12. Shaping Soviet Nationalities Policy
The White movement’s alliances with non-Russian regions during the Russian Civil War left a legacy of suspicion toward minority groups within the USSR. These alliances often involved promises of autonomy or support for regional independence, which the Bolsheviks perceived as threats to the unity of the Soviet state. In response, Soviet policies alternated between courting and repressing minority groups, aiming to integrate them into the Soviet system while suppressing any separatist tendencies. This approach was somewhat similar to the Ottoman and Yugoslav methods of managing ethnic diversity, where authorities sought to balance the recognition of minority rights with the maintenance of state control. (britannica.com)
