Soviet Central Asia

Quick Facts: Who was Soviet Central Asia?

Subject:

Soviet Central Asia

Known for:

Historical administrative region of Central Asia under Soviet control (1918–1991).

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Soviet Central Asia (Russian: Советская Средняя Азия, romanized: Sovetskaya Srednyaya Aziya) was the part of Central Asia administered by the Russian SFSR and then the Soviet Union between 1918 and 1991, when the Central Asian Soviet republics declared independence. It is nearly synonymous with Russian Turkestan in the Russian Empire. Soviet Central Asia went through many territorial divisions before the current borders were created in the 1920s and 1930s. By the end of the 19th century, Russian tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory that later would constitute Soviet Central Asia. Russia annexed Lake Issyk Kul in north east Kyrgyzstan from China in the early 1860s, lands of Turkmens, Khanate of Khiva, Emirate of Bukhara in the second half of 1800s.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Emerging from the Russian Empire following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War of 1918–1921, the USSR was a union of several Soviet republics, but the synecdoche Russia – after its largest and dominant constituent state – continued to be commonly used throughout the state's existence. Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (initially Turkestan Socialist Federative Republic) (30 April 1918 – 27 October 1924) was created from the Turkestan Krai of Imperial Russia. Its capital was Tashkent, population about 500,000. British and Persian forces briefly tried to reach Baku in Azerbaijan and the Turkmen port of Krasnovodsk. Bukhara, Khiva, Samarkand, Kokand, Dushanbe and the former Trans-Caspian Province would see various anti-Bolshevik risings over the next few years.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1924, it was split into Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast (now Karakalpakstan), Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast (now Kyrgyzstan), Tajik ASSR (now Tajikistan), Turkmen SSR (now Turkmenistan), and Uzbek SSR (now Uzbekistan). In March 1918, activists of the Young Bukharian Movement informed the Bolsheviks that the Bukharans were ready for the revolution and that the people were awaiting liberation. The Red Army marched to the gates of Bukhara and demanded that the emir surrender the city to the Young Bukharans. As Russian sources report, the emir responded by murdering the Bolshevik delegation, along with several hundred Russian inhabitants of Bukhara and the surrounding territories. The majority of Bukharans did not support an invasion and the ill-equipped and ill-disciplined Bolshevik army fled back to the Soviet stronghold at Tashkent.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1917: 1917 Milestone — Emerging from the Russian Empire following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War of 1918–1921, the USSR was a union of several Soviet republics, but the synecdoche Russia – after its largest and dominant constituent state – continued to be commonly used throughout the state's existence.
2. 1918: 1918 Milestone — Soviet Central Asia (Russian: Советская Средняя Азия, romanized: Sovetskaya Srednyaya Aziya) was the part of Central Asia administered by the Russian SFSR and then the Soviet Union between 1918 and 1991, when the Central Asian Soviet republics declared independence.
3. 1924: 1924 Milestone — In 1924, it was split into Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast (now Karakalpakstan), Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast (now Kyrgyzstan), Tajik ASSR (now Tajikistan), Turkmen SSR (now Turkmenistan), and Uzbek SSR (now Uzbekistan).

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Soviet Central Asia

True or False: “The initial formation of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic occurred before the Russian Civil War ended.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The TASSR was created in 1918, but the full conclusion of the Russian Civil War and subsequent consolidation of power took place over several years following that date.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Abby Stein — Historical peer (Born in 1991) (1991): Israeli-American author, rabbi, and activist who speaks on faith and gender identity.
• Abhay Jodhpurkar — Historical peer (Born in 1991) (1991): Indian singer known for songs in multiple South Indian languages and Bollywood hits.
• Abdullah al-Sallal — Historical peer (Born in 1917) (1917): Yemeni military officer and revolutionary who led the North Yemeni Revolution of 1962.
• Adolf von Baeyer — Historical peer (Died in 1917) (1917): Pioneering German chemist known for indigo synthesis and IUPAC nomenclature.
• Aaron Beck — Historical peer (Born in 1921) (1921): Father of Cognitive Therapy and CBT, revolutionizing psychiatric treatment.
• ʻAbdu'l-Bahá — Historical peer (Died in 1921) (1921): Successor to Baháʼu'lláh and guiding light of the Baháʼí Faith.
• Abdullah of Saudi Arabia — Historical peer (Born in 1924) (1924): King of Saudi Arabia, known for his role in modernizing the kingdom's governance.
• Ahmadou Ahidjo — Historical peer (Born in 1924) (1924): Cameroonian politician and first President of Cameroon (1960-1982).

Frequently Asked Questions about Soviet Central Asia