The first human settlement on Russia’s territory dates back to the Oldowan period in the early Lower Paleolithic, around 2 million years ago. Homo erectus migrated from Western Asia to the North Caucasus about 2 million years ago. Monasteries played a significant role in advancing Russian settlement into areas originally inhabited by Homo erectus. Moscow rose to a powerful position in the north due to its location and relative wealth and stability during the height of the Golden Horde.
In the late imperial period, Russian historiography was dominated by the self-colonization school, with detailed accounts of Russia’s takeover of Siberia and the Far East. The concept of urbanization in Siberia and the Far East implied the development of a settlement system including permanent mountain settlements and supporting cities in the Pale of Settlement, which included nearly 500,000 square miles.
The Trans-Siberian Railroad, completed in 1916, marked a turning point in the history of Siberia, opening vast areas for exploitation, settlement, and industrialization. The Soviet state used Siberia both as a resource frontier and a penal colony, but developed the tsars’ Siberian penal system to control it.
The Pale of Settlement was a western region of the Russian Empire with varying borders from 1791 to 1917. In the late 1950s and 1960s, major industrial development took place, particularly the opening up of large oil and natural gas fields in western Siberia. Kaliningrad Oblast, the westernmost federal subject of the Russian Federation, is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea.
📹 Why the Russian Colonization of the Americas Failed – DOCUMENTARY
Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on early modern history and economic history continue with a video …
Is Russia’s population declining?
The UN predicts that Russia’s population will continue to decline, with a projected 120 million in 50 years. The Russian statistics agency Rosstat predicted a drop to 130 million by 2046. Between 1993 and 2008, Russia experienced a significant population decrease from 148 to 143 million. Births per year decreased from 2. 5 million in 1987 to 1. 2 million since 1997, but the fertility rate remains higher than the 1990s. In 2022, 320, 400 babies were born, 16, 600 fewer than in 2021, and there were nearly twice as many deaths as births. The crude birth rate was the lowest since 2000.
Which state has the most Russian?
Russian Americans are found in various parts of the United States, with North Dakota having the highest percentage at 2. 46, followed by New York at 1. 83 and New Jersey at 1. 65. California has the highest number of Russian Americans at 354, 766, followed by New York at 357, 721. Mississippi has the lowest percentage of Russian Americans at 0. 12, with only 0. 12 of the population being of Russian descent.
Some states with historically significant Russian communities have lower percentages of Russian Americans, such as Alaska, which was originally colonized by Russians, and Washington, which has one of the largest populations of Russian Americans.
Connecticut and Massachusetts have higher percentages of Russian Americans at 1. 36 and 1. 31, respectively. Overall, Russian Americans’ distribution can vary widely between states, indicating their presence in many parts of the United States.
What landform creates a natural boundary between Russia and Asia?
The Urals, a mountain range in western Russia, forms a natural divide between Europe and Asia. The range spans 2, 500 kilometers and passes through Arctic tundra to the north and forested and semi-desert landscapes to the south. Originating from continuous collisions between 250 and 300 million years ago, the Urals are among the oldest mountains on Earth. The highest elevations are found in the Nether-Polar Urals, the second-northernmost section of the range’s five segments. The highest point in the entire range is Mount Narodnaya, which stands at 1, 895 meters (6, 217 feet). The highest point in the range is Mount Narodnaya.
What is the poorest town in Russia?
The author visited Kyzyl-Mazhalik, a Russian town in Siberia, where the average monthly wage is just 100 Euros. They aimed to explore the life of this poor town and its inhabitants, who face a challenging economic situation. The Spanish language plot outline for Visiting Russia’s Poorest Town is not provided. The author’s goal was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the struggles faced by the residents of this Russian town.
Where does 75% of Russia’s population live?
About 75% of Russia’s population lives on the European continent. Russia is part of both Europe and Asia, and the 7-continent model is the most widely taught way of grouping countries into continents. In the map, Russia is divided into two parts (European Russia and the “Asian part” of the Russian Federation) along the Ural Mountains line. However, in the list of continents, Russia is placed in Europe, following the United Nations classification. This is because Russia is part of both Europe and Asia, and the map does not always clearly indicate its location.
Why is Russia important to the world?
