ABSTRACT
By the time the Bolsheviks had seized power in Russia, the massive influx of colonists into the North Caucasus and the subsequent failure of the Tsarist regime to address the many problems there had already instilled ethnic animosity in the indigenous peoples. The preference shown to the Slavic colonists, local aristocracy, and wealthy capitalists by the government at the expense of the indigenous peasantry enabled the Bolsheviks to gain the cooperation of many people. Unfortunately, once in power the Bolsheviks employed even more brutal and simplistic methods than their predecessors to solve the problems in the region. Without any consideration for the long-term consequences of their actions they simply reversed the policies of the Tsarist regime, confiscating land from the Slavic settlers and returning it to the indigenous peoples.
