The Cossacks suffered a great deal in this time period, in part from revolutionary terror targeting enemies of the Bolsheviks, but also from a decade and a half of "Decossackization" to forcibly integrate them into Russian society, and later from the "Holodomor" mass famine caused (or at least exacerbated) by Stalin's policies. This generally made them part of the "White" (anti-Bolshevik) forces. Cossacks also attempted to set up an independent Ukraine once the Germans withdrew. Russia also supported Cossack colonization of the frontier as the empire expanded, to keep them near the hotspots.Īfter the Bolshevik Revolution, and during the Russian Civil War, the Cossacks mostly either supported the old order or moderate socialists, often favoring some form of independence/autonomy. Eastern Cossacks who had not been part of the struggle between Russia and Poland were more loyal to Russia, and the state granted them concessions to keep them viable as a military resource. The Russian empire had use for them, though. However the Ukrainian Cossacks were still famously independent, so they were notoriously rebellious. Russia eventually won out in competition with Poland-Lithuania and achieved hegemony over modern day Ukraine, where many Cossacks lived. The interaction between Cossacks, Russians, and Poland-Lithuania was also very important for the formation of Ukrainian ethnic identity, but I don't know enough about that to say much more. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russian Tsardom both looked to them as allies against each other and against the Islamic nomads to the south and east. These factors made the Cossacks potential threats and potential allies to nearby Slavic states. They were outsiders and steppe raiders, but they were Slavs and they were Christians. Through the early modern period the Cossacks became pretty important strategically, as independent military forces. Eventually enough Slavs on the frontiers took up this lifestyle that they developed into their own military society, with their own settlements, culture, and eventually ethnic identity. Runaway serfs and others attempting to escape Russian society mingled with the nomads of the steppe, mostly Turkic, and adopted aspects of their lifestyle. The Cossacks were people on the frontier between Russia and Turco-Mongolian peoples in the early modern period. Do we have this gap here just because we're (I'm assuming mostly) not Russian? Or is this a hole in the general narrative of Russian history as well?Ī couple year ago I asked a Russian history professes a very similar question. It reminds me of mainstream American narratives and images of American Indians, whose narratives often lead up to 1890 where they stop and are frozen. There's just this unexplained 100 year gap. I realize the last question bumps into the 20 year rule, and if you'd like to limit your answers to pre-1994 experiences and events, that's fine. My question is, what has happened to the Cossacks since 1920? How have they been living, and where? What have they been doing? And finally, how do they fit into modern Russia? Both this and this post give good and interesting information about the rise of Cossacks and how they lived, but again they cut off around 1920 and speak only in the past tense. When I looked into this subreddit, I found I was not the only one with this mental roadblock. While reading about the Olympics I've come across several references to Cossacks (for instance a picture here), which surprised me, as the image of Cossacks in my mind is very much linked to Imperial Russia. Previous AMAs | Previous Roundtables Featuresįeature posts are posted weekly. Please Subscribe to our Google Calendar for Upcoming AMAs and Events To nominate someone else as a Quality Contributor, message the mods. Our flaired users have detailed knowledge of their historical specialty and a proven record of excellent contributions to /r/AskHistorians. Please Read and Understand the Rules Before Contributing. Report Comments That Break Reddiquette or the Subreddit Rules. Serious On-Topic Comments Only: No Jokes, Anecdotes, Clutter, or other Digressions. Provide Primary and Secondary Sources If Asked. Write Original, In-Depth and Comprehensive Answers, Using Good Historical Practices. Questions should be clear and specific in what they ask, and should be able to get detailed answers from historians whose expertise is likely to be in particular times and places. Nothing Less Than 20 Years Old, and Don't Soapbox. Be Nice: No Racism, Bigotry, or Offensive Behavior. Downvote and Report comments that are unhelpful or grossly off-topic.Upvote informative, well sourced answers.New to /r/AskHistorians? Please read our subreddit rules and FAQ before posting! Apply for Flair
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