Russia is a prominent member of various international organizations, including the United Nations Security Council, G20, SCO, BRICS, APEC, OSCE, and WTO. It is considered a great power and a regional power, but ranks low in democracy, human rights, and press freedom. The country has high levels of perceived corruption. As of 2024, Russia’s high-income economy ranks eleventh in the world by nominal GDP and sixth at purchasing power parity. It relies on its vast mineral and energy resources, making it the world’s second-largest for oil and natural gas production. Russia is home to 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The English name Russia first appeared in the 14th century, borrowed from Medieval Latin and derived from Russi, ‘the Russians’, and the suffix -ia. In Russian, the current name, Россия (Rosiya), comes from the Byzantine Greek name for Rus’, Ρωσία (Rosía). A new form of the name, Росия (Rosiya), was borrowed from the Greek term and first attested in 1387.
The name Rossiia appeared in Russian sources in the late 15th century, but until the end of the 17th century, the country was more often referred to as Rus’, the Russian land, or the Muscovite state. In 1721, Peter the Great changed the name of the state from Tsardom of Russia to Russian Empire.
Where do 75% of people live in Russia?
The majority of Russia’s population is concentrated in the European region, with 74% residing in urban areas and 26% in rural areas. Russia is a multiethnic state, comprising over 160 nationalities, with the Russian population representing the largest ethnic group.
What are the natural boundaries between European Russia and Siberian Russia?
The Ural Mountains, a rugged mountain range in west-central Russia, form the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia. They extend 1, 550 miles from the Ural River bend to the Pay-Khoy Ridge, forming the major portion of the Uralian orogenic belt. The Mughalzhar Hills, part of the Uralian orogenic belt, form the divide between the Caspian and Aral basins. The north-south course of the Urals is relatively narrow, varying from 20 to 90 miles in width. The Urals are part of a highly developed industrial complex tied to the mineral-rich Siberian region and are home to peoples with roots deep into history.
The Urals divide into five sections: the northernmost Polar Urals, which extends from Mount Konstantinov Kamen to the Khulga River, and the Nether-Polar Urals, which extends over 140 miles south to the Shchugor River. These sections are typically Alpine and are strewn with glaciers and heavily marked by permafrost. The Urals are home to peoples with roots deep into history and are part of a highly developed industrial complex.
What is the richest city in Russia?
The Institute for Urban Economics has launched a publication series titled “Economies of Russia’s Cities and Metropolitan Areas” to analyze the economic development of Russia’s cities and metropolitan areas. The series, funded by the IUE Endowment, focuses on a comparative analysis of 20 largest metropolitan areas by their economies size and the links between metropolitan economies and real estate as their main tangible assets. The study uses a new IUE technique for estimating the gross metropolitan product of cities and metro areas.
How many states are in Russia in 2024?
Russia is divided into two parts: European Russia and Asian Russia. Asian Russia is larger but has a smaller population, while European Russia has a larger land mass and more people. Russia is a federal republic divided into 21 republics, 6 federal territories, 2 federal cities, 49 regions, 1 autonomous region, and 10 autonomous areas. These territories are integrated into seven federal districts: North-West, Central, Volga, South, Ural, Siberia, and Far East.
Each district has its own city as its capital. Russia is the largest state on Earth and the only country located on the territories of Europe and Asia. The largest border between Europe and Asia stretches through Russia, and European Russia is the Eastern edge of the smallest continent, Europe. Russia occupies approximately 40 percent of the territory of Europe.
What two natural formations create a boundary between Europe and Asia in Russia?
The Ural Mountain watershed is a natural boundary between Europe and Asia, with Mount Narodnaya being the highest peak. The boundary follows the Ural River, which ends and empties into the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is 746 miles long and 270 miles wide, making it a large enclosed water body. The definition of Europe is culturally and geographically intertwined, and political discretion is used to determine it.
Confusion surrounding the definition of the two continents leads to more geographers identifying six continents only, merging Europe and Asia to form Eurasia. The splitting of Eurasia into Europe and Asia is now put on record, as European geographers and scholars sought to separate their region of the world. Some readers find it difficult to accept the landmass forming Europe and Asia as separate continents in any context other than the study of 20th-century history. In Europe and Asia, historical boundaries trump conventional continental criteria.
📹 What Life in the Jewish Shtetl Was Like | The Jewish Story | Unpacked
If you’ve ever watched Fiddler on the Roof or Yentl, you may already have an idea of what the shtetls—small Jewish market towns …
I go to Alaska every year and while the existence of Russian isn’t very strong, it is always slightly present, kind of like French culture in Maine or Louisiana. You definitely feel like you’re in the U.S. but the occasional Orthodox Church, Russian Flag, or Pelmeni vendor gives a slight reminder of who was in alaska first. Not to mention a lot of coastal tribes still follow Orthodox Christianity to this day.
