History 16/01/20 As the Soviet Chukchi attacked Eskimos in Alaska in 1947,
Thanks to the film “Head of Chukotka” the Soviet audience were loving the Chukchi people living on the principle of “walrus can shoot, man can not shoot”. In fact, however, even after the formal “Sovietization” of the Chukchi did not shun armed raids on neighboring Eskimos. The last major conflict between the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, who appeared on different sides of the state border, occurred in 1947.
“All the Eskimos live very well”
the Relationship of the Chukchi with the eskimo, who lived on the other side of the Bering Strait were regularly marred by fighting. And most of the Chukotka military cry of “AV-Ah!” sounded louder eskimo cry “Ira!” Centuries the Chukchi were taken captive the women and children of the neighboring nation. The benefit was to take them far, given the possibility of intermediate stops on the Islands of Diomede. The invaders had to make only two “forced March” through the water or ice with a length of about 40 miles each.
In the twentieth century, the Chukchi regarded the camp of the Eskimos as a source of valuable goods – knives, utensils and other household items. Soviet natives was something to envy. For example, during the visit, farmers of Chukotka to St. Lawrence island in 1947, they were just amazed at the standard of living of the indigenous population of America.
“All the Eskimos live very well in homes with electric lighting. Young people asleep in bed, the elderly in the canopy. Shirts [top shirt] all out of cloth, and on top of a beautiful colored comlake [clothing made of reindeer skin],” said the instructor of the Chukotka district Committee of the CPSU (b) comrade Tokaji in the article of the magazine “the Source” (#1 1995).
the Local government noted the strong influence of the United States in the Chukchi. Visiting friends and relatives in Alaska, they were able to see the benefits of the capitalist system before the socialistthem.
predatory foray, or provocation?
taking Advantage of the actual openness of borders, an unidentified group of Chukchi landed in 1947 in the town of Wales (now the area of Nome, Alaska). In this place traditionally living Inuit people of Inupiat (formerly inupik). Chukchi reindeer herding plundered the camp, had killed several dozen residents of Wales and returned to Soviet territory. The robbers were never found. However, officials on both sides of the border did everything to not inflate “the Soviet-American conflict.” The fact that the international situation in the Bering Strait region since the beginning of the cold war, and so greatly deteriorated.
Since 1945, Stalin was deployed on northeast 14th combined-arms army, who fought in the great Patriotic war on the Kola Peninsula. It is unknown what was the main task of this formation – defense or, according to some publicists, preparing for an attack on the coast of the United States. One thing is clear – in the event of war, Chukotka and Alaska were considered in the Kremlin as the area of potential hostilities. In Alaska by that time, greatly strengthened the United States. The Northern coast of the Pacific ocean played an important role in the war with Japan. There was established military bases and airfields with 100-thousand contingent, which retained its significance after 1945.
“In 1946, the us military conducted in Alaska, semi-annual maneuvers of its forces, says historian Andrei Samokhin. – Their goal was to test different types of weapons and equipment at low temperatures. Was tested tanks M-24, guns of 75 mm calibre, small arms and uniforms of the Arctic, there has been a transition of all-terrain vehicles across the desolate canadian forest and tundra stretching more than 5000 km away, and Began the creation of units of reservists from the Eskimos total population of 1,500 people”.
Given all the above, Chukotka attack could be a provocation, planned by the Soviet military. Its purpose may have been to once again to push the eskimo (the potential intelligence of the enemy) with the Chukchi and or cause the first response or completely discourage them from violations of the state border.
Timur Sagdiyev
Source:
© Russian Seven
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