Today in Labor History April 19, 1903: The Kishinev pogrom occurred in Bessarabia. At the time, Bessarabia was part of the Russian Empire. Today it is part of Moldova. During the pogrom, local Christians killed 49 Jews, raped many Jewish women and destroyed over 1500 homes. The incident led Zionist founder, Theodor Herzl, to propose the Uganda Scheme for resettlement of the Jews in east Africa. The British government supported the plan, as it would help further their interests and imperialism in Africa, and help limit the influx of Jewish refugees into Britain from eastern Europe. Herzl had also proposed creating a Jewish homeland in Cyprus. Of course, what he really desired was a Jewish homeland in Palestine, but the Kishinev pogrom caused him to feel a greater urgency to create any kind of homeland as quickly as possible, and east Africa was what was being offered. The proposal nearly fractured the Zionist movement, with many delegates walking out, and other expressing a loss of faith in Herzl’s leadership. White British gentile settlers in east Africa also opposed the plan.