I used to live in Alaska for a few years during the mid 2000s before moving to a different state. Alaska was the first U.S. state that I lived in coming from abroad. It is definitely a unique state compared to others. The public school I went to had about half of the students bearing Russian last names, and even a couple speak Russian at home. The Russian culture has definitely left a lasting impact in Alaska. Overall a great article! Alaska rarely gets the focus on its history compared to other states.
A couple of issues: 1. Rezanov went to Monterey as that was the Spanish capital of California not San Francisco. 2. John Sutter was not an American but a Swiss landowner living in Mexican California. A few years after the Russians sold him the leftover equipment at Fort Ross, gold was discovered on his land nearby. This was how the California Gold Rush started. Had the Russians stayed and found gold history might have worked out differently.
Russian operatives tried to take over Hawaii in the 19th century. They had permission to build a supply house, instead they built a fortified building & started stockpiling weapons. Thinking without a standing army they could just muscle in. They were removed before they could start any trouble but there’s still an area in Honolulu’s Chinatown called Fort Street Mall from where they had their stronghold
Growing up in Hawaii and reading briefly about the encounter Russia had with the Hawaiian people and now seeing kings and generals bringing to light the history of the fort on the island of Kauai makes me happy . I can now use that scene from this episode to teach my friends and family and tell them more in def about the history Russia had on the Hawaiian people. Regardless of how short it was. Thank you @kingsandgenerals and I hope one day you’ll make a article on the history conquest of the Hawaiian islands, colonialism, and future statehood into the United States.
Thank you for covering this topic, few ever do. It’s such an interesting story. I grew up in Southern California and often heard about how the Russian and Aleut trappers would come down the coast to hunt otters and fur seals on the website Islands. The local Chumash as well as Californios often had skirmishes and battles with them on the islands.
Great article! All of the details are great and factual. Splendid. I’ve read a lot about Alaska, Russian voyages, Fort Ross, etc when I was a kid. One of my favourite stories was about the voyage of Krusenstern and Lisyansky. To think that my countrymen took a stab at colonizing Hawaii and California was mind-blowing for me as a kid. Keep up the good work!
The US purchase of Alaska was known as Seward’s Folly at the time, named after then-Secretary of State William Seward who was in the American side of the negotiations. After all, he bought what looked like a frozen wasteland. What use could this tundra possibly have for America? Decades later, gold was discovered and people changed their tune.
That brief mention of Hawaii piqued my interest. I’ve no idea of its history before the arrival of the Europeans but the idea of such an isolated civilization and its wars is really interesting. Same with the Maori in New Zealand. I’d love to see an episode on something like this, getting away from a eurocentric view of history is always good too
I think the main issue with the Russian colonization of Alaska is the fact that Russia was already over extended with so much newly conquered territory in Asia and then Eastern Europe. Russia simply was in no position to be fighting any conflicts with America or Britain who wanted the land for themselves
Sonoma County, CA, the home of Fort Ross maintains a number of Russian place-names (Sebastopol, CA) and kids camp out in the rebuilt fort to role-play what settlers did in support of the colony, it’s tremendous fun. It also inspired construction of a Russian-style hotel built of Redwood, stained glass and copper onion domes just a few km to the north, St. Orres, where the restaurant serves locally foraged food and game. One observation, Fort Ross is located on the North Sonoma Coast 36 km north of Bodega Bay and 144 km north of San Francisco. The Sonoma Coast has a really high mole/gopher population and reportedly it resulted in a report from Ft. Ross to the company that the land wasn’t suitable for agriculture sufficient to support a colony. Within minutes to what’s known now as the CA Wine Country.
Imagine being one of the explorers stuck in a boat in the north Pacific Ocean with all its freezing storms just to be greeted by what must probably be the most spectacular coastline on the planet, that being the very high and heavily glaciated Saint Elias mountains. Probably not the best place to start a colony but surely an awesome sight.
Just imagine if Russia had never sold its American territories. There would have been a direct land border between the USSR and USA after the October Revolution, which would have become a second Iron Curtain right on the North American continent. Just imagine if San Francisco and Los Angeles had been Soviet cities.
I’m happy that someone took the topic of Russian presence in Hawaii. Although I think it deserves more exploration and not enough justice has been done to this topic here. For example, nothing is mentioned about the involvement of Americans in the conflict between Kamehameha and Kaumualii. I’ve visited the ruins of Fort Elizabeth some time ago, and learned that the whole story is much more fascinating 🙂 How about an episode dedicated to it? Or a mini-series on Kemehameha’s expansion?
