THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Slavic Peoples: Russians Ukrainians Belorussians Poles Bulgarians

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Caucasus: @50 groups Chechens, Dagestanis Ingush, Karabadians Adygeys, Cherkess Abazins, Abkhazi, Avars Georgians Armenians Azerbaijiani Kurds

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Turkic & Central Asian Peoples: Tatars Kazakhs Kyrghyz Uzbeks Turkmen Bashkirs Chuvash Tajiks Kalmyks Many smaller groups

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Arctic & Far Eastern Peoples: Evenki & Evens (Tungus) Dolgan, Khan, Yukagir, Ket Chukchis, Nenets Buryat, Sakha (Yakuts) Dungan (Sino-Tibetan) Total 26 groups

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Baltic & Finno-Urgic Peoples: Lithuanians Latvians Karelians Estonians Finns Saami, Mari, Khanti Komi, Udmurts, Mansi Mordvians

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC & NATIONAL GROUPS OF THE SOVIET UNION

Other European Peoples: Germans Jews Gypsies Moldovans Romanians

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Status of National Groups in USSR

Only 15 had Union Republic Status

22 were Autonomous Republics

18 were territorial enclaves (Autonomous Oblasts & Autonomous Okrugs)

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Marxist origins

Marxism = “internationalist movement”

Nationality not important, but class

Leninist Nationalities Policy

One of goals of socialism = integration of humanity

But recognized utility as support for socialism against repression

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Policies of New Soviet state

Lenin now advocated federalism

1918: Guaranteed right to national self-determination

“Declaration of Rights of the Peoples of Russia”

“Appeal to all Laboring Muslims”

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Policies of New Soviet state

First Constitution, 1918, created federated system

Treaty of Union, 1922

• Divided functions between central & republic govt.

New Constitution, 1924: granted more political representation

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Stalin’s Nationalities Policies

Central control over nationalities

Stalin Constitution, 1936, granted rights on paper

But Stalin’s actions actually limited national autonomy

Sblizhenie: drawing nationalities closer together – but under Russian domination USSR – Socialist Fatherland of

Laborers of All Nations

THE SOVIET NATIONALITIES

SOVIET NATIONALITIES POLICY

Stalin’s Nationalities Policies

Entire nationalities targeted as enemies of state

Included deportations of entire groups

Exploited Russian nationalism (chauvinism)

Portrayed Soviet Union as heir to Russian Empire