Circassian Destiny: To Remind Those Whose Memory Has Betrayed (3)
Adel Bashqawi
October 21, 2024
This is the third article in a series, as indicated by the title above.
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Russo-Circassian_War
Matters to Consider
The Circassian nation was targeted by one of the worst colonial powers the world has ever known. “Circassia was not born out of circumstances, whims, or fantasies, nor was it built by conquering the innocent and oppressed. It is known in history as the homeland of the indigenous Circassian people who participated in the advancement of human civilization. Circassians have endured a high cost for self-preservation and existence as one of the nations of the Caucasus, while being identified by their distinctive homeland.” [1] (Bashqawi, Adel. Circassia: Born to be Free. p. 22)
Needless to say, the Russian principalities submitted in the 13th century to the rule of the Golden Horde and the Mongol Empire for approximately 300 years, either directly or by paying tribute. But when Mongol rule ended, and the Russian emirates united into one state, the mask of colonial and imperialist ambitions and greed was lifted. A new tyrannical era began in Russian history, forming a colonial empire through the invasion of neighboring peoples and nations, seizing their homelands, and forcibly annexing them to the growing state, which was expanding beyond its borders and crushing anyone who stood in the way of its savage forces.
Propaganda and misleading warfare aimed to spread lies and falsehoods, seeking to control hearts and minds in conjunction with bloody expansionist wars. In this context, these actions can be considered a primitive form of media that relied on methods of subjugating peoples who were invaded, occupied, and annexed to a hateful colonial entity bent on domination and subordination. The Russian Empire decided to catch up with the 15th-century trend of global European expansion. This marked the beginning of the formation of the Empire of Horror. “Terror, intimidation, and bullying were the well-known means used, along with a propaganda war on the Circassians by the Russian Empire’s armed forces and mercenaries.” [2] (Bashqawi, Adel. Circassia: Born to be Free, Chapter 3 and appendices)
Occupation and Annexation
• Occupation
Circassia, like many other nations, became a victim of Tsarist Russian wars, invasion, destruction, occupation, maltreatment, atrocities, murder, displacement, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Colonialism and direct autocracy were always mired in racism, akin to apartheid. By force, and after the complete occupation of their homeland in May of 1864, only 10 percent of Circassians remained as a minority in their homeland, while 90 percent were deported or emigrated to the Ottoman Empire, forming minority communities in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Europe, the United States, and some thirty other countries worldwide. [3] (Bashqawi, Adel. 15 September 2017. Circassia: Born to Be Free)
There were no more diabolical and evil means to break the will of the people than those used by the brutal Russian invasion forces. Life became difficult, complicated, and even impossible amidst crimes, devastation, genocide, and a suffocating blockade along Circassia’s Black Sea coast, designed to prevent ships from entering or leaving. This was intended to break the will of the people who had survived the war crimes. The entire nation faced hardships and catastrophic circumstances as the Circassians were exposed to the horrors of war. Archival documents, evidence, and material have proven beyond doubt that the Russian state committed serious violations, including:
— The Crime of Genocide
— Crimes Against Humanity
— War Crimes
— The Crime of Aggression
These wicked actions were carried out systematically by war criminals, unchecked by laws or ethics. They were members of the arbitrary and tyrannical forces of the Russian Empire that participated in unspeakable atrocities. They perpetrated genocide, which is categorically rejected by humanity. Yet, other regional, continental, and international powers remained unethically silent, as if they had nothing to do with the slaughter of an entire nation. Such crimes would never be committed by the armies of civilized nations. “During the war, many European newspapers and journals echoed the enthusiasm and realism of addressing the consequences of the Russian murder and annihilation war against the Circassian nation.” [4] Source
The shocking, but expected, outcome of the war and the brutal methods used by the Russian army over more than a century, was the victory of overwhelming force. An example of this was the use of cannon fire by the invading forces to shoot at men defending their homeland with only simple weapons. The last battle took place around the Circassian capital of Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana on May 21, 1864. This was followed by the Russian Empire declaring the end of the war and holding a military parade to crown what they called a victory.
• Annexation
Following the end of the war, all Circassian territories located between the Taman Peninsula, the Black Sea, the Abkhazian border, and the Kuban River were placed under authoritarian military rule. After the inhabitants were displaced or deported, ethnic cleansing was completed, and administrative divisions were made—sometimes with invented names—under strict military rule. This was later replaced by permanent annexation to the Russian colonial entity.
It is worthy of remembrance that “the tragedy of the Circassian people found heartfelt sympathy among the progressive Georgian public in the 19th century.” Georgian media of the time reflected this, with the print press of the 1860s–1890s actively addressing the catastrophe. This confirms the Caucasian people’s cohesion and their yearning for freedom from foreign domination. [5] Source
The Russian-Circassian War was not improvised; it was a predetermined and well-planned project of Tsarist imperialism, built upon the ruins of small nations through destructive colonial wars. Russian colonial policies did not arise from nothing—they were the product of inherited ambitions, with predetermined steps leading to the 101-year Russian-Circassian War, which caused unprecedented disasters for the Circassian people. [6] Source
“Throughout imperial history, occupying and colonizing authorities have assumed domination and absolute rule over colonized nations. Unless the subjugated nations oppose such policies, they will be forced to comply with the occupying state’s ambitions. However, they must resist to reclaim the right to self-determination, freedom, and independence.” [7] Source
Despite propaganda and the lies of the Russian Empire, the confirmed facts reveal that this was not an ideological war, but an expansionist colonial war aimed at controlling another nation’s territory. Punishment must be proportional to the crime, in accordance with international laws and norms. The Russian state and its successors bear responsibility for the restitution of the legal rights taken from their legitimate owners.
Conclusion
The Russian state continues to keep dozens of peoples and nations under colonial control, aiming at Russification, national fusion, and dissolution into a multinational melting pot dominated by a Russian-Slavic majority. This erases the distinct national and cultural identities of those under its control. There is no future vision that allows for ending the occupation, restoring legitimate rights, and granting the right to self-determination.
In light of the pain and tragedy endured by the Circassian people as a result of genocide and displacement, it is crucial to commit to national goals that restore rights to their rightful owners. Conversely, for those who oppose reconciliation and coordination within a comprehensive national framework, the following proverb applies: “The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was wicked and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.” — Turkish Proverb
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References
[1] (Bashqawi, Adel. Circassia: Born to be Free. p. 22)
[2] (Bashqawi, Adel. Circassia: Born to be Free, Chapter 3 and appendices)
[3] (Bashqawi, Adel. 15 September 2017. Circassia: Born to Be Free)
[4] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251682649
[5] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251662239
[6] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251682649
[7] https://justicefornorthcaucasus.info/?p=1251682649
