Russian Jews

Jews once thriving in major cities were forced out, finding new homes and livelihoods in the Pale of Settlement towns. Established families were shuffled from one settlement to another based on arbitrary bureaucratic maps. The allocation of Jews in these regions was impractical and inefficient.

Czar Nicholas implemented a policy requiring Jewish communities to provide a quota of soldiers. Skeptical of their loyalty, he targeted children with the infamous Cantonists' decree.