Haidamacks (The More it Changes)

The haidamacks were bands of Sabbateans who, convinced of the absolute supremacy of their religion, swept out of the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th Century and began a sporadic campaign throughout Eastern Europe designed to spread Sabbateanism and crush all other religions. By 1772, the haidamacks were at work in Poland, Russia, Austria, and even Prussia.

The haidamacks usually attacked relatively isolated towns, targeting the houses of worship and clergy, although they were perfectly willing to murder all those who opposed them.

In 1772, haidamacks attacked the Polish territory that had been partition by Emperor Joseph II; the military might the emperor had at his disposal was not enough to dissuade the haidamacks. Among the villages they attacked was Kolomija, whose Jews and Catholics attempted to fight off the haidamacks, but ultimately failed.

Literary comment
The haidamacks of "The More it Changes" have different origins from their OTL counterparts, which tended to be made up of Ukrainian nationalists seeking to strike back against the Polish nobility.