Treaty of Georgievsk
Georgia, part 1
In 1783, the Treaty of Georgievsk was signed, between the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, in Eastern Georgia, under King Irlaki II, and Russia, under Catherine II. The relationship was initiated by King Irlaki II. The major elements that came out of the treaty were that King Irlaki II would submit to Russia (rather than the Ottoman empire), by way of “[determining] solemnly and precisely his duties with regard to the All-Russian Empire,” in the words of the treaty. In turn, Georgia would benefit from Russia's protection, or, according to the treaty, “the defense, support and refuge to the said [Georgian] people and to their Most Serene Sovereigns, against the oppression of their neighbors, to which they were susceptible.”
The Treaty of Georgievsk was not an endpoint on a trajectory, but rather the beginning of a longterm relationship that extended through the time of the Soviet Union. Soon after, in 1801, Paul I of Russia annexed Georgia.
While the incorporation of Georgia was indubitably an act of expansion, it is also an indication that Russia’s empire building and expansionist activities were not only a process of forced invasion, but could be one side of a mutually beneficial relationship. An article in The Voice of Russia points out that the treaty was helpful to both Russia and Georgia. Russia benefited from the opportunity to establish itself in the Caucasus region while, according to expert Felix Stanevsky, Georgia benefitted from a period of cultural freedom and richness. As indicated by the treaty, Gorgia also benefitted from the protection provided by Russia.
Group 5
Yeltsin Presidential Library. “Treaty of Georgievsk signed 230 years ago - Eastern Georgia becomes a protectorate of Russia.” N.p. n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://www.prlib.ru/en-us/history/pages/item.aspx?itemid=901>
“Dialogue of Cultures.” Voice of Russia. The Voice of Russia, 31 July 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_07_31/Dialogue-of-cultures-4225/>
Martin, Russell E. “Treaty of Georgievsk.” Westminster. N.p. n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://www.westminster.edu/staff/martinre/Treaty.html>
Solaris, Saltus. “Fragmentation of Oppressed Nations as an Instrument of Keeping W. Caucasus under Russian Control.” Live Journal, 12 June 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://baltvilks.livejournal.com/68540.html>
July 24, 1783
The Treaty of Nerchinsk
Amur Region, part 1
As Russia sent explorers and settlers eastward in the mid-seventeenth century, they struggled over the land in the Amur basin. At the time of Yerofei Khabarov’s 1649 expedition, one bank of the Amur river was ruled by the Daurians and the other by the Manchu, at the time the ruling dynasty of China. Khabarov captured a Daurian fortress that he called Albazino and installed a Russian settlement there, which fought against the Manchu in numerous battles and sieges. Several times the settlers escaped from Albazino to Nerchinsk, where they regrouped before returning to the fortress. Only 100 of the 800 settlers escaped from a 1685 siege, but returned the next year. The next siege lasted a full year and was more deadly still, leaving 40 out of 900 settlers alive. Finally, in 1689, Russian and Manchu delegations met at Nerchinsk to agree on a treaty that gave the Amur region to the Manchu rulers of China.
The Treaty of Nerchinsk gave the lands of the upper Amur to China and called for the destruction of the Russian settlement at Albazino, with the Chinese promising not to populate the Amur basin. The treaty also opened trade with China and included provisions allowing travel and extradition of criminals between Russia and China. China’s northern boundary was extended, now marked by the river Gorbitsa, and a neutral zone was left between the river Ud and the frontier mountains. However, with a lack of both accurate maps and clear descriptions the exact boundary was and is ambiguous.Because the treaty was written using Latin as a lingua franca and translated into Russian and Manchu separately, a great number of differences exist between the various translations, exacerbating the boundary ambiguities. This border between Russia and China held, legally if not precisely, from 1689 until the Treaty of Aigun in 1858.
Group 3
The Territorial Terms of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nerchinsk, 1689. V. S. Frank. Pacific Historical Review , Vol. 16, No. 3 (Aug., 1947) , pp. 265-270
"The Amur's siren song." The Economist. Dec 17th 2009. http://www.economist.com/node/15108641
"Treaty of Nerchinsk, the first treaty between Russia and China, concluded." Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library. Web. 10 Feb 2014. http://www.prlib.ru/en-us/History/Pages/Item.aspx?itemid=658.
Image source: http://history.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/upload/upfiles/2009-11/09/treaty_of_nerchinsk__the_first_treaty_between_russia_and_china8ece83df84e905ad63a3.jpg
1689-1858