Privileges Lost

In 1871, many of the privileges originally provided to the Volga Germans when they first settled in Russia where withdrawn.

The decline of the Russian German community started with the reforms of Alexander II. In 1871, he repealed the open door immigration policy of his ancestors, effectively ending any new German immigration into the Empire.

Although the German colonies continued to expand, they were driven by natural growth.

The Russian nationalism that took root under Alexander III served as a justification for eliminating in 1871 the bulk of the tax privileges enjoyed by Russian Germans, and after 1874 they were subjected to military service.

Only after long negotiations, Mennonites, traditionally pacifist denomination, were allowed to serve alternative service in the form of work in forestry and the medical corps. The resulting disaffection motivated many Russian Germans, especially members of traditionally dissenting churches, to emigrate to the United States and Canada, while many Catholics chose Brazil and Argentina.

They resettled primarily in the American Great Plains, to western Canada, especially North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, to Brazil, especially Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul and Argentina, especially South of Buenos Aires Province, Entre Ríos Province and La Pampa Province. North Dakota and South Dakota is comprised primarily of Odessa (Black Sea area) Germans from Russia while Nebraska and Kansas is comprised mainly of Volga Germans from Russia.

After 1881, Russian Germans were required to study Russian in school and lost all their remaining special privileges. Many Germans remained in Russia, particularly those who had done well, as Russia began to industrialise in the late 19th century. Russian Germans were disproportionately represented among Russia's engineers, technical tradesmen, industrialists, financiers and large land owners.

Source: Wikipedia