Napoleon and the Jews

[davidrafky]

Did Napoleon "conquer" Inperial Russia?
If yes, in what sense did he "conquer" Russia?
If yes, did Napoleon's edicts give the Jews in Imperial Russia, particularly
those living in the Pale of Settlement, some rights they did not have
previously?
If yes, did Napoleon's requirement that Jews adopt surnames apply to Jews
living in the Russian Pale of Settlement?
So, what happened after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and his leaving
Europe -- did the Jews in the Russian Pale have to relinquish these new (if
any) rights?

My family lived in the Pale and emigrated to America around 1910.

Thank you in advance.

David Rafky
Miami, FL

[Charles Manoras]

"davidrafky" <david...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:xGwKk.48817$kh2....@bignews3.bellsouth.net...

Napoleon's incursion in Russia was very brief, tumultuous and of course
quite devastating for him militarily.

At the risk of disappointing you, I sincerely doubt that he had much time
to deal with matters relating to the Jews of the Russian Empire at the time,
much less bestowing upon them new rights.

He did promulgate from Moscow his famous "Decret de Moscou" but this
dealt the "Comedie Francaise" (a uniquely French classical theatrical
organization) or so it was believed until recently, but this appears not to
be true, another napoleonic PR fiction.

http://www.herodote.net/almanach/jour.php?ID=1900

CM cartesys(at)gmail(dot)com