The first Jewish self-defence groups appeared in Europe. Predictably, the two groups to pioneer the defensive use of force to counter force used against Jews and to defend Jewish interests, were the Socialists and the Zionists.

The roots of the self-defence groups can be found in the semi-spontaneous organisation of Jewish youth (especially, but not exclusively, Jewish students) who initially organised on an ad-hoc basis to attempt to repel the attacks against Jews during the pogroms of 1881.

The cycle of reform, repression, war and revolution accelerated in Russia from 1903 onwards; together with the tensions engendered by the anarchic atmosphere, the authorities turned a blind eye and even encouraged many opportunistic, backlash attacks on the Jews http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/english/36.html. This major wave of pogroms lasted from 1903 to 1905 (the year of the first Revolution), by which time the Jewish defence groups were at their peak.

Led usually by Bundists or Zionists the defence effort was much more organised than the fledgling attempts of the early 1880’s and weapons of different kinds had been stockpiled. Members of the different groups usually fought shoulder to shoulder – although there were exceptions – in their attempt to repel the rioters. Many members of the self-defence organisations were killed in these clashes.