East Front.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Discipline in the Red ArmyBy James D. CrabtreeThis book tells the story of Alexander Pyl'cyn; a young officer who found himself serving as a cadre member of a penal battalion. This particular unit was composed of Red Army officers who were found guilty of serious infractions during the Great Patriotic War and subsequently punished with 30-; 60-; or 90-day terms in the unit. During this period they had the rank of private. Even though Pyl'cyn doesn't really discuss this aspect; a three-month tour in a penal battalion wasn't a very healthy proposition: penal Battalions were given missions which guaranteed heavy casualties. And Pyl'cyn specifically denied that his battalion had a "blocking company;" a unit of NKVD troops usually equipped with submachineguns whose job was not to engage the enemy but rather to gun down Soviet soldiers who tried to retreat. Oddly; he mentions that there was a SMERSH detachment; an NKVD unit normally used to summarily execute "spies."However; penal battalions did provide a way for the officers to get rehabilitated; even to earn Red Army decorations. They could be restored to full or partial rank based upon their conduct as "shtrafniks." As cadre; Pyl'cyn saw many men processed through his company. This is an interesting memoir; not just for a Red Army man but for a leader of men who were condemned and hoped to restore their honor through blood. Illustrated with photos.
