Nomads and Soviet Rule

"Nomads and Soviet Rule" explores the complex relationship between the Central Asian nomads and the Soviet state after the fall of the Tsar. Based on extensive primary source work, the book challenges the commonly held belief that events followed a linear path of escalating violence. Author Alun Thomas demonstrates that Soviet policy was informed by anti-colonialism, imperialism, nationalism, and a confidence in the Communist Party's ability to transform nomadic lifestyles. This book offers fresh insight into a little-known aspect of early Soviet history and provides a path to refining conceptions of the broader history and dynamics of the Soviet project during this period.