| April
21,
1729 |
Sophia
Augusta
Frederica
of
Anhalt-Zerbst
was
born
in
Germany.
She
later
ruled
Russia
under
the
name
Catherine
II.
(Catherine
the
Great)
|
| 1756-1763 |
Seven
Years'
War.
Important
factor
in
bringing
Germans
to
Lower
Volga
to
establish
colonies.
|
| June
28,
1762 |
Catherine
II
ascends
the
throne
of
Russia
|
| December
4,
1762 |
First
Manifesto
issued
by
Catherine
II,
inviting
foreigners
to
come
to
Russia.
It
brought
few
results.
|
| July
22,
1763 |
Catherine
II
issued
second
manifesto.
It
spelled
out
the
conditions
under
which
they
could
immigrate
and
granted
special
rights
and
privileges.
Large
numbers
of
German
peasants
accepted
the
invitation.
|
| 1764-1767 |
Founding
of
German
colonies
along
the
Lower
Volga
River.
|
| 1771-1774 |
Kirghiz
Raids
and
Pugachev's
rebellion,
called
the
Pugachevshchina,
ravished
the
Volga
colonies.
|
| 1786 |
Mennonites
from
West
Prussia
began
immigrating
to
Russia
due
to
1772
Partition
of
Poland,
which
threatened
their
military
service
exemption
as
conscientious
objectors.
Settlements
were
established
primarily
in
the
Taurida
region
of
South
Russia.
|
| 1793 |
Second
Partition
of
Poland
grants
area
of
Volhynia
to
Russia.
Polish
landowners
invite
German
peasants
to
lease
land
for
cultivation.
|
| November
6,
1796 |
Death
of
Catherine
II
at
age
sixty-seven.
|
| 1796-1801 |
Reign
of
Czar
Paul
I,
son
of
Catherine
II
|
| 1801-1825 |
Reign
of
Tsar
Alexander
I,
the
well
beloved,
grandson
of
Catherine
II.
|
| February
20,
1804 |
Alexander
I
modifies
and
reissues
manifesto
of
Catherine
II,
inviting
foreigners
to
settle
in
New
Russia.
|
| 1825-1855 |
Reign
of
Tsar
Nicholas
I,
Grandson
of
Catherine
II,
and
brother
of
Alexander
I.
|
| 1830 |
Polish
Insurrection
brings
about
immigration
of
many
Polish
Germans
to
the
Bessarabia
and
Volga
Region.
|
| 1855-1881 |
Reign
of
Tsar
Alexander
II,
great-grandson
of
Catherine
II,
son
of
Nicholas
I.
|
| 1860s |
Another
wave
of
Germans
immigrate
to
Volhynia
prompted
by
1861
abolishment
of
serfdom,
leaving
significant
drain
on
work
force.
Second
Polish
Insurrection
of
1863
brought
more
Polish
Germans
to
Volhynia
and
other
areas
of
Russia.
|
| 1871 |
Germany
unified
as
a
nation
for
first
time.
Created
unease
among
European
nations
and
Russia.
Time
of
increased
animosity
towards
foreigners
in
Russia
due
to
Slavophile
movement
and
growing
nationalism.
|
| June
4,
1871 |
Imperial
Russian
Government
issues
decree
repealing
the
Manifestos
of
Catherine
II
and
Alexander
I,
terminating
the
special
privileges
of
the
German
colonists.
|
| January
13,
1874 |
Imperial
Russian
Government
issues
second
decree
amending
the
previous
one.
This
decree
instituted
compulsory
military
conscription
for
the
German
colonists.
These
decrees
impelled
thousands
of
German
Russians
to
immigrate
to
North
and
South
America
|
| 1881-1917 |
Reign
of
Tsar
Nicholas
II,
descendent
of
Catherine
II.
He
abdicated
during
World
War
I.
On
July
16,
1918,
the
Bolsheviks
executed
him
and
his
family.
Nicholas
II
was
the
last
monarch
to
rule
Russia.
|
| July
28,
1914 |
Outbreak
of
World
War
I.
|
| 1915 |
Advancement
of
Eastern
front.
Volhynian
Germans
deported
to
Volga
and
South
Russia.
|
| December
13,
1916 |
Volga
Germans
ordered
to
be
banished.
This
order
was
never
carried
out
because
of
internal
troubles
in
Russia.
|
| November
7,
1917 |
Bolshevik
Revolution
in
Russia
led
by
Vladimir
Lenin.
The
beginning
of
the
Communist
regime.
(October
25,
1917
by
old-style
Russian
Calendar).
|
| June
29,
1918 |
Lenin
established
Autonomous
Volga
German
Workers'
Commune,
forerunner
to
the
ASSR
of
the
Volga
Germans,
founded
in
1924.
|
| 1920-1923 |
1920-1923
Period
of
famine
in
Russia.
Death
by
starvation
in
the
Volga-German
colonies
alone
estimated
at
166,000
lives,
one
third
of
the
population.
American
Relief
Administration
provided
assistance.
|
| January
1924 |
Autonomous
Socialistic
Soviet
Republic
of
the
Volga
Germans
established.
|
| 1928-1933 |
Second
period
of
famine
again
|
American
Historical Society of Germans From Russia
