The forestry service^[1] was a form of national service offered to Russian Mennonites in lieu of military service in Russia from 1881 to 1918. At its peak during World War I, 7000 men served in forestry and agricultural pest control in South Russia. The program ended in the anarchy of the Russian Revolution. National Service in the 20th century referred primarily to conscription for military service. ... The Russian Mennonites are a group of Mennonites descended from Dutch and mainly Germanic Prussian Anabaptists who established colonies in South Russia (present-day Ukraine) beginning in 1789. ...

Background

Nonresistant Mennonites from West Prussia started settling in Russia in 1789, induced by land and special privileges including exemption from military service. By 1870 their population had grown to over 45,000 and was a significant economic force in south Russia. In 1870 the government announced that special privileges enjoyed by all colonists would end by 1880. Mennonite leaders sent delegations to Petersburg for three successive years, but failed to retain the military exemption they so valued. Nonresistance (or non-resistance) discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of nonviolence. ... One of four districts of East Prussia in 1920 - 1938. ... Several places in the United States of America have the name Petersburg: Petersburg, Alaska Petersburg, Illinois Petersburg, Indiana Petersburg, Iowa Petersburg, Michigan Petersburg, Nebraska Petersburg, Ohio Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg, West Virginia Slight variations appear in the names of: Petersburgh, New York Saint Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg, Florida Petersburg was the...

With loss of privileges looking likely, emigration to North America was promoted as a viable alternative. Realizing that 40,000 of Russia's most industrious farmers were preparing to leave for North America, the Russian government sent Eduard Totleben to the colonies in May 1874. Meeting with community leaders, he exaggerated the difficulties that would be encountered in North America and promised some form of alternative to military service. His intervention convinced the more liberal Mennonites to stay in Russia.^[2] After negotiations with the government in 1880 over acceptable types of alternative service, the forestry service program was deemed the best of the alternatives because it would have no military connection. Eduard Ivanovich Totleben (or Todleben) (May 20, 1818 - July 1, 1884), Count, general, was a famous Russian military engineer. ...

Structure

The forestry service began in 1881, after the end of special privileges granted to colonists in Russia. Men served in large groups for four years planting and caring for trees on the steppes of South Russia. Phylloxera units in Crimea focused on eradicating harmful insects from vineyards. Mennonite congregations provided for housing, feeding and all other necessities of the men. The Russian government provided supervision of the projects, tools needed for the job and paid each man 20 kopeks (a very minimal amount) per work day. A steppe in Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, a steppe (Russian: - step, Ukrainian: - step, Kazakh: - dala), pronounced in English as step, is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally considered as being... Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, family Phylloxeridae, superfamily Aphidoidea) is a serious pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. ... Motto: Процветание в единстве - Prosperity in unity Anthem: Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина - Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Capital Simferopol Largest cities Simferopol, Eupatoria, Kerch, Theodosia, Yalta Official language Ukrainian. ... 1998 Russian Federation one rouble coin. ...

Just as Mennonite colonies^[3] were insulated from Russian society, the forestry camps were also sheltered from outside contact. Mennonite congregations provided a pastor and a superintendent to oversee each camp. The expense of running the camps, which included constructing barracks, was quite high. Voluntary contributions from Mennonite congregations, who had an incentive to provide an alternative to military service, were sufficient to run the program for nearly three decades.

Initially about four hundred men served in this program annually. By 1913 it was up to a thousand and during World War I, 7,000.^[4]

Demobilization

The forestry units functioned right up to the Russian Revolution of 1917. The camps became impossible to maintain in the chaos of South Russia and the assets, all church property, were sold and camps closed in 1918. Alternatives to military service remained available, but under military control, until 1936.^[5] The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a series of political events in Russia, involving first the overthrow of the system of autocracy, and then the overthrow of the liberal Provisional Government (Duma), resulting in the establishment of the Soviet power under the control of the Bolshevik party. ...

Epilogue

The lessons learned with respect to providing an alternate to military service for conscientious objectors was a model for Civilian Public Service in the United States during World War II. Peace churches almost exclusively financed Civilian Public Service, while draftees served in forestry, agricultural and other types of units. A conscientious objector (CO) is an individual following the religious, moral or ethical dictates of his or her conscience that are incompatible with being a combatant in military service, or being part of the armed forces as a combatant organization. ... Civilian Public Service (CPS) provided conscientious objectors in the United States an alternative to military service during World War II. From 1941 to 1947 nearly 12,000 draftees, unwilling to do any type of military service, performed work of national importance in 152 CPS camps throughout the United States and... Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating pacifism. ...

Notes

1. ^ From German Forsteidienst
2. ^ Smith, p. 291.
3. ^ See Chortitza and Molotschna, the two largest colonies.
4. ^ Braun.
5. ^ Braun.

Chortitza is a settlement on Dnieper River in Zaporizhia Oblast. ... Molotschna Colony is a former Russian Mennonite settlement in what is now Zaporizhia Oblast in the Ukraine. ...

References