In Sweden, there is a sudden push to introduce a new historical term: "The November Pogroms." However, the term "pogrom" does not accurately fit the events that took place in Germany in 1938.
- The Russian pogroms: This is where the word pogrom originates. The Russian pogroms were often spontaneous or locally instigated riots stemming from popular antisemitism. The Tsarist authorities allowed them to happen and encouraged them after the fact, but they were rarely a centrally planned military order from the highest levels of government. Furthermore, these pogroms recurred in various locations across Russia over several decades.
- Kristallnacht (the so-called November Pogrom of 1938): This was the exact opposite of a spontaneous pogrom. It was a completely top-down, state-organized operation orchestrated by Reinhard Heydrich and Joseph Goebbels, and executed by disciplined paramilitary units (SA and SS) dressed in civilian clothing. It was a dress rehearsal for state-sponsored terror – not a popular riot. Additionally, the action lasted for only a few days.
