Who else could fill up the space of Russia's land?

Catherine initially invited any Western Europeans who wanted to go there, including British, French, Dutch, and so on. It's that only the Germans came in large numbers, as they had the biggest excess population and the most desire (other Western Europeans looking to immigrate chose the Americas first). Western Europeans were seen as closer kin to the Russians than the Mongols and Tatars they were trying to drive out.

My point is that by that time, Russia already owned the territory. I'm looking for alternate colonizing powers other than Russia, not alternate settlers within Russia.
I mean, when German nationalism comes along, they're gonna begin to stop identifying themselves as Russian subjects - but I take your point. I just thought it was an interesting concept.
 
I mean, when German nationalism comes along, they're gonna begin to stop identifying themselves as Russian subjects - but I take your point. I just thought it was an interesting concept.

You mean a world where the Volga Germans decide to revolt against the Russians and create their own Boer-like republics in the steppes?
 
You mean a world where the Volga Germans decide to revolt against the Russians and create their own Boer-like republics in the steppes?

OMG Somebody needs to write this TL OMG

I think he means that the Volga Germans will identify more as German than Russian as time goes on.
 
You mean a world where the Volga Germans decide to revolt against the Russians and create their own Boer-like republics in the steppes?

Indeed yeh, that's what I meant. Not only in the steppes too, also further east and possibly competing with Mongolians and Chinese for territory.
It would take quite some time, of course. But with patience I think the Germans can attempt to forge Siberia for their own, not Russia.
 
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