Central Asia, The Caucasus & Siberian Russia – History

Why it matters: Under communism, the Soviet Union was the main force in the regions. Today, the republics of Russia the Caucasus and Central Asia re running their own affairs.

Questions you should be able to answer when we’re done:

• How did the settlement of Siberia progress over time?

• How have invaders affected Central Asia’s history and culture?

• How did the countries of Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan develop?

Vocab

• Pastoral• Collective• Irrigate

From you text:

• The Mongols

Siberia

About 1000 B.C., Turkic, Iranian, Mongol and Chinese people began migrating into southern Siberia from central and eastern Asia.

Some were nomadsSome were Pastoral…..

Pastoral

Lives based on herding animals.

200 B.C.

• Invaders from Manchuria drove many groups further into the Siberian Plateau.

• Then The Huns invaded….• Then the Mogols…..• Then the Tartars….• Finally the Russians (who had been coming to

trade fur).

• Huns• Mongols• Tartars

Russian Expansion

Russians

• Built Forts and trading posts.• SOME Siberian groups welcomed the Russians.• Those that didn’t were subdued.

1700s

• Russian control extended to the Pacific.• 230,000 Russians living in Siberia• Czars used Siberia for political prisoners.

Trans-Siberian Railroad1891 - 1905

• Czar gave away land to encourage settlement.

• By 1914 Three million people had settled in Siberia (near the railroad)

• Railroad allowed easier export of goods, so mines were opened and agricultural production increased.

Russian Revolution - 1917

• The communists took control (even though some resisted)

• Siberia became part of the U.S.S.R.

Life under Soviet Rule

• Increased mining and industry – using a lot of forced labor.

• Gulags• Collective farms

Gulag

Collective

• During WWII many industries were moved to Siberia to keep from being captured by the Germans.

Central Asia

• Most of history, this region has been part of outside empires– 300 BC Greek Empire (Alexander the Great)– Chinese– Huns

The Silk Road

• For most conquerors – the biggest prize was the silk road

• The nomad groups that could not defeat the invaders retreated into the deserts and dry plains to remain free.

Central Asia and Islam

• A.D. 700s – Arab conquest.• Then Persians (still Islam)• A.D. 1200 – The Mongols……

Central Asia and Islam

• Mid 1200s – Central Asian Conqueror – Timur– He conquered the Mongols– His empire covered a region that stretched form

the Caucasus to India

• Samarkand (a silk road city) was Timur’s capital

• Center of culture (brought in artists and scholars

• Center of Learning (inc. astronomy and math)• Vocab word: Madrassas – Islamic center of

learning.

Russian Rule in Central Asia

• Peter the Great expanded Russia into Central Asia in the 1700’s.

• By Mid 1800’s most of the region was under Russian Control

• Main interest was to grow cotton in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.– Irrigation– Railroad

Russian revolution - 1917

• Some areas declared independence, but communist Russia regain control by 1920.

• Through a treaty the “Stans” became part of U.S.S.R.

Soviet changes….

• Built dams on rivers for hydropower and irrigation.– 500 mile canal to carry water to desert land

• Opened mines and factories

Not so good changes….

• Resettled large numbers of Russians and Europeans.

• Forced local farmers and herders onto collective farms.

• Tried to uproot local culture• Closed mosques to end Islam

After the Soviet Union…

• 1991 – the republics declared their independence.

• Most countries still struggling with left over problems– Modernizing the economy– Ethnic tensions– Environmental issues

The Caucasus

• Crossroads between Europe and Asia• Part of many empires…..– Persian– Greek– Roman– Persian– Turks– Russian

One of the most ethnically complex places in the world today.

Early History of the Caucasus

• Georgia & Armenia both had periods of self rule.– Kingdoms– Persian control– Independent again (300 A.D.)

• Two of the earliest countries to convert to the Christian religion.

• Beginning in the A.D. 600, Muslim conquerors brought Islam to the region.

• 1200s – Mongols• 1300s Timur’s Central Asian Empire.• The Byzantines and Persians also

sought control. (Byzantines were Christians who controlled the eastern part of the old Roman Empire)

• By 1400 the struggle was between the Persians and the Ottoman Turks. (300 years of competition.)

Persians and Turks were Islamic – the Christian Armenians and Georgians suffered under their control.

1700s – the turned to Russia for protection from the Muslim rulers

1800s – Russia had annexed most of the region – only a small part of Armenia remained in the Ottoman Empire.

WWI

• Hundreds of THOUSANDS of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman troops and Russia took the rest of Armenia.

Russian Revolution…

• Like other places, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan briefly formed independent countries, but were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922

Life under the Soviets….• Pluses–Change from

agricultural to urban and industrial– Ended centuries

of invasion and instability

• Minuses–Crushed all

opposition–During WWII

when the Germans invaded, some groups were accused of helping the Germans…..

• So, after the war, the groups that had been accused of “helping” were broken apart and resettled in other parts of the USSR.

• Soviets also punished people for showing pride in and loyalty to their ethnic identity and culture.

• Like the other nations in this region, the Caucasus nations became independent after the fall of the Soviet Union.

• They also continue to struggle with leftover problems including ethnic tension and border conflicts.

Question 1

True or False:

Invaders from Manchuria were the first of several peoples to conquer parts of Siberia and add it to their empire.

Question 2

True or False:Soviet leaders moved some factories to Siberia

du ring World War II

Question 3

True or False:The Russian czars’ main interest in Central Asia

was mining gold

Question 4

True or False:The Caucasus has a complex ethnic history

Question 5

True or False:During World War I, Ottoman troops killed

hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians.

Question 6

By which century did Russian control of Siberia extend to the Pacific Ocean?

A) 1900B) 1800C) 1700D) 1600

Question 7

Which religion was brought to Central Asia after is was conquered by the Arabs in the early A.D. 700s?

A) JudaismB) IslamC) ChristianityD) Buddhism

Question 8

When were Central Asia’s present-day countries formed?

A) After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990sB) At the end of World War II following the defeat of

GermanyC) At the beginning of the Russian Revolution in

1917D) Shortly after Timur conquered the region in the

mid-1300’s

Question 9

What is one way the histories of Georgia and Armenia are similar?

A) Both successfully resisted coming under Persian control.

B) Neither had ever existed as an independent nation before the 1990’s

C) They were two of the earliest counties to convert to Christianity

D) They were two of the earliest countries to convert to Islam

Question 10

How did Soviet rule change the Caucasus?A) The soviets encouraged the people to show

pride in their ethnic identitiesB) The region changed from an agricultural area

to an urban and industrial areaC) Islam slowly became the dominant religion

throughout the regionD) The nations in the region finally gained their

independence under Soviet Rule

Question 11

Name two changes the Soviets brought to Siberia

Question 12

Lists four Negative changes the soviets brought to Central Asia.

Question 13

Why was Central Asia difficult to conquer and control completely?

Vocab

• Pastoral• Collective• Irrigate

So……..

• How did the settlement of Siberia progress over time?

• How have invaders affected Central Asia’s history and culture?

• How did the countries of Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan develop?