Among the large tracts of land conquered by Tsarist Russia, the Outer Northeast is a very special existence. This is because it is very far from the core of Russia, but it is always firmly under the control of Moscow.
What does that mean? Russia often has a series of autonomous republics or autonomous regions in remote areas.
- Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan in the North Caucasus are all autonomous republics.
- The easternmost provinces of Asia, such as Chukotka and Koryak, are autonomous regions, and Sakha is an autonomous republic.
- Buryatia and Tuva, which are close to Outer Mongolia in the south of Asia, are also autonomous republics.
Except for the Outer Northeast, there are no autonomous regions or autonomous republics except for a Jewish Autonomous Oblast, which includes the Amur Region, Chita Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, Primorsky Krai, etc., all of which are directly under the jurisdiction of Moscow and do not have any autonomy.
So the question is, why is there almost no autonomy in the Outer Northeast since it is so far away from Moscow and it is on the frontier? Some people say that there are no aborigines here, they are all Russians, so there is no need for autonomy. In fact, there used to be a large number of aborigines here, but they were later eliminated. So the question is, why is Russia doing this? It's actually very simple, because it's important here.
The outer northeast is the eastern barrier of Siberia
Russia is a typical resource-exporting country, and its reserves of oil and natural gas are very amazing. The Siberian region is the main source of Russian resources.
It can be said that both the USSR and modern Russia are heavily dependent on Siberian energy to feed themselves and maintain the normal functioning of the country.
- Except for mathematics, which is second to none in the world, Russia is not at the top of the field of science in other fields. Therefore, if Russia wants to rely on science and technology to embark on the road to becoming a strong country, Russia still has a long way to go.
- Although Russia has a large territory, its population is relatively small, with more than 17 million square kilometers, which is the largest in the world, but only 140 million people live. Therefore, it is difficult for Russia to achieve economic take-off through light industry.
- Due to the foundation of the Soviet Union, Russia's heavy industry is very developed, especially the military industry, which can rank among the top three in the world. But if you don't start a war of aggression against the outside world, this thing can't be eaten at all.
Therefore, the export of energy has become the lifeblood of Russia's economy. Then Siberia naturally became the dragon vein of Russia. But this place is not only large, but also the environment is harsh, and most of the area is a bitter cold place that is not suitable for human habitation.
In modern times, it is very difficult to hold this place, because it is not suitable for large army garrisons.
It has to be said that the Russian ancestors were very far-sighted, and since the 17th century, they have set their sights on the Heilongjiang River Valley, intending to take the Outer Northeast and even the Northeast as a barrier to Siberia. After all, the Heilongjiang River basin needs mountains and mountains, water and water, and thousands of acres of fertile land, at least it is more suitable for garrisoning troops than Siberia.
However, at that time, Tsarist Russia did not have this strength, and it was not until 1860 that Tsarist Russia got its wish and seized more than 1 million square kilometers of the Outer Northeast from the Qing Dynasty through the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing.
After the establishment of the Outer Northeast, Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union put the focus of military defense in the Far East here. As long as you can prevent your opponent from entering Siberia here, then Siberia's security will not be a problem.
The Outer Northeast is a matter of Russia's access to the Pacific Ocean
Russia is a country that seriously lacks access to the sea. Because many of their territories are in the middle and high latitudes, a large number of estuaries are in a perennial frozen state.
For this reason, since the time of Tsarist Russia, Russia has been seeking an outlet to the sea.
- In 1721, during the reign of Peter I, Tsarist Russia defeated the Kingdom of Sweden and seized a large coastal area of the Baltic Sea, thus having access to the mouth of the Neva River, and Russia was able to gain a firm foothold in the Baltic Sea.
- In 1783, during the reign of Catherine II, she defeated the Ottoman Turks in the Fifth Russo-Turkish War, thereby seizing a large area of the Black Sea coast, including Crimea. Since then, Russia has gained a firm foothold on the Black Sea coast.
- In 1860, during the reign of Alexander II, he forced the Qing court to sign the Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing, seizing more than 1 million square kilometers of land in the Outer Northeast, including Vladivostok and Sakhalin, and since then Russia has gained a firm foothold in the Sea of Japan.
These are all the experiences of Tsarist Russia in finding an outlet to the sea, and the experience of seizing the Outer Northeast may be a "happy history" that the Russians will never forget.
