The BIGGEST Genocide By The Russian Empire You've Never Heard Of

Russia set its sights on Circassia back in the 1770s. Catherine the Great decided that Russia should control the entire northeastern shore of the Black Sea, regardless of what the people already there had to say about it. Over the following decades, Russia sent numerous military expeditions and regional commanders-in-chief to establish Russian control and drive the Circassians back. On top of its strategic interests, Russia justified its actions by what it called the ‘barbarism’ of Circassian society. They already had a reputation as raiders, even if only some tribes deserved that title. With no permanent settlements, they were seen as barbarians. As followers of Islam, Russia could paint them as enemies within their Christian empire. But since they had no permanent leadership, there was no way for them to collectively negotiate with Russia either. Diplomacy was not an option, so Russia choice violence instead. As early as 1818, the Russian military was massacring Circassian villagers. Commander-in-Chief Alexei Ermolov led some of the first mass violence against them that year, after Circassian tribesmen refused to help the Russians capture members of other tribes accused of raiding Russian territory. Ermolov had the tribe’s aul surrounded, flushed out the inhabitants, stole their livestock, and burned what remained. Compared to what came later, it was merciful. Military activity continued into the 1820s, helped by the plague which hit the Circassians in those years. Hundreds of auls were destroyed by Russian raids and the entire Kabardia region of the Northern Caucasus mountains was cleared of Circassians by 1830. Most had fled into Western Circassia, which was far beyond Russian control. Preparations for Genocide Technically though, Russia did not control any of Circassia and had no legitimate claim to it. They made sure to change that in 1829. The Treaty of Adrianople, signed to end hostilities with the Ottomans, recognised Russia’s claim to the entire Black Sea coast. It didn’t directly name Circassia, but Tsar Nicholas I acted like it did. #circassian #russianempire #genocide Sources: Adam Jones, Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction, 3rd Edition, (2017) Stephen D. Shenfield, ‘The Circassians: A Forgotten Genocide?’, in Mark Levene and Penny Roberts, The Massacre in History, (1999) Walter Richmond, The Circassian Genocide, (2013) Copyright © 2023 A Day In History. All rights reserved. DISCLAIMER: All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. If you are, or represent, the copyright owner of materials used in this video, and have an issue with the use of said material, please send an email to [email protected]