By C Howard Diaz
The Ukraine we recognize as an independent, sovereign nation-state with its current borders and government structure has been in existence since its declaration of independence on August 24, 1991, followed by the national referendum on December 1, 1991, where the majority voted for independence, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union later that month. This marked the beginning of modern Ukraine as we know it today. There was no sustained, internationally recognized independent Ukraine, as we know it today, prior to 1991. The attempts at independence in the early 20th century, like the Ukrainian People’s Republic, were short-lived and did not result in a lasting, sovereign state that was recognized globally in the same manner as the Ukraine post-1991. There was no sovereign state called Ukraine until 1991.
Historical Regions of Ukraine:
• Left-Bank Ukraine was more directly under Russian control since the Treaty of Pereyaslav.
• Right-Bank Ukraine was under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until it was annexed by Russia in the late 18th century.
• Western Ukraine was part of Austria-Hungary until World War I, then part of Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia between the wars, before being annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939-1940.
Therefore, while Ukraine as a modern nation-state was not part of Russia, significant portions of its territory were part of the Russian Empire for centuries before the Soviet Union was established.
Crimea’s History:
Crimea was part of Russia from 1783, when the Tsarist Empire annexed it a decade after defeating Ottoman forces in the Battle of Kozludzha. Prior to 1783, Crimea was under the control of the Crimean Khanate, which was nominally independent but acted as a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire. The Crimean Khanate had been established in 1441 following the disintegration of the Golden Horde. As internal strife weakened the Mongols, Crimea became an Ottoman protectorate in 1475.
Key Events Leading to Annexation:
Annexation in 1783: By 1783, with internal strife within the Crimean Khanate and Russian military presence, Empress Catherine the Great formally annexed Crimea, ending its status as a khanate. This was part of a broader strategy to secure Russian control over the Black Sea region.
The 1954 Transfer of Crimea:
In 1954 the Soviet government transferred Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federation of Socialist Republics (USSR) to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This means Crimea was part of Russia for as long as the United States has been the United States. They were a casualty of the expansion of the Soviet Union. What most talking heads won’t say or don’t know is, while being the center of it, Russia was also part of the Soviet Union.
By C Howard Diaz
The Ukraine we recognize as an independent, sovereign nation-state with its current borders and government structure has been in existence since its declaration of independence on August 24, 1991, followed by the national referendum on December 1, 1991, where the majority voted for independence, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union later that month. This marked the beginning of modern Ukraine as we know it today. There was no sustained, internationally recognized independent Ukraine, as we know it today, prior to 1991. The attempts at independence in the early 20th century, like the Ukrainian People’s Republic, were short-lived and did not result in a lasting, sovereign state that was recognized globally in the same manner as the Ukraine post-1991. There was no sovereign state called Ukraine until 1991.
Historical Regions of Ukraine:
• Left-Bank Ukraine was more directly under Russian control since the Treaty of Pereyaslav.
• Right-Bank Ukraine was under the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until it was annexed by Russia in the late 18th century.
• Western Ukraine was part of Austria-Hungary until World War I, then part of Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia between the wars, before being annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939-1940.
Therefore, while Ukraine as a modern nation-state was not part of Russia, significant portions of its territory were part of the Russian Empire for centuries before the Soviet Union was established.
Crimea’s History:
Crimea was part of Russia from 1783, when the Tsarist Empire annexed it a decade after defeating Ottoman forces in the Battle of Kozludzha. Prior to 1783, Crimea was under the control of the Crimean Khanate, which was nominally independent but acted as a vassal state to the Ottoman Empire. The Crimean Khanate had been established in 1441 following the disintegration of the Golden Horde. As internal strife weakened the Mongols, Crimea became an Ottoman protectorate in 1475.
Key Events Leading to Annexation:
Annexation in 1783: By 1783, with internal strife within the Crimean Khanate and Russian military presence, Empress Catherine the Great formally annexed Crimea, ending its status as a khanate. This was part of a broader strategy to secure Russian control over the Black Sea region.
The 1954 Transfer of Crimea:
In 1954 the Soviet government transferred Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federation of Socialist Republics (USSR) to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This means Crimea was part of Russia for as long as the United States has been the United States. They were a casualty of the expansion of the Soviet Union. What most talking heads won’t say or don’t know is, while being the center of it, Russia was also part of the Soviet Union.