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1763: Catherine II Manifesto. Special rights and privileges of German immigration. 1764-67: Founding of 104 German villages along the Lower Volga River.(26,000 settlers) 1771-74: Kirghiz Raids and Pugachev's rebellion ravish the Volga colonies. 1790: Volga Germans gain modest prosperity and learn to farm but owe large debts to Crown. 1846: Debt to government finally paid off after 80 years. Dishonest officials. 1871: Government repeals Catherine's Manifestos terminating privileges of the colonists. 1874: Second decree, compulsory military conscription for the German colonists. 1914: Outbreak of World War I (July 28) 1917: Beginning of the Communist regime led by Vladimir Lenin. (Nov 7) 1920-23: Famine in Russia. 166,000 Volga-German's starve. (Lenin dies 1924) 1928-33: Stalinization period of collectivization. Famine and kulak (rich) deportation. 1939: Outbreak of World War II (Sep 1). 1941: Deportation of all 400,000 Volga Germans to Siberia. Trudarmee (slave labor camps) 1991 Fall of Soviet Union. |
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