Crimea: Paradise Divided Essay -- Ancient History

â€Å"Crimean history would suggest that it is folly to think that possession of any place, especially paradise, is anything other than a tenancy† (Newman, 2011).Crimea may be compared to paradise, the crowning glory of many an empire, and it is no wonder with its subtropical climate, fertile lands, soft meadows and sprawling coastline. But the very aspects that make an Eden out of the Crimean Peninsula have also been the causes of struggle and conflict. For it may be said that Crimea is a contested land in an identity crisis and is the subject of much debate still today. Divided by conflicting ethnicities, passed through the hands of the ancient Greeks to Ukraine and left battered by three major wars, Crimea truly is the jewel of many crowns (Newman, 2011). The period between 1 B.C. to 1475 set the stage for what was to become Crimea’s legacy. It was the rich resources offered by the peninsula that first attracted the Greeks in 1 B.C. (â€Å"Crimea,† 2011). Crimea soon became an important source of wheat for the kingdom (Rubel, 2003). However, the Greeks were unable to maintain a firm hold on the peninsula and were constantly warding off invaders. It became apparent that Crimea was not to stay in the hands of one group for long, a fact that has been the bane of many empires ever since. First the Goths and then the Huns, Slavs and Mongols following in succession invaded Crimea over the next thousand years (Crimea). Each fought to achieve control over what many deemed as paradise. The Romans were not to be left out either. By establishing protectorates and naval bases, they capitalized upon the fact that Crimea was an excellent area to position a navy and created the earliest ancestor to the Black Sea Fleet (Rubel, 2003). Na vies were to bec... ...ked/topic/514064/Russo-Turkish-wars Simonsen, S. (2000). â€Å"You take your oath only once:† Crimea, the black sea fleet, and national identity among russian officers. Nationalities Papers, 28(2), 289. The crimean khanate- a brief history. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.accesscrimea.com/crimean-khanate The transfer of the crimea to the ukraine. (2005, July). Retrieved from http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/crimeatransfer.html TJK. (2004). The tatar khanate of crimea. Retrieved from http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=The_Crimean_Khanate Voyetekhov, B. (1943). Last days of sevastopol. Saturday Evening Post, 215(46), 18-106. Zihni, A. (2010). Pages from the history of the crimea, the ukraine, caucasia, poland and muscovy. Washington, DC: The International Committee for Crimea. Retrieved from http://www.iccrimea.org/historical/tevarih20100908.pdf