Zaporizhian Cossacs. By I.Repin.
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The Cossack Era

In the land of beautiful Ukraine during the 15th through 16th century, a group of runaway Ukrainian peasants could not take a more harsh treatment that the Poland applies on the Ukrainian. The Ukrainian develops their own society called The Cossacks where it was located in the lower banks of Dnieper River. The Cossack formed a military unit called Zaporozhian Sich which provided protection from the Tartars that could attack at any time. Seeing the development of The Cossacks, the Polish decided that it was in their best interest if they wanted to keep peace with the Cossack, they would have to work with the Cossacks. They develop a plan that would have the Cossack register and pick their own Hetman.

Polish–Cossack–Tatar War (1666–1671)
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But In 1648 the tension was already progressing and that when the war broke out called The Cossacks -Polish War. The Hetman of the Cossacks named Bohdan Khmelnytsky sign a treaty with Russia called Treaty of Pereyaslav in 1645, for protection from the Polish. Entering this agreement The Cossacks never saw that for three hundred years they would be under the rule of Russia. In the end the Left banks was now part of Russians but with the treaty gave the Cossack autonomy. The Right bank went back to the polish since they also had a treaty with Russia. Soon the Autonomy that the Russian gave would be in jeopardy and in 1697 Ivan Mazepa took this situation to Sweden for help. The Cossack and the Zaporozhian Sich soon became a threat in Russia. The Empress Catherine II of Russia took action and had Zaporoxhian Sich destroy in 1775 and Russian took control of all Ukraine.

Hetman Ivan Mazepa
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Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa


Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa’s parents were part of a wealthy social class of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Being raised and educated in the Western Ukraine, he enters into the military service as a courtier for the Polish King John Casimir. With this great path that Ivan Mazepa was developing for himself, he soon destroys his it with the Polish military by being part of a scandal that dismissed him from his duty and sent him back home. This event and others push Ivan to leave the western Ukraine and head to the Eastern Ukraine. Soon Mazepa enters in the newly constructed Ukrainian Cossack state. By entering this state, he would work with the Russian to fight the Polish for the rule over the Ukrainian. Working with his now Russian friends, Mazepa became Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossack state in1687.

Charles Xii and Mazepa At the ...
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Mazepa took action in his role as Hetman by developing goals to be free from the Russian rule and declare independence for all Ukraine. While developing these goals, he started building churches and schools for the peasants and the Cossacks. Mazepa wanted to bring his goals into action, but first he wanted to walk into this with backup and his first mission was to join with Sweden. While this progress was on its way Ivan still had to act that they are 100% with Russia. When Sweden invaded Russia, Mazepa took this as a opportunities join the fight with the Swedish military. The organization never took place because the Russia was already on their way knowing something was wrong. Mazepa began to panic and ran with only 1,500 men to Sweden military camp site. In the end, Sweden was defeated by the Russians. King Charles XII of Sweden and Mazepa ran to Turkey knowing that it would be safe from Czar Peter.


The Destruction of Zaporizhian sich by Catherine II


Ukraine is a beautiful agricultural environment which brought the eyes of many other empires that soon wanted this Peaceful land. Russia had their eyes on Ukraine for the long claiming that it was and always be part of Russia. In fact Russia was tried to convince the people of Ukraine that they should see themselves as “Little Russians”. The hetman, Ivan Mazepa saw what Russia was trying to do and took action. Mazepa asking help from Russia formal enemy The Sweden to help fight for Ukraine independences. The Russia began to feel that The Cossack was more of a problem then a solution in gaining the support from the Ukrainians.

Portrait of the Empress Catherine ll ...
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The Russian Empress Catherine II made a decision that The Zaporozhian Sich must be destroyed. The problem that the Empress ran into was the Cossack had a very strong military and the Empress army had no chance in fight them. So she took another approach to get what she wanted and brought foreigner to come in Ukraine and gave them power over the land and political rights. All they have to do in return is to get the Empress the Zaporozhian Sich’s land. After the Russian’s made their move, The Cossacks went to get the Crimean Khanate to come fight side by side against the Russians. But The Empress got to the Crimean Khanate first and promises that it is not their land she wants but the Sich. After being attack by an enemy, they end up signing a treaty with Russia. Right after that treaty in 1775 Zaporozhian Sich was destroyed. Having no help from anyone the Cossack was run down by the Russian’s troops.

Zaporizhian Sich
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Resources

1. Butkevych, Volodymyr. Copyright © 1996-1997 InfoUkes Inc. “Who Has a Right to Crimea”. http://www.infoukes.com/history/crimea/page-04.html
2. Answer.com. Copyright © 2009 Answers Corporation.
3. www.Google.com. ©2009 Google
4. http://www.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,Inc., a U.S. registered.