The Conscription of Jews in the Russian Empire in 1853 (on the Case of the Activities of Khotyn County Recruitment Office)

Abstract

The conscription of Jews in the Russian Empire in the mid-19th century occurred, on one hand, against the backdrop of a general reorganization of the conscription system in the Empire, and on the other hand, amid the systematic evasion of military duty by Jews, who perceived conscription as a personal tragedy. Obviously, the 25-year military service posed a mortal danger not only for Jewish subjects of Nicholas I, but for Jews in particular it represented a real threat of losing their national identity, being placed in a foreign environment, and suffering systematic oppression and humiliation based on religious grounds. In turn, in the second quarter of the first half of the 19th century Russian officials attempted to transform conscription into a strict tool for the assimilation of Jews.

Since, as contemporary researchers have noted, Jewish conscription was accompanied by various abuses by the leadership of Jewish communities, increased administrative oversight, and widespread Jews’ evasion of conscription, the author of this article believes it is worth analyzing these phenomena using the case of Khotyn County in the Bessarabia Governorate in 1853.

Based on the analyzed cases preserved in the archives of the Khotyn County Recruitment Office (Fund 363) of the State Archive of Chernivtsi Region, the author notes, in particular, that: firstly, many Jews from other governorates — namely Grodno, Kyiv, Podillia, Volyn, and Mogilev — were found in the Khotyn area, including in the city of Khotyn itself, having evaded military service. In the commission’s documents, they were listed as fugitives «without a written permit for residence» or with «invalid passport». Secondly, a common practice among Jewish conscripts became the substitution of «natural» recruits with a monetary contribution of 300 silver rubles per conscript. In total, out of 105 conscripts from Khotyn County scheduled for mobilization in 1853, 90 individuals were released from military service due to monetary payments of 300 silver rubles each. The remaining conscripts served as actual recruits.

In conclusion, the author determines that there was mass evasion of military service among Jews and that the system of accounting for and assigning conscripts by Jewish communities was complex. On the other hand, the claims by some historians regarding the economic impoverishment of Jewish communities in the Pale of Settlement in the mid-19th century require some clarification. The sum of 27,000 silver rubles paid by the Jews of Khotyn County to the state treasury in lieu of conscripts indicates a satisfactory financial condition of Jewish communities in the Bessarabia Governorate. Taking into account the traditionally high levels of bribery and corruption at the local level during conscription campaigns in general, the actual amount of money paid in lieu of conscripts may have been twice as high. Nevertheless, the author did not find any direct or indirect evidence of unlawful actions by members of the Khotyn County Recruitment Office, though this does not rule out the possibility that such facts existed. The finding and study of such facts may become a promising topic for future research.