Because of the seizure of the Baltic Sea coast, Tsarist Russia and the Kingdom of Sweden fought fiercely for at least 21 years, during which countless Russian soldiers were sacrificed. When the Crimea was seized, Tsarist Russia and Ottoman Turkey fought for several years, during which they also suffered heavy losses.
However, when seizing the Outer Northeast, Tsarist Russia did not dispatch a single soldier to directly take such a large coastal area, do you think they can not be happy? Not only will they be happy, but they will also be happy for several generations or dozens of generations, and that is the shame of the East and the glory of Russia. Therefore, it is not surprising that they still commemorate the Treaty of Aihun and its signator, Muravyov.
With the Outer Northeast, Russia will have a place in the Sea of Japan, including the entire Pacific Ocean. At least the initiative in and out of the Pacific Ocean is in Russia's own hands.
The Outer Northeast is a strategic location in East Asia
In the days of Tsarist Russia, there was always a grand plan, that is, to conquer the East. After they seized the Outer Northeast, they gave Vladivostok the name "Vladivostok", which means to conquer the East.
In the eyes of Tsarist Russia at that time, the Qing Dynasty, Japan, and Korea were all meat in their mouths, and it was a matter of time before they ate it in their stomachs.
- Against the Qing Dynasty, they were full of confidence. Just a few cannons were fired, and the Qing Dynasty was frightened and cut off millions of land. Isn't that the same as playing?
- As for Korea, it was a self-reserved land for the Qing Dynasty and Japan at that time, and in the eyes of Tsarist Russia, it was a piece of fat, and if they got their big brother, they were afraid that they wouldn't be able to get North Korea?
- It was slightly more difficult to deal with Japan, because in the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan defeated the Qing Dynasty, obtained a large amount of reparations and land, and its comprehensive national strength increased a lot. Moreover, Tsarist Russia basically did not get any benefits from Japan through unequal treaties, so it can be seen that they cannot be frightened by scare.
Even so, Tsarist Russia was disdainful of Japan, after all, it was an Eastern country, and in the eyes of Tsarist Russia, Eastern countries were not worth mentioning in the eyes of their Western countries.
In the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Tsarist Russia suffered a crushing defeat, losing hundreds of thousands of troops and two-thirds of its navy, and almost facing the doom of the country.
Even so, Tsarist Russia still firmly held the Outer Northeast, because they believed that as long as they kept this territory, they would have a chance to threaten East Asia. This defeat, for them, was just a technical adjustment.
The attitude of the Soviet Union towards the Outer Northeast is the same, as long as Russia firmly controls the Outer Northeast, it will have absolute dominance in Northeast Asia, after all, the national strength is there, and it occupies a unique position.
The Outer Northeast produces enough food to feed the entire population of Siberia
Many people say that the Northeast is so cold in winter that it frightens people to death, let alone the Outer Northeast. So it's not a pity to lose this land.
This kind of thinking is more strange, people never dislike having more territory, and even threaten that their land has no borders. But you hate this and that, pick and choose, and you feel like Agui is reborn.
The territory you don't look down on, but to others, it is regarded as a treasure, which is the crux of the problem. Naturally, the living conditions in the outer northeast are difficult to compare with the warmer areas in the south. But compared to Siberia, it is definitely a treasure to live in, otherwise there would not be more than 6 million Russians living here.
In addition to the fact that the climate is stronger than that of Siberia, there are many black soils suitable for cultivation. Especially on the north bank of the Heilongjiang River, there is actually no difference from the black soil in the northeast, and the yield is even higher.
Hailan Pao and Jiangdong Sixty-four Tun, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, had large tracts of high-yield cultivated land. In addition, the large tracts of land illegally seized by Tsarist Russia to the west and south of Xingkai Lake also have abundant arable land resources.
For the time being, the Outer Northeast produces enough food to feed 30 million people. And the whole of Siberia happens to have more than 30 million people, so as long as Russia holds the outer northeast, it can revitalize the whole of Siberia.
In addition, the Outer Northeast has a very rich arable land potential, which is enough to feed 150 million people if well developed. If it weren't for the fact that Russia's population in the Outer Northeast was insufficient and it had not been properly utilized, then the Outer Northeast alone would have been able to feed the entire population of Russia. Do you think this place is important to them?