THE DISSOLUTION OF THE BUKHARA EMIRATE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST THE SOVIET ARMY

Abstract

This thesis presents a comprehensive historical analysis of the fall of the Bukhara Emirate and the armed resistance movement against Soviet forces during the period of 1918–1926. The study examines the military-tactical aspects of the Red Army's Bukhara Operation of 1920, the organizational structure, leadership, and geography of the Basmachi movement, and the Soviet suppression policies and their consequences. Employing historical-descriptive, comparative, and postcolonial methodological frameworks, the research demonstrates the limitations of both Soviet-era interpretations — which characterized the movement as a reactionary uprising — and oversimplified post-Soviet narratives that frame it exclusively as a national liberation struggle. Findings indicate that the movement comprised an intertwined complex of national, religious, social, and political motivations, with peasant participation playing a more significