Russia as an Asiatic instead of European Power?

Typo

Banned
What if Peter the Great decided to focus on non-European territories and try not to have Russia as an European power at all?
 
Who know? European terroritories seem harder to capture and hold, and Russia seemed able to take Central Asia without breaking a sweat.
 
In some cases taking Asia territories might be easier. Since the Qing Dynasty perfered swords over guns, Peter the Great would have had technology advantage (But remember, When Peter the Great was fighting the Europe, the Qing was led by Kun Ci, one of the greatest emperor in Qing dynasty) But beside the technology advantage, Russia face superior numbers (maybe not by much) and Qing soldiers fighting to defend their homeland.
 
In some cases taking Asia territories might be easier. Since the Qing Dynasty perfered swords over guns, Peter the Great would have had technology advantage (But remember, When Peter the Great was fighting the Europe, the Qing was led by Kun Ci, one of the greatest emperor in Qing dynasty) But beside the technology advantage, Russia face superior numbers (maybe not by much) and Qing soldiers fighting to defend their homeland.

Kang Xi ? I think you spelled his name wrongly.
 
Russia has been prettymuch always a European power, despite it's present-day territory is located in Asia for the greater part. However:

- Russians are ethnically, linguistically and also religiously affiliated with Europe, not with (Eastern) Asia.
- the majority of the Russian population lives in Europe, not in Asia, and Russia's capital city is also loccated in Europe.

Hence I would argue, it's almost impossible for Russia to be viewed as an Asian power by present-day.
 
Russia has been prettymuch always a European power, despite it's present-day territory is located in Asia for the greater part. However:

- Russians are ethnically, linguistically and also religiously affiliated with Europe, not with (Eastern) Asia.
- the majority of the Russian population lives in Europe, not in Asia, and Russia's capital city is also loccated in Europe.

Hence I would argue, it's almost impossible for Russia to be viewed as an Asian power by present-day.

I would agree - it would be similar to asking if Spain could be considered an African power, rather than European. Culturally, ethnically, geographically Russia (and Spain) are part of Europe. To have Russia be 'Asian' you would need to remove the essence of Rus-ness - what I mean is you could have the territory of Russia ruled by an Asia power, but it would no longer be 'Russia'.
 

HueyLong

Banned
Russia is constantly referred to and viewed as an Asiatic power. Just get a worse Russia and it becomes a more common view.
 
Russia has been prettymuch always a European power, despite it's present-day territory is located in Asia for the greater part. However:

- Russians are ethnically, linguistically and also religiously affiliated with Europe, not with (Eastern) Asia.
- the majority of the Russian population lives in Europe, not in Asia, and Russia's capital city is also loccated in Europe.

Hence I would argue, it's almost impossible for Russia to be viewed as an Asian power by present-day.

Europe is pretty vague. Where does it begin? The Urals? Why not the Vistula.

It wasn't that long ago that people thought "Africa starts at the Pyrenees", after all...
 
Russia has been prettymuch always a European power, despite it's present-day territory is located in Asia for the greater part. However:

- Russians are ethnically, linguistically and also religiously affiliated with Europe, not with (Eastern) Asia.
- the majority of the Russian population lives in Europe, not in Asia, and Russia's capital city is also loccated in Europe.

Hence I would argue, it's almost impossible for Russia to be viewed as an Asian power by present-day.

What if something goes really, really pear shaped for them in europe?
 
Conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy pretty much sealed the deal. Any Christian nation is viewed as "European" or at least "Quasi-European" by both Europeans and "Others". So Peter's times are really too late. Try Svyatoslav or Vladimir the Great.

But beside the technology advantage, Russia face superior numbers (maybe not by much) and Qing soldiers fighting to defend their homeland.
You have to remember that Russian army victoriously beaten by Chinese (according to Chinese version of history) was in fact small group of Cossacks and armed profiteers (couple of hundreds strong at most), cut by thousands of miles of taiga from Russian mainlands, which would not be considered "fighting force" in Russia proper.
 

bard32

Banned
What if Peter the Great decided to focus on non-European territories and try not to have Russia as an European power at all?

That would require Peter the Great to create a riverine navy. Who was the master of that? China.
 
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