avatarPrateek Dasgupta

Summary

Russia's status as the world's largest country is a result of historical expansionism, heavily influenced by the Mongol invasions, the quest for wealth through the fur trade, and the strategic acquisition of Siberia, which was consolidated despite significant resistance.

Abstract

The article explores the historical underpinnings of Russia's vast territorial expanse, attributing its growth to a combination of factors including the Mongol invasions that shaped its political structure and autocratic rule, the economic motivations tied to the lucrative fur trade, and the military conquests that led to the annexation of Siberia. Despite facing fierce resistance from indigenous populations, Russia's expansion was driven by a desire for security and resources, which persisted despite setbacks such as the loss of Yermak Timofeyevich. The conquest of Siberia, in particular, was a pivotal moment that solidified Russia's position as the largest country in the world, a status that was largely unchallenged by other world powers due to the region's remoteness and perceived insignificance at the time.

Opinions

  • The Mongol invasions are seen as a catalyst for the development of autocratic rule in Russia, influencing the governance style of its leaders.
  • The fur trade was a significant economic incentive for Russian expansion, particularly during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.
  • The Russian conquest of Siberia was not without resistance, but the lack of effective opposition from other world powers facilitated Russia's territorial growth.
  • The article suggests that Russia's historical expansionism, rooted in paranoia and resource control, continues to influence its modern geopolitical strategies.
  • The narrative emphasizes the importance of historical perspective in understanding present-day geopolitical issues related to Russia's territorial ambitions.

How Did Russia Become the Largest Country in the World?

Hint: Siberia

He’s as curious as you are to find out why Russia is the largest country in the world. Image generated by the author using AI.

Russia is huge. It stretches across expansive landscapes, and comprehending its size can be quite overwhelming.

Did you know the US and Russia are just 3.7 km apart? Norway and North Korea are separated by one country: Russia.

Russia has eleven time zones. Its size is mind-boggling.

But do you wonder why Russia is gigantic?

The story of Russia’s growth is a fascinating journey. It all began with the modest origins of the Kievan Rus, and from there, Russia embarked on a remarkable path of expansion.

Step by step, it extended its dominion, eventually encompassing the vast lands of Siberia by the mid-1700s.

The acquisition of Siberia made Russia the largest country in the world. Russia wouldn’t stop there and kept moving eastward till it reached North America and took over Alaska.

Why did Russia expand?

To decode the psyche behind why Russian leaders from Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin pursue an expansionist policy, let’s travel back in time to the Middle Ages and meet a group of raiders.

They were no ordinary adventurers, but were horsemen of the most powerful empire on the earth: the Mongols.

Impact of the Mongol Invasions

We not know neither from whence they came nor wither they have gone. Only God knows that, because he brought them upon us for our sins- The Chroncile of Novgorad.

In 1223, Mongol armies led by the legendary generals Jebe and Subutai clashed with Rus princes on the banks of the Kalka River in modern-day Ukraine.

The Mongols annihilated the Rus, then vanished into the wide plains of the Eurasian Steppes.

It was a preview of what was to come more than a decade later. The “punishment of God” was unleashed on the Kievan Rus in 1237.

Batu Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, destroyed the Rus cities of Vladimir, Suzdal, and Ryazan. The Mongol campaign concluded on December 6, 1240, with the capture and destruction of Kyiv, ending the Kievan Rus.

The Rus princes became subjects of the Khan of the Golden Horde, whose capital was in Sarai in the lower Volga region.

A new world order was established. Everyone bowed down to the Khan, who was the absolute power.

A radical departure from Kievan Rus’s system, the institution of the Khanate paved the way for the autocratic rule of the Tsar.

The Horde was more tolerant than their European counterparts, and made the Russian Orthodox Church a tax-free institution, allowing priests to baptize several people.

Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). The battle marked the rise of Moscow and the decline of the Golden Horde. Image source: Wikimedia.

Moscow’s rise to prominence in Russian politics is another legacy of the Mongol era. It soon became strong enough to challenge the Golden Horde and finally broke free from Mongol control.

In Russia, “overthrowing the Tartar yoke” became a romanticized nationalist theme.

It didn’t take long for Russia’s Tsars to figure out that expansion was their best defense. Russia lacked natural borders to the east that could prevent a Mongol-style invasion from occurring again.

What if another Eastern power rose and attacked Moscow? This paranoia began during the reign of Ivan IV Vasilyevich, also known as Ivan the Terrible, and has persisted to this day.

Russia’s ruling class is always afraid that if they don’t expand, they’ll be attacked. But this was part of the reason.

Controlling the fur trade was equally crucial.

The quest for fur

Ivan the Terrible under the walls of Kazan by Pyotr Korovin. Image source: Wikimedia

Unsurprisingly, wealth was a major driving force behind Russia’s expansion. Fur was prized in European markets.

By the time of Ivan the Terrible, trade was the lifeblood of Moscow. Russia desired total control over the fur trade.

But disputes often arose between Moscow and its neighbors over the lucrative fur trade.

