WI - National Bolshevik Russia after Russian Revolution?

Pan-Orthodoxy is more suitable for Russian cultural nationalism than pan-Slavism, because Orthodox Christianity has nothing to do with racial or ethnic origin and because Orthodox Christianity can be seen as a cultural trait that binds the many ethnicities of Russia together. But the problem is that many Russians are Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Yazidis or adherents of Siberian native religions. Moderate Russian nationalism will not consider Russia as a solely Orthodox Christian country, but will still consider Russian Orthodox Christianity an important part of Russian history and tradition. The popularity of pan-Orthodoxy will increase if Russia primarily pursues expansion in Eastern Europe including Greece and will decrease if Russia primarily pursues expansion in Asia.
What could this mean for countries with significant Orthodox populations such as Armenia, Egpyt or Ethiopia?
 

azadi

Banned
These countries are Oriental Orthodox Christian, which differs slightly from mainstream Orthodox Christianity (with Armenia being the least different of the three and with Ethiopia being the most different of the three), but they will still being considered part of the Orthodox Christian family. Armenia was part of pre-revolutionary Russia, while Egypt and Ethiopia is far from Russia's natural sphere of influence, which in the Middle East roughly follows the Tigris River and the southern border of Turkey. This places Turkey, Kurdistan and Iran (at least northern Iran) in Russia's natural sphere of influence and the Arab countries of the Middle East (e.g. Iraq and Syria) outside Russia's natural sphere of influence. But a NazBol Russia may try to form alliances with Egypt and Ethiopia.

Azadi
 
These countries are Oriental Orthodox Christian, which differs slightly from mainstream Orthodox Christianity (with Armenia being the least different of the three and with Ethiopia being the most different of the three), but they will still being considered part of the Orthodox Christian family. Armenia was part of pre-revolutionary Russia, while Egypt and Ethiopia is far from Russia's natural sphere of influence, which in the Middle East roughly follows the Tigris River and the southern border of Turkey. This places Turkey, Kurdistan and Iran (at least northern Iran) in Russia's natural sphere of influence and the Arab countries of the Middle East (e.g. Iraq and Syria) outside Russia's natural sphere of influence. But a NazBol Russia may try to form alliances with Egypt and Ethiopia.
I'm aware of these countries being Oriental Orthodox and this is what I meant in a pan-Orthodox Christian alliance but this concept is quite interesting - what else could NazBol Russia do to obtain closer relations with Egypt and Ethiopia? Attempting to protect their independence against surrounding colonial empires?
 

azadi

Banned
Russia could oppose Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia if it still happens and Russia could support Egypt in the Suez Crisis (as in OTL) if it still happens. But Russia will probably not go to war to defend Egypt or Ethiopia. Russia may do as IOTL if the Suez Crisis still happens, giving strong diplomatic support to Egypt. Russia may introduce sanctions against Mussolini's Italy if the Italian invasion of Ethiopia still happens. Russia may introduce a total or near-total trade embargo against Italy if it invades Ethiopia. Russia may also provide Ethiopia with weapons free of charge.
However, it is not impossible that Russia will go to war to defend Egypt or Ethiopia if the ties between Egypt/Ethiopia and Russia becomes very strong.

Azadi
 
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Russia could oppose Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia if it still happens and Russia could support Egypt in the Suez Crisis (as in OTL) if it still happens.
Could we see a Russian-trained and equipped Ethiopian Army successfully beat the Italians back?
 

azadi

Banned
It could definitely happen. Mussolini's Italian army was infamously inept, and an Ethiopian army strengthened by Russian weapons and Russian training has a good change at defeating the Italians.

Azadi
 
It could definitely happen. Mussolini's Italian army was infamously inept, and an Ethiopian army strengthened by Russian weapons and Russian training has a good change at defeating the Italians.
What other effects could a NazBol Russia have on the international stage after World War 1?
 

azadi

Banned
If the Russian Civil War is avoided, Russia will get Ukrainian Galizia and western Belarus, which will make the Russian-Polish border roughly identical to the OTL border of Poland with Ukraine and Belarus. Russia may annex East Kurdistan and South Azerbaijan from Iran. East Kurdistan and South Azerbaijan had been occupied by Russia since 1911. A Russian annexation of East Kurdistan may lead to a Russian conquest of Turkish-ruled Kurdistan at the end of World War 1.

Russia will support Chiang Kai-shek and the Guomindang in China against Western imperialism.
This may lead to a continuing Anglo-Japanese Alliance.

Russia will probably not attempt to conquer Istanbul due to strong British opposition. Russia will oppose Greece gaining Istanbul, and Russia will support Atatürk against Western imperialism provided that Atatürk accept the existence of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Istanbul and if Russia has annexed Turkish-ruled Kurdistan, provided that Atatürk accept continued Russian rule in formerly Turkish-ruled Kurdistan.

If NazBol Russia is not anti-Semitic, it will be pro-Zionist and will provide the Tzahal (Israeli army) with weapons free of charge, which will give Israel more territory after the Israeli War of Independence than IOTL. This will lead to my earlier comments mentioning a possible Russian-Egyptian alliance being invalidated.

If NazBol Russia is moderate nationalist, it will have no territorial claims in Europe outside the 1914 borders of Russia except for Ukrainian Galizia. If NazBol Russia is extreme nationalist, it may attempt to conquer and subjugate entire Eastern Europe.


If NazBol Russia is moderate nationalist it will probably be isolationist in European politics. It will consider involvement in European politics the cause of Russia's defeat in WW1. If Russia is left with Brest-Litovsk-style borders after WW1, it will try to regain lost lands in Europe, especially Ukraine and Belarus, and if Russia is left with OTL Brest-Litovsk borders, especially Crimea.

Azadi
 
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A good idea is have more whites defect to the reds, otl it was an ideology of White Defectors. Increase that a bit. Also, expand German National Bolshevism. With this expanded ideology, a National Bolshevik Germany rearms to take lands, planning a Germanic "socialist" confederation of sorts, with Netherlands, Flanders and Austria in it. Then the National Bolshevik USSR takes the baltic, etc. A WWII against nazbols would be interesting I have to say...
 

azadi

Banned
A National Bolshevik Russia may also annex all of old Western Armenia, including the majority Turkish-populated parts of it. I consider Transcaucasia the most plausible region of Russian expansion west of the Caspian Sea post WW1, except for Ukrainian Galizia. Russia could plausibly annex Kurdistan, South Azerbaijan and Wilsonian Armenia. The Turkish population of Wilsonian Armenia may be expelled by the National Bolshevik regime in Russia, and the Arabs and Turks in Kurdistan may too be expelled by the National Bolshevik regime in Russia.

This may change Russia's view of Atatürk's Turkish national movement, but Russia will still prefer Turkish rule in Istanbul to another Orthodox Christian state gaining Istanbul, and Atatürk may give up Kurdistan and old Western Armenia in order to gain Russian support for preserving the core of Turkey.

Azadi
 
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