Forestry service (Russia)
Encyclopedia
The forestry service was a form of alternative 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.
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 Saint Petersburg
for three successive years, but failed to retain the military exemption they so valued.
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. 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.
s 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 kopek
s (a very minimal amount) per work day.
Just as Mennonite colonies 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 up to a thousand were serving and during World War I, 7000. A similar program allowed Mennonite men to serve in hospital units and transport wounded from the battlefield to Moscow
and Ekaterinoslav hospitals.
. 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 with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
. Alternatives to military service remained available, but under military control, until 1936.
s 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.
Alternative service
Alternative service is a form of national service performed in lieu of conscription for various reasons, such as conscientious objection, inadequate health, or political reasons. See "labour battalion" for examples of the latter case...
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.
Background
NonresistantNonresistance
Nonresistance is generally defined as "the practice or principle of not resisting authority, even when it is unjustly exercised". At its core is discouragement of, even opposition to, physical resistance to an enemy...
Mennonites from West Prussia
West Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal 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 Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
for three successive years, but failed to retain the military exemption they so valued.
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
Eduard Totleben
Eduard Ivanovich Totleben was a Baltic German military engineer and Imperial Russian Army general. He was in charge of fortification and sapping work during a number of important Russian military campaigns.-Early life:...
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. 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.
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 steppeSteppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
s of South Russia. Phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
units in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
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 kopek
Kopek
Kopek or Köpek may refer to:*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ruble*A Kopek, 1/100th of a Ukrainian hryvnia*Kopek , an Irish rock band*Sa'd al-Din Köpek , court administrator under Seljuq Sultans of Rum...
s (a very minimal amount) per work day.
Just as Mennonite colonies 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 up to a thousand were serving and during World War I, 7000. A similar program allowed Mennonite men to serve in hospital units and transport wounded from the battlefield to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Ekaterinoslav hospitals.
Demobilization
The forestry units functioned right up to the Russian Revolution of 1917Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 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 with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
. Alternatives to military service remained available, but under military control, until 1936.
Epilogue
The lessons learned with respect to providing an alternate to military service for conscientious objectorConscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s was a model for Civilian Public Service
Civilian Public Service
The Civilian Public Service provided conscientious objectors in the United States an alternative to military service during World War II...
in the United States during World War II. Peace churches
Peace churches
Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: Church of the Brethren, Mennonites including the Amish, and Religious Society of Friends and has...
almost exclusively financed Civilian Public Service, while draftees served in forestry, agricultural and other types of units.
External links
- Forsteidienst at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineGlobal Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineThe Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online is an online encyclopedia of topics relating to Mennonites and Anabaptism. The mission of the project is to provide free, reliable, English-language information on anabaptist-related topics....