Jackson Lennock
Well-known member
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR) was created in 1924, and originally included most of Tajikistan but not Karakalpakstan. See here.
Tajikistan was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik ASSR) of the Uzbek SSR until 1929, when it was elevated into being the Tajik SSR. In so doing, the
The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was created in 1925, with roughly the borders it has today.
Kazakhstan and Kirgizistan were ASSRs of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) until 1936, and Karakalpakstan was the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast of the Kazakah ASSR (essentially an autonomy within an autonomy) until 1932 when it was added to the Uzbek SSR.
As you can tell, there was lots of Central Asian Musical Chairs. What if Central Asia was just split between three SSRs (Russia, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) in line with the mid-1920s divisions? Tajikistan is an autonomy of Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Karakalpakstan are autonomies of Russia.
Assuming the USSR still splits up, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Karkalpakstan probably would be Republics of Russia of a status somewhere between that of Chechnya (separatist minded, but now loyal to Moscow as a largely self-governing region) or Tatarstan. Kazakhstan probably would have ended up Russian majority or plurality unless Karakalpakstan remained part of it I suppose. If I recall correctly, there were more Russians than Kazakhs in Kazakhstan at one point.
Tajikistan might become a Central Asian version of Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Russia had to intervene in a Civil War in Tajikistan OTL.
Russia would have 30 million more people, of whom 90% are non-Russian. As of 2021, only 72% of Russians marked off being ethnically Russian OTL (though another 11% didn't say any ethnic identity) and another 16% were of minority background of some sort or another. Here, that would be about 62%.
The Uzbek Capital is now on the Russian Border, and Russia controls the source waters for the Ferghana Valley. Russia would have more leverage over Uzbekistan here.
Tajikistan was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik ASSR) of the Uzbek SSR until 1929, when it was elevated into being the Tajik SSR. In so doing, the
The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was created in 1925, with roughly the borders it has today.
Kazakhstan and Kirgizistan were ASSRs of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) until 1936, and Karakalpakstan was the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast of the Kazakah ASSR (essentially an autonomy within an autonomy) until 1932 when it was added to the Uzbek SSR.
As you can tell, there was lots of Central Asian Musical Chairs. What if Central Asia was just split between three SSRs (Russia, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) in line with the mid-1920s divisions? Tajikistan is an autonomy of Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Karakalpakstan are autonomies of Russia.
Assuming the USSR still splits up, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Karkalpakstan probably would be Republics of Russia of a status somewhere between that of Chechnya (separatist minded, but now loyal to Moscow as a largely self-governing region) or Tatarstan. Kazakhstan probably would have ended up Russian majority or plurality unless Karakalpakstan remained part of it I suppose. If I recall correctly, there were more Russians than Kazakhs in Kazakhstan at one point.
Tajikistan might become a Central Asian version of Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Russia had to intervene in a Civil War in Tajikistan OTL.
Russia would have 30 million more people, of whom 90% are non-Russian. As of 2021, only 72% of Russians marked off being ethnically Russian OTL (though another 11% didn't say any ethnic identity) and another 16% were of minority background of some sort or another. Here, that would be about 62%.
The Uzbek Capital is now on the Russian Border, and Russia controls the source waters for the Ferghana Valley. Russia would have more leverage over Uzbekistan here.