1. 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.

2. 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?

3. Vocab
Pastoral
Collective
Irrigate

4. From you text:
The Mongols

5. Siberia
About 1000 B.C., Turkic, Iranian, Mongol and Chinese people began migrating into southern Siberia from central and eastern Asia. Some were nomads Some were Pastoral…..

6. Pastoral
Lives based on herding animals.

7. 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).

8. Huns
Mongols
Tartars

9. Russian Expansion

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

11. 1700s Russian control extended to the Pacific.
230,000 Russians living in Siberia
Czars used Siberia for political prisoners.

12. Trans-Siberian Railroad 1891 - 1905

13. 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.

14. Russian Revolution
The communists took control (even though some resisted)
Siberia became part of the U.S.S.R.

15. Life under Soviet Rule
Increased mining and industry – using a lot of forced labor.
Gulags
Collective farms

16. Gulag

17. Collective

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

19. Central Asia
Most of history, this region has been part of outside empires
300 BC Greek Empire (Alexander the Great)
Chinese
Huns

20. The Silk Road
For most conquerors – the biggest prize was the silk road

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

23. Central Asia and Islam A.D. 700s – Arab conquest.
Then Persians (still Islam)
A.D – The Mongols……

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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

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

28. Russian revolution
Some areas declared independence, but communist Russia regain control by 1920.
Through a treaty the “Stans” became part of U.S.S.R.

29. Soviet changes…. Built dams on rivers for hydropower and irrigation.
500 mile canal to carry water to desert land
Opened mines and factories

30. 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

31. 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

32. The Caucasus Crossroads between Europe and Asia
Part of many empires…..
Persian
Greek
Roman
Turks
Russian

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

34. Early History of the Caucasus
Georgia & Armenia both had periods of self rule.
Kingdoms
Persian control
Independent again (300 A.D.)

35. Two of the earliest countries to convert to the Christian religion.
Beginning in the A.D. 600, Muslim conquerors brought Islam to the region.

36. 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)

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

38. 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.

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

40. Russian Revolution…
Like other places, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan briefly formed independent countries, but were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922

41. 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…..

42. 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.

43. 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.

46. 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.

47. Question 2
True or False: Soviet leaders moved some factories to Siberia du ring World War II

48. Question 3
True or False: The Russian czars’ main interest in Central Asia was mining gold

49. Question 4
True or False: The Caucasus has a complex ethnic history

50. Question 5
True or False: During World War I, Ottoman troops killed hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians.

51. Question 6
By which century did Russian control of Siberia extend to the Pacific Ocean?
1900
1800
1700
1600

52. Question 7
Which religion was brought to Central Asia after is was conquered by the Arabs in the early A.D. 700s?
Judaism
Islam
Christianity
Buddhism

53. Question 8 When were Central Asia’s present-day countries formed?
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s
At the end of World War II following the defeat of Germany
At the beginning of the Russian Revolution in 1917
Shortly after Timur conquered the region in the mid-1300’s

54. Question 9
What is one way the histories of Georgia and Armenia are similar?
Both successfully resisted coming under Persian control.
Neither had ever existed as an independent nation before the 1990’s
They were two of the earliest counties to convert to Christianity
They were two of the earliest countries to convert to Islam

55. Question 10 How did Soviet rule change the Caucasus?
The soviets encouraged the people to show pride in their ethnic identities
The region changed from an agricultural area to an urban and industrial area
Islam slowly became the dominant religion throughout the region
The nations in the region finally gained their independence under Soviet Rule

56. Question 11
Name two changes the Soviets brought to Siberia

57. Question 12
Lists four Negative changes the soviets brought to Central Asia.

58. Question 13
Why was Central Asia difficult to conquer and control completely?

59. Vocab
Pastoral
Collective
Irrigate

60. 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?