Both the Kazan Khanate (1552) and the Astrakhan Khanate (1556) fell under Ivan’s iron fist.

These conquests were aimed at securing Moscow’s control over the Volga River and the region’s trade routes. But they also boosted the reputation of the Russian Tsar among the Turkic and Mongolian people of the Steppes, who now saw Ivan as the new “Khan.”

Moscow’s borders were expanding. The Khanate of Sibir was Ivan’s next target. As you’ve guessed, Siberia gets its name from Sibir, the capital of Siberia. The Khanate was a loose confederation of Turkic and Mongolian nations.

Ivan tasked Yermak Timofeyevich with leading a formidable Cossack army to subdue the Khanate of Sibir.

This military campaign had two goals.

For starters, it attempted to prevent raids into Moscow’s territory. Remember Russia’s paranoia following the Mongol campaigns? Yermak’s men also wanted to collect furs as tribute from the lands they set out to conquer.

I’ve come across some Euro-centric sources which suggest the conquest of Siberia was without resistance.

But that wasn’t the case.

Resistance and the fall of Siberia

Yermak’s conquest of Siberia, by Vasily Surikov. Image source: Wikimedia

In May 1582, Yermak’s troops geared up for their daring campaign to take Sibir, after enduring a series of Tatar raids.

The stage was set for an epic showdown as they clashed with Kuchum Khan and his six allied Tatar princes on the banks of the mighty Irtysh River. After three intense days of battle, against all odds, Yermak emerged as the victor.

But that was just the beginning.

As tensions escalated, the Khan gathered his forces for a fierce defense of Sibir. Mount Chyuvash became a gathering point for a formidable coalition of Siberian Tatars, Voguls, and Ostyaks, ready to fend off the invading Cossacks.

The Cossacks made multiple attempts to storm the Tatar fort, but the defenders held their ground.

On a fateful day in October 1582, the Cossacks launched a relentless assault. It was a battle of attrition, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

The thunderous gunfire of the Cossacks forced the Tatars into a retreat, clearing the way for Yermak’s triumphant entry into the Siberian capital.

But the story took a tragic turn for the Russians.

Kuchum Khan, refusing to accept defeat, regrouped his forces and struck back in 1584. Under the cover of darkness, he caught Yermak’s army off guard, resulting in a devastating defeat.

Yermak, wounded and burdened by his own chain mail, drowned while trying to escape by swimming across the Wagay River.

Despite Yermak’s demise, the Russians didn’t falter. They returned in 1586, subduing local tribes and establishing a fortress at Tyumen, near the ruins of Sibir.

The struggle continued for years, but in 1598, the tide turned.

The Russians emerged victorious in the Battle of Irmen, capturing the Siberian royal family.

Though Kuchum Khan slipped away once again, his family members became known as the Princes Sibirsky or the House of Sibirsky, which lasted till the 19th century.

Impact of the Russian Conquest of Siberia

Russia's expansion over the ages. Image source: Wikimedia

Russia’s conquest of Siberia gave them access to a vast territory, and soon it was the largest nation in the world.

The vast majority of the local population living in Siberia had little awareness that they were now under Russian rule.

In fact, in many parts of northern Siberia, Russian influence was virtually non-existent. It was not until the Soviet Union conducted censuses that the Russian authorities fully mapped these areas.

The world powers had little interest in the region and saw no reason to dispute Russia’s claims over Siberia. In the eyes of European powers, Russia’s conquest of Siberia increased its prestige and gave it a bigger say in the continent’s politics.

But not everyone was okay with Russia’s land grab.

As Russia expanded further into Siberia, it encountered a major power that trying to establish its influence in the region — the Qing Empire of China.

Initially, the Qing responded with hostility, resorting to military force to repel the Russian incursions. However, after Moscow sought peace, Russia and China concluded a diplomatic agreement.

Russia renounced any claims to the disputed lands in return for limited trade access while acknowledging Qing ownership.

It didn’t take long for Russia to disregard this agreement and continue its expansion northward.

Russia’s expansion was unhindered because of the absence of effective opposition and the low cost associated with it. Often, the missions were led by forces who had no communication with Moscow.

The expansion continued till Russia reached Alaska and realized they had bitten more than what they could swallow.

Russia later sold Alaska to the US in 1867. Moscow didn’t want borders with the British, who controlled Canada, and felt the US would act as a buffer.

Little did they know the two nations would clash in less than a hundred years.

My aim in this story was to explore the history of Russia’s expansionism and give you a historical perspective on present-day issues.

Russia’s desire for new lands is historically rooted in paranoia and control of resources. But that also explains why Russia is the largest country in the world.

If you enjoyed this story, check out why Russia controls a key city in continental Europe.

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References

  • Etkind, Alexander (2013). Internal Colonization: Russia’s Imperial Experience. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Favreau, Marie (2021) The Horde, Harvard Publishing Press
  • Figes, Orlando (2022) The Story of Russia, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022
History
Russia
Ukraine
Geopolitics
War
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