MANIFESTATION OF RACISM IN THE ANTI-GERMAN CAMPAIGN OF THE TSARIST EMPIRE DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914–1917

Abstract

The article studies the chauvinistic policy of tsarism during the First World War in relation to its own population of foreign origin, in particular ethnic Germans. This issue is investigated through the prism of the analysis of the socio- political situation that contributed to the formation of Germanophobic attitudes. In view of the defeats of the Russian army, a spiritual crisis arose in society, under which Russian nationalism intensified. July 16, 1914 "Regulations on the Field Management of Troops in Wartime" was approved. The western frontier borders of the country were populated mainly by the non-Russian population. In the mentioned territory, the power belonged to the higher military administration.The question of the status of the German population of Russia was put on the agenda as early as July 19, 1914. At that time, the gradation of the population into prisoners of war and non-prisoners of war was also introduced, which determined the degree of control for each group. Persons who had German citizenship were automatically declared prisoners of war.Mass arrests began, which were explained to protect the country from the actions of a possible "fifth column", as Germany and Austria mobilized their foreign subjects.Most of the western and southern provinces on July 20, 1914. came under the influence of martial law and state of siege. The power of military structures was expanded, in particular, in matters of internal management. Royal Decree of July 28, 1914 "About the rules by which Russia will be governed during the war of 1914." eliminated benefits granted to subjects of enemy states by international treaties based on the principle of general reciprocity. Based on the "Regulations about the areas declared under martial law in 1892", church service in German was prohibited in the front-line areas in the first months of the war due to fears of pro-German agitation by priests. A ban was introduced on its public use in everyday life, economic activity, education, toponymy, and religious life. The objects of the anti-German campaign became the attributes of German culture as a whole (language, customs and traditions, school, history, origin, property, primarily land). If the language restrictions of 1914–1915 related to a number of specific situations and certain territories, then in 1916 the situation has fundamentally changed. The language issue was summarized by Nicholas II, who approved on August 18, 1916. "Regulations of the Council of Ministers regarding the prohibition of teaching in German". Unlimited control of the military and gendarmerie-police authorities over the civilian population became legal. Moreover, according to Russian wartime laws, the actual population was equated to "enemy" if the army was operating in territories where martial law had been declared. A close connection between the punitive and repressive apparatus of the autocracy and the successful activity of nationalist propaganda was revealed.It has been proven that the anti-German campaign in the autocratic empire was a sign of the times in the general history of the First World War. However, in contrast to Western countries, the Russian version of the anti-German campaign had a much more radical, chauvinistic character.