May Laws

The May Laws of the Russian Empire, which was in May 1882 officially as a " temporary regulations " (Russian Временные правила ) was adopted and repealed in March 1917 during the Russian Revolution, were a series of anti -Jewish measures. They were commissioned by Tsar Alexander III. set in response to the pogroms in force to which it had come in numerous Russian cities after the assassination of his predecessor, Alexander II, and served to restrict the free movement of Russian Jews.

Background

The assassination of Alexander II on 1.jul. / March 13 1881greg. dissolved in Southern District of numerous pogroms that represent the Jewish question into the public spotlight. In reports top government officials blame the Jews were blamed and pointed to the failure of the relatively liberal policy of Alexander II. Based on these reports, Interior Minister Ignatiev wrote to Tsar Alexander III. :

" The main, or even sole cause of this [ anti-Jewish ] movement is the economic situation. In the last 20 years, the Jews have brought gradually Trade and Industry under its control; they have also acquired primarily through purchase or lease, lots of land, and by their unity they have taken in general every possible effort to exploit the people, especially the impoverished classes. So they have nurtured a wave of protest which has taken the unfortunate form of violence. Now that the government has suppressed riots and lawlessness with hardness to protect the Jews, justice requires, immediately to lay down strict rules which will change the unjust relationship between the general population and the Jews and the former against the harmful activities of the latter are protected. "

On 22 Augustjul. / September 3 Greg. Tsar ordered the formation of special committees in the regions inhabited by Jews districts. These committees were composed of representatives of the various classes and communities and had to determine " what types have a detrimental influence of Jewish economic activity on the lives of the general population. " In September and October 1881, the representatives of the farmers and townspeople brought many accusations against the Jews, which were Volya reinforced by a press campaign in winter 1882 with the support of the revolutionary Narodnaya, while the Jewish representatives were trying to defend unsuccessful and broke new pogroms in cities such as Warsaw and Balta. With approval of the government, leading Jewish representatives gathered twice in Saint Petersburg ( September 1881 and April 1882) to discuss the Government's proposals.

The laws

Finally, the " temporary regulations " designed by 3.jul. / May 15 1882greg. that:

• It is the Jews were forbidden to settle outside of towns and cities.
• Purchase and lease contracts in the name of Jews outside of cities and small towns are invalid.
• Jews were forbidden to on Sundays and Christian holidays no trade.

The " temporary regulations " came to meet the demands of the Russian traders in the country, the hoped-for the removal of their Jewish competitors in the villages of Ukraine and Belarus. In truth, it was in these laws to a reduction in the Pale of Settlement, as the presence of Jews in cities and towns was limited.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the effectiveness of these laws was mitigated slowly. On 10 May 1903, the government decided to approve the settlement of Jews in 101 villages. In March 1917, immediately after the February Revolution, the May Laws of the Provisional Revolutionary Government were overridden.