Political History Commons^™

Trading Freedom In The Russian Empire: The Extent To Which Russia Attempted To Solve The Jewish Question By Granting Jews Rights Only In Scenerios That Economically Benefited The State, Nathan Hellman

Anthós

Ever since its first known usage during the so-called "Jew Bill" controversy concerning the naturalization process for English Jews in the 1750s, the term Jewish Question has connoted a fairly simple, straightforward idea: How should a state craft policies to "properly" handle its Jewish population. However, its inherent subjectivity and the sheer multitude of possibilities ensured that no correspondingly simple, straightforward answer to the Jewish Question was offered in any country throughout Europe. Mired in centuries-old religious strife, constantly shifting boundaries and mounds of legislation, Russia's encounter with the Jewish Question stands out as one of the most complex— capable …