Fun fact: Baron von Wrangel (12:25) started off as an explorer, and got Wrangel Island named after him. It was recently discovered that this was the home of the world’s last population of woolly mammoths, who believe it or not lived there in dwarf form until going extinct around the time of the Great Pyramids and Hammurabi.
For Orthodox Christians in America, at least those of the OCA tradition, Russian America occupies a considerable spot in our hearts and minds. We find ourselves talking very often about saints like Herman of Alaska, Innocent of Alaska, and Peter the Aleut. It is very special to us to have a rich Orthodox tradition, however well-hidden, with saints and martyrs here on American soil. There are still many Orthodox Christian Aleuts and Tlingit today, which are held in a certain respect as the spiritual children of St. Herman.
During the Tlingit raid that you discuss (full disclosure, I’m Tlingit), you say that ‘their chief’ led the attack. This was a clan leader, a chief if you will, but the phrasing of ‘their chief’ is suggestive that this was the chief of the Tlingit people, full stop. That isn’t true. He was a clan leader.
Self note 5:10 to 7:43 The distinction between private and public is only recent while the actual reality of an institution holding power and or influence over both sectors is nothing new. Furthermore when there is a official divide, it then leads to unofficial ways in which public & private entities try to influence each other’s powers and influences -whether they be politicians looking to enrich themselves or businesses trying to change certains rules or have certain political outcomes.
It’s amazing how many times it has been that this website still neglects or completely omitting the fact that Portugal was a thing. Portugal had been fighting for 28 years in the Restoration War that ended in 1668, 4 years BEFORE the Tsar Peter the Great was born, yet it displays Portugal still part of the Iberian Union.
Even if the Russians had not sold Alaska to the US in the 1800s, the USA would have 100 percent taken it from the USSR as part of the deployment of US troops to assist the anti-communist forces in 1918. There is absolutely zero chance the USA was going to allow Communist control of any part of North America at that point in time. 🖖💯
Basically, this article shows in a nutshell why Russia has always failed to become a real empire: 1. Total lack of administration talent, resulting in the depopulation of the area, the skimming of the natural resources and the decline of revenues. 2. Total lack of interest in building meaningful infrastructure (roads, ports). Instead, they chose to build military forts, which they later abandoned. What a waste of resources! 3. Mistreating the local population and pitting the local chiefs against each other. It’s true, other colonial powers did the same. But the Russians didn’t achieve anything. They did it just for sports! It’s not just in America, but the Russians did exactly the same wherever they chose to spread their civilisation. This is why so many people “love” them.
Note the colliding time period (awfully close around a familiar 1642-1776 time era). So I will pose a neat historical alternate universe plot-twist here. What if the American Revolutionary War was actually a battle between the Russians and the Brits on who claims America. And continued with our existing timeline from there. Boom! We’re all actually Russians, it all makes sense now, and my satire-driven profile picture against obvious societal nonsenseries is actually a logical one.
Heads up. This article is less than 24 hours old as of the time I’m perusal it. You include a sponsor, yet only halfway through and I’ve already had two additional segments of ads inserted by YouTube, perhaps more by the time it’s done. I’m not sure if YT’s things changed or what but thought you should know.
“…Russia’s attempt to colonize the western coast of the Pacific Ocean…” You mean like Vladivostok? Because Alaska is on the Pacific’s eastern coast. Although I guess you could mean ‘the coast that is in the West.’ After all, the Pacific’s western coast is in the Far East, while the eastern coast is in the West. That’s certainly not going to be confusing.
What if is a very curious question. What if Russia stayed on in california, and taken over it from the weaker Mexico. Than the United States would have been more weary about manifest destiny. Then Russia would have discovered gold and oil, and not have withdrawn whatsoever. Russia would have become a major presence in North America, and also may have taken over hawaii since the latter is a strategic point on the globe. Russia may have thought that it was their manifest destiny to make the United States a sub state of the Russian empire. Perhaps this happened in a parallel universe as some episodes of star trek would have it.
The Russians slaughtered Aleut people and Tlingit. They slaughtered and enslaved so may Aleutian communities that few survive to this day. There are several Russian communities on the kenai peninsula mainly out of Homer. I believe most of them came here fleeing communist persecution of religion but i may be wrong there. Its pretty neat cause they still for the most part wear traditional clothing and speak Russian.
When the natives in Alaska slaughtered the newly arrived Russian explorers and fur traders, much like the Narragansett tribe similarly tried to accomplish against the pilgrims who arrived in modern day Massachusetts – why are such acts by the natives never framed as xenophobic acts of aggression? Why are terms like ‘xenophobia’ almost exclusively reserved for Europeans/European descendant ppl, while non-white natives are almost universally recognized as having an unquestioned, inherent right to a perceived ‘homeland’?
Super article ; a couple of mistakes in countrie’s cote of arms. Poland-Lithunia Commonwealth (west to Russia on this map ) has COA from 1862 – jannuary uprising : you can see it because ukrainan symbol – Angel is under White Eagle of Poland and Rider of Lithuania. Second issue : Russia’s COA has Polish white Eagle on right wing of its Imperial black doubleheaded Eagle so this woulbe have been after 1831 after failed november uprising in Poland.
Imperial Russia had two interests at the time of sale. One in the Crimea and one in Alaska. They couldn’t be divided by defending the both so far away from each other. So the Tsar asked the US to buy it. The French Catholics and English Protestants were very fierce against the Orthodox Russians and Natives. Wishing to protect them from their global reputation of extreme hate and rascism towards indigenous peoples, US was a benign choice for sale so that the Church and people were free and treated right.
Why do you call Johann August Sutter an American captain? He bought that land for himself, not on behalf of the United States, and he accepted Mexican souveranity over California. He had left Switzerland 1834 and arrived in Oregon (which was not US territory) in 1838 and than via Hawaii (which was British) to California in 1839. So what makes him “American”?
The pivotal year for North America was the year 1765 when Britain started imposing impossible burdens on everyone living in North America except the Britiish beurocrats being sent there. Impossible burdens for example demanding that other less powerful colonist authorities like the Russian one in Alaska choose a side in any of the ensuing increasing numbers of conflicts in a kind of self-fulling British prophecy about how only according to them only pagan Indigenous peoples existed in North America before the militaries running the colonies existed here.
as the current putin/russia said, russia has many cold places, no need to buy back alaska… knowing fully well the wars between conquistadores, alaska geographic location provide russia occupation, no recourse for any contingency plan… by your article, who holds california is who practically hold alaska…
In the year 1700, there was a really large Earthquake on the coast of modern-day Oregon/Washington that was so big that it caused a Tsunami that swept Hokkaido Japan. It was probably much bigger in the Northwest which would have depopulated the coast of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. This would have denied any would-be colonists the necessary slaves to get the work done.
Didn’t watch yet. But maybe that is because of lack of supply and communication websites between Siberia and Alaska. Whereas, communication line from Canada/US to Alaska is much better. So Russians would not have been able to hold onto Alaska for long anyway. Otherwise British/Russian war was inevitable.
I’m born and raised in Alaska all my life and it’s hard state to live in for sure but can be rewarding. As for the Russian communities they’re around and we havw East Orthodox Churches up here but alot of many religions as well. It’s pretty mix and while Russians are up here, they’re not everywhere. It depends on your community and even then it could be different. My city Wasilla is only about 10K people but there’s some certain communities that are Russian but just a few. We have alot different cultures up here though which is nice. You can find the influence of them for sure but we got influence from all around.
This article is not very accurate and it ignores the most important fact that stopped the russians. The article focuses on Russia’s expansion and logistics problems, but it does not mention almost anything about the disputes with Spain. The Spanish empire claimed Alaska’s territory by sending 13 expeditions from Mexico (old Virreinato de Nueva España) throughout XVIII century, first one in 1774 (Perez Hernandez’s expedition), as soon as they received news from Russia’s intention to settle in the northwest. These expeditions were sent until 1793 and were mostly scientific (Bodega y Quadra, Malaspina, Fidalgo… to name a few) However, the ultimate plan was to stop Russians in further advancing south and securing a trade route, so there were some forts and garrisons settled in the area, like Fort San Miguel in Nootka (or Nutca in spanish)… in fact the Nootka crisis almost led to an international conflict against the british, who were also sending expeditions to settle in Alaska. The British were eager to take over spanish trading routes but since Spain had already claimed the territory they captured several british ships. But in late XVIII the spanish empire was in absolut decadence with too many fronts open, therefore in Nootka’s treaty they were forced to dismantle the fort and allow open maritime trade in the area. Many names from spanish expeditions have been lost but still some survive nowadays, like Puerto Valdez, Puerto Fidalgo, Cordova, Gravina Island, and many more. So I would say the biggest obstacles in Russia’s expansion were the harsh survival conditions and the Spanish presence.
