How did the status and position of Jews in Russia, France and Germany change from 1880-1920?

In contrast to the situation in Russia, Jews in France and Germany enjoyed considerable legal freedom.  French Jews had “liberty, equality and fraternity”, products of the revolution.  Unlike in Russia, only a tiny Jewish population lived in France, most were assimilated and inconspicuous.  Synagogue rituals grew like those of the State Church, even considering Sunday as their Sabbath.  Jews were successful and accepted into society, competing for places to the grandes ecoles, concours, academie and Legion d’Honneur.  People like Reinach, Deutsch and Bamberger were bankers, lawyers and politicians.  However, there was underlying anti-semitism, worsened by waves of incoming Russian Jews in the 20th century.  These were poor, mostly orthodox, which made them conspicuous.  The race theories based on Social Darwinism declared Jews racially inferior.  Jews were accused of cheating for success, especially after the Panama Scandal.  The Assumtionists used Jews as scapegoats to revive support for Catholicism.  When espionage was detected in the French Army, Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was tried and found guilty by anti-semites.  This case divided France into two camps.  There were riots and thirty-two duels, thus bringing the once latent anti-semitism to the surface.  Dreyfus was later cleared.

As in France, German Jews met with professional and economic success.  They had equality in law, although restrictions in education, the army and government remained.  Some people expressed their anti-semitism in writing and politics.  Jews were believed to be “vermin”.  Wagner declared them incapable of music.  Because of their culture, they were regarded suspiciously as “a state within a state”, though to themselves Jews were Germans first, Jewish second.  They were influential in business, literature, science and art, friends of the Kaiser, fighting bravely in the war.  These successes coincided with a strong German economy, which collapsed after the war.  At the same time, masses of Russian Jews emigrated to Germany, retaining traditional dress and living together in groups in large cities.  As in France, the situation worsened.  Jews were more obvious, easier to attack.  They were thus blamed for defeat in the war.

In France and Germany, underlying anti-semitism surfaced as trouble came.  The position and status of Jews deteriorated over time.  However, if anyone predicted the Holocaust, the most likely place would have been Russia, where Jews were openly attacked and restricted from the beginning.  Their position was by far the worst.