The Buriats and the Far Eastern Republic : an aspect of revolutionary Russia 1920-22
The Far Eastern Republic (1920-22) was a property-owning democracy, established and run by Soviet Russia with the aim of exploiting American-Japanese rivalry to oust Japanese interventionists occupying the Russian Pacific littoral. The Buriats under its jurisdiction were a northern Mongol people, Buddhists and nomadic livestock-herders. The thesis explores the complexity and interactivity of communist policies and the difficulty of reconciling conflicting aims within the revolutionary agenda. Changes undergone by the Transbaikal and its Buriats in the pre-revolutionary period are briefly outlined, focusing upon those resulting from modernisation and changing Tsarist policy. Special attention is given to the two main institutions of Buriat culture, its nomadic livestock rearing economy and its religious system. Buriat efforts to attain self-government during the Russian Revolution brought success under the Far Eastern Republic, but autonomy was difficult to establish. Communists would not tolerate 'bourgeois nationalists' of doubtful loyalty, while deep-seated inter-ethnic problems over land prevented delineation of an autonomous Buriat territory. Alienation of the huge Russian peasant majority could not be
Brennan, Cathryn Ann
History
The Buriats and the Far Eastern Republic : an aspect of revolutionary Russia 1920-22. The Far Eastern Republic (1920-22) was a property-owning democracy, established and run by Soviet Russia with the aim of exploiting American-Japanese rivalry to oust Japanese interventionists occupying the Russian Pacific littoral. The Buriats under its jurisdiction were a northern Mongol people, Buddhists and nomadic livestock-herders. The thesis explores the complexity and interactivity of communist policies and the difficulty of reconciling conflicting aims within the revolutionary agenda. Changes undergone by the Transbaikal and its Buriats in the pre-revolutionary period are briefly outlined, focusing upon those resulting from modernisation and changing Tsarist policy. Special attention is given to the two main institutions of Buriat culture, its nomadic livestock rearing economy and its religious system. Buriat efforts to attain self-government during the Russian Revolution brought success under the Far Eastern Republic, but autonomy was difficult to establish. Communists would not tolerate 'bourgeois nationalists' of doubtful loyalty, while deep-seated inter-ethnic problems over land prevented delineation of an autonomous Buriat territory. Alienation of the huge Russian peasant majority could not be
far eastern republic aspect revolutionary russia far eastern republic property democracy establish run soviet russia aim exploit american japanese rivalry japanese occupy russian littoral jurisdiction northern people nomadic livestock explores_complexity interactivity communist policy difficulty reconcile conflict aim within revolutionary agenda changes undergone pre revolutionary period briefly outline focus_upon result modernisation change policy special_attention_give two_main institution culture nomadic livestock rear economy religious system effort attain self_government russian revolution bring success far eastern republic autonomy difficult_establish communists would tolerate bourgeois nationalist loyalty deep inter ethnic problem land prevent delineation autonomous territory alienation huge russian peasant majority could