The former Tsarist Russia, which originated from the Grand Duchy of Moscow, inherited the genes of the Golden Horde, and began a magnificent journey of expansion. Looking back to the 17th century, Muscovy transformed into the Russian Empire, and it was at this moment that Tsarist Russia embarked on a long road of foreign expansion. From the Ural Mountains to the vast expanse of Siberia, the Cossacks and the Siberian Khanate were intertwined with legends. Tsarist Russia encouraged the Cossacks to expand externally, seeing them as the blades of the empire, and these Cossacks were invisibly endowed with the belief of continuous expansion. In this way, the territory of Tsarist Russia has expanded from the original 2.28 million square kilometers to 22.8 million square kilometers in the course of more than 300 years, an expansion of 10 times.
In the 17th century, the Kingdom of Sweden became dominant in Northern Europe and controlled the vast Baltic Sea coast. Peter the Great, in order to seize the Baltic Sea estuary, launched the Northern War and successfully seized the Baltic region. In this war, Tsarist Russia built St. Petersburg and became the new master of the Baltic Sea. The formation of the Baltic Fleet marked Russia's long-term control of this territory. In 1808, Tsarist Russia again clashed with Sweden, seizing Finland under the pretext that Sweden had withdrawn from the anti-French coalition.
Poland, once a Central European power, was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th century and has a vast territory. However, the decline of Poland in the 18th century doomed the rise of Tsarist Russia. In the long history of the three partitions of Poland, Tsarist Russia gained a large amount of land, and the glory of Poland became a historical memory. During World War II, Poland once again fell victim to the Soviet-German partition, and Tsarist Russia was once again given land.
Tsarist Russia's opponent in the Black Sea was the Ottoman Empire, a vast empire spanning Asia, Europe and Africa. The Crimean peninsula became the focal point of Tsarist Russia, and the war with the Ottoman Empire lasted for more than 200 years. In the Crimean War, Britain, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia joined forces to defeat the Ottoman Empire, stifling the continuous expansion of Tsarist Russia in the direction of the Black Sea.
In East and Central Asia, the sights of Tsarist Russia were again extended. In 1856, Tsarist Russia directly pressed the city of Aihui with gunboats, and obtained the land on the north bank of the Heilongjiang River basin through the Treaty of Aihui. In 1860, the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing ceded land on the east bank of the Ussuri River, including Sakhalin Island. The subsequent Treaty of Survey and Demarcation of the Northwest Boundary and the Treaty of Ili made the pace of Tsarist Russia's expansion in Northwest China and Central Asia more solid.
However, such an expansion has not been without its challenges. The Anglo-French forces in the Crimean War, Polish resistance, and even the resolute counterattack of the Ottoman Empire were all obstacles to the expansion of Tsarist Russia. This history is a symphony of conflict and conquest, forged the glory of a vast empire.
Looking back on this long history, we see the road of expansion of Tsarist Russia. Step by step, in World War I, Tsarist Russia played a march of territory expansion. It was not all smooth sailing, but it grew stronger in conflict and conquest. This period of history is long and magnificent, shaping Tsarist Russia's unique position on the international stage.
This period of history is not only a review of the past of Tsarist Russia, but also a profound reflection on mankind's desire for expansion and conquest. The expansion of Tsarist Russia's territory is an important chapter in the long history and a part of the development of human society that cannot be ignored. Let us think about what forces are behind this expansion, is it desire, ambition, or human exploration of the unknown?
What do you think of this long journey? Feel free to leave your comments and share your views. Thumbs up, if you think this history is worth digging into. The record of history is rich and colorful, and every journey is a part of history.
Welcome to comment and leave a message, like and follow, if there is any infringement problem, please contact us.