I wonder how much land the Mexicans would’ve conceded if the Russians accepted their terms, would it be just the area around fort Ross, kind of like a Russian enclave or district, or would it be a decent area in North California. Either way it would make for an interesting situation when the US invaded California
You’re map of Europe has one very obvious error. Scotland was not then, nor has ever been, part of England. In fact, the map based in 17c was not long after the Union of Crowns, but both nations were still separate entities and when they eventually did unite with the Union of Parliaments, they became Great Britain. Scotland was never part of England.
Your map of powers in central europe is wrong, ottomans didnt take over whole hungary, slovenia, croatia if im not mistaken you even put austria, slovakia, checkia and parts of poland under tham what is higly unlikely, thay may have fought bettles there like sidges of wiena but thay never controled full areas u marked,
Although the U.S. never would have been founded had Russia reached North America before Columbus did, I think it’s unusual that despite the expansion of the Russian Empire all the way east to the Bering Strait and their desire to do so, and with the Bering Strait frozen and crossable on foot every winter, the Russians, despite their desire to expand wherever they can, never realized that they can explore on foot across the Bering Strait during the winter. They could have reached North America centuries before Columbus did. And if nobody knew the whole map of the continents, how is it that during the history of the expansion of the U.S., the Russians figured that the best way for Russia to reach North America is across the Bering Strait, like as if they already knew that they would not be crossing an enormous ocean like the Atlantic. Or that it would be easier than the crossing over the Black Sea to the Byzantine Empire.
I’m not entirely sure if it’s just me but a matter of how the Russians chose to try to set up their colonies doesn’t make sense Alaska sure it’s like the closest thing but why did they just keep trying to move south from Alaska there would’ve been plenty of more advantageous locations than California it would’ve been in more close proximity like say certain parts of Canada. I would say that this history lessons has multiple lessons within its story it is a shame our American schools don’t teach this subject (or at least the schools i went to didn’t anyway) because I find this rather fascinating. Personally I believe that history has much wisdom and lessons to teach even if it may seem trivial to some it may prove highly beneficial to a great many others.
10:47 So sea otters were being hunted there for centuries, and they died out as a result of that just as the Russians had arrived? To my knowledge, any species can be hunted indefinitely, as long as the population doesn’t decline. Given that the sea otters had been either fine or in moderate decline for hundreds of years, it was probably the Russians that pushed their population over the edge. Not that I’m familiar enough with the matter to say that with any certainty.
I am continually amazed at your (Unpacked) ability to condense and make sense without sugar coating anything, a most complex period of history. It would be fascinating to hear people’s reaction to viewing this article. For some, it is review of information they may have heard growing up or in school. Some are surely unaware of this period…but everyone’s reaction will be varied as will be their takeaways. Another outstanding job!
As I understand it, my Great Grandfather, Zechariah Joseph Rosenfeld, had to leave the Ukraine after switching boys being conscribed…so families with only one child vould keep their child, while sending children from families with many children. Glad to learn a bit more about the conscription system. Question.. As Zionism developed, were there historic efforts to limit/reform Anti-Semitic oppression in such countries, before a path of relocation was deemed necessary?
I grew up in the 60’s here in the USA. As a child I read books that focused on Fairy Tales..I was taught if you work hard and treat people well, you would be greatly rewarded. I was always intrigued by little forest villages called Shtetles. They looked to me, a child at the time, to be so pure, honest and loving..smiles everywhere..then I grew up. I realized how jealous and mean people really are. I noticed it in my family, first. I pointed it out and was thrown out into the street. 15 yrs old. The rest of my views were formed after that major rejection. I dedicated my life to finding and procuring love. I made myself attractive along with the attractive personality. I never found the love I was searching for. Only when I turned 60, did I realize that I needed to love myself. I still see selfish people all around me. There are more and more popping up around me. How I wish I had the love and respect of the people in a long ago Shtetles, hugs, love and kisses from wise older people who KNOW how the world really works.. gone are the tiny shtetles that were built with love, blood and tears..gone forever like the people who built them..
You should compare the situation of the Jews in Russia within the general context of both repression and development of capitalism and industry for all the population and especially with the situation of other national or religious minorities. And you should also take into account other trends among jews, Bund, social-democracy, etc. 25 years of conscription was for all Russian subjects, not only Jews but Russians, Poles, Lithuanians, etc. In Russia as everywhere in Europe then; the State was trying to modernise and make population speak the same language and be part of the same nation within the frame of the State. This was carried on through school, conscription and employment in mixed ethnically industries and offices.