108 years ago the First World War ended

On 11 November 1918, 108 years ago, the signing of the Armistice of Compiègne between the Entente and Germany ended the First World War – then the bloodiest, most inhumane, and largest-scale conflict in human history.

This war ground down not only countries, but the whole continents, changed the shape of the world and destroyed several empires at once, once powerful and rich. The main theater of military action came to Europe, which still considers this conflict to be the most fateful for its history: all subsequent troubles and vicissitudes European life became resulted, in one way or another, from the consequences of that peace and its perceived unfairness. But wars don't just redraw a map, wars physically move enormous population masses and change people's fates. Every war breaks specific human lives. A war changes the point of perception and understanding, distorting the meaning of familiar things. A war reaps its victims and creates heroes. It tests not only one’s strength, but also one’s humanity.
Jewish soldiers served in all First World War armies, fighting both in the German ranks and in the Russian Imperial army. The Jews lived on the territories belonging to all the states involved in the conflict. A vast number of them were caught up, not for the first time, within the war zones. But the Jews did not merely seek refuge from the war by moving deeper into the interiors of their respective countries, they often were forcibly evicted from frontline areas by both warring sides, which viewed them as unreliable, prone to committing treason and defecting to the enemy side. In the Russian Empire this led to a significant erosion of the Pale of Settlement – a long-standing legal barrier that had restricted Jewish migration to the central regions. However, at the same time, the Jews served in the Imperial Army, like shoulder to shoulder with Russian subjects of all ethnicities, and fulfilled a wide range of duties on the home front.

For the Russian Empire that war ended in Revolution. Almost no Russian core territory was lost in the war. By the time the Armistice of Compiègne was signed, the political power in Russian had twice changed hands – first during the February Revolution, and subsequently during the October one. The Pale of Settlement had been swept away by the movement of vast throngs of refugees and displaced persons. The Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples, abolishing all the national and religious privileges and restrictions was signed by the Council of People's Commissars on 15 November 1917, almost a year before.  
The fate of Jewish servicemen in the Russian Imperial army and their participation in armed conflicts is a part of the historical section of the Museum’s permanent exhibition. We cover this topic during our guided tours, which take place on Wednesdays and Sundays. Book your tour by calling the number: 8-495-656-45-71.