Russia's effect on the East
أثر الروسيا في الشرق
Arslan surveys European and Russian writings on how Tsarist Russia affected the Middle East and Asia, then the Bolshevik period. He argues that Tsarist policy mainly oppressed the East and weakened the Ottoman state for Western benefit, and that the fall of the Russian state opened the way for Asia's liberation. He reports that Western powers armed anti-Bolshevik forces and warned against any Muslim force joining against the Soviet government. This is the author's assessment, drawing on newspapers and quotations he did not verify here.
At a glance
- Era
- The Colonial Era
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Overview
Shakib Arslan presents European and Russian articles and positions that deal with the influence of Tsarist Russia in the East, and then the influence of the Bolshevik government after it. This is the author's assessment, and he cites some evidence from newspapers and statements that have not been verified here. 1
His view
He holds that Tsarist policy rested on subduing the East and on fighting the Ottoman state for the benefit of the Western powers. He sees the collapse of the Russian state as the beginning of the liberation of Asia in his view. 1
He mentions that the Western powers tried to stir up forces opposed to Bolshevism in Russia by arming leaders and peoples, and that they warned against an Islamic power standing up against the Bolshevik government. 1
A further source is needed: the writers and newspapers he names need checking against their originals, and so does the Western support for the White Russian leaders.
Sources
- Stoddard, Hadir al-ʿalam al-islami (Arabic translation with Arslan's commentary)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Russia's effect on the East”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/russian-policy-in-the-east/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.