The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

s taxable for military purposes decreased.’ The rapidly multiply- ing people who steadfastly refused to fight in the army weakened the military potential of the Prussian state. The state therefore resolved to force the Mennonites to pay dearly for their nonviolent convictions. On June 20, 1774, an order was issued compelling Mennonites to pay a lump sum of 5,000 thaler (about $3,500) in lieu of military service to support the military academy at Culm. This payment troubled the conscience of many dedicated Mennonites; they feared assimilation by the world and a From the Vistula to the Volga 35 reimposition of regulations and restrictions. In addition, their economic progress was hampered and their religion suppressed. Near the end of the eighteenth century, the new king of Prussia, Frederick William II, reluctantly confirmed their ancient privileges of freedom of worship and exemption from military service. Soon, however, complaints from his recruiting officers concerning the sect prompted a royal decree prohibiting further land acquisition by Men- nonites and requiring that they pay tithes to the Lutheran Church on land purchased from Lutherans. Finally, the Prussian government issued a decree on December 17, 1801, which forbade Mennonite land purchases from Lutherans or any other neighboring farmers.’ More- over, any Lutheran could buy back his farm from the Mennonites at the original price, regardless of improvements made on them. Henceforth, Mennonites could only buy from Mennonites, and thus all possibility for further expansion was halted. Faced with this ordinance, the Mennonite settlements entered a time of hardship. Material progress was blocked, and expansion for the younger generation became only a shattered dream for the parents. As time went on, other annoying restrictions were placed on them. Mennonites were not permitted to hold public funerals; citizenship was granted to them only with great reluctance. They were asked to pay tribute money. Mennonite shops in Danzig were boy- cotted and their owners intimidated.’ Consequently, a fertile field was provided for any external power which sought immigrants for new settlements. Imperial Russia was just such a power. Prior to the accession of Catherine the Great to the throne of Russia in 1762, the Mennonites were virtually unknown in her coun- try. This situation might well have continued if it had not been for the agrarian reform and colonization of depopulated provinces that the empress initiated. Catherine's proclamation of 1762, entitled ‘‘Instruc- tion to the Commission for Drafting a New Code of Laws,’ stated that owing to insufficient population and the existence of large tracts of land that were neither inhabited nor cultivated, encouragement should be increased to lure farmers to Russia.'!° This proclamation resulted in an open invitation to all foreigners except Jews from all over Europe to settle in Russia. Liberal inducemen