THE CRIMEA AND THE BLACK SEA DURING THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD Source: <strong>Brian</strong> G. <strong>Williams</strong>, <strong>The</strong> Crimean Tatars: <strong>The</strong> Diaspora Experience and the Forging of a Nation (Leiden: Brill, 2001)
FOREWORD On the 69 th anniversary of the Crimean deportations of 1944, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Jamestown</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> is delighted to introduce to historians, policymakers and the general public a work of historical importance by one of the few American scholars specializing in the history of the Crimean Tatars. Since <strong>Brian</strong> <strong>Glyn</strong> <strong>Williams</strong> wrote his first book on the Crimean Tatars back in 2001, <strong>The</strong> Crimean Tatars: <strong>The</strong> Diaspora Experience and the Forging of a Nation (Brills Inner Asian Library), few if any readily-available works on the this nationality have appeared in any monograph-length format in the past decade. Indeed, the previously mentioned book by Dr. <strong>Williams</strong> is already out of print and rare, if not difficult, to find for resale. Surprisingly, the United States has produced several scholars who specialized in the Crimean Tatars. One of the leading American experts on the Crimean Tatars is Alan Fisher, who produced several important books on this subject. His most well-known work is Crimean Tatars that appeared as part of the Hoover Series on Nationalities in 1978. It took another 20 years to pass before Dr. <strong>Williams</strong> made his important contribution in 2001. Sadly, more than two decades after the breakup of the USSR, interest in the former Soviet nationalities has experienced a major decline in the United States and only a handful of experts on the Crimean Tatars remains. Interest in the U.S. policymaking world has fared even worse; virtually no organization inside the Washington beltway has given much, if any attention, to the fate of the Crimean Tatars. However, the continuing significance of this important nationality with a long and glorious historical past based in Crimea means that the Crimean Tatars should not be overlooked. <strong>By</strong> releasing this short monograph, <strong>Jamestown</strong> hopes to contribute to again raising awareness about this proud people. Given the strategic location of the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea; the on-again, off-again see-saw struggle between Russia and Ukraine over this region; and the pivotal, ethno-political role played by the Crimean Tatars who reside there, it is important to remind the general public that this nationality has a rich history. Largely regarded as the elite shock troops of the Turkish Sultan, the soldiers of the Crimean Khanate were legendary for their military performance from the Caucasus, to the Polish frontier, to the gates of Vienna. Hence, by releasing this work, it is our aim to remind <strong>Jamestown</strong> readers that the Crimean Tatars played a notable role in European history for over 300 years and remain an important people to understand among the nationalities that make up Eurasia. To this day, just as they did under the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Tatars retain a strategic relevance in the balance of power in Eurasia that should not be overlooked. At a <strong>Jamestown</strong> event on Crimea, held on November 5, 2010, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said that as ambassador he had urged planners in the U.S. State Department to open a consulate in Sevastopol so that Washington could better understand this region. <strong>The</strong>re was much wisdom in that advice but, regrettably, Taylor was ignored and American policymakers continue to maintain a poor understanding of developments in Crimea. For this reason, <strong>The</strong> <strong>Jamestown</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> concluded that it would be useful to make a minor contribution to kick-starting some renewed effort to seek a greater understanding of the Crimean Tatars and their martial prowess, which was legendary throughout the history of the Ottoman Empire. Understanding the history of a people is the key to unlocking their future as a nation. To date, over
Change language