Rheinbund (Rhine Union), a federation of several German states established in July 1806 by Napoleon, the area left (west) of the Rhine having already been incorporated into France. The participant states, including Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, Hesse, and Nassau, were required to furnish troops. Universal military service was enforced, alleviated by the permission to hire a substitute actually meant for the upper classes. From this point on, the Mennonite principle of nonresistance was gradually but steadily lost.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 487.
 Cite This Article
Crous, Ernst. "Rheinbund." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 30 Mar 2017. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rheinbund&oldid=146049.
Crous, Ernst. (1959). Rheinbund. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 30 March 2017, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rheinbund&oldid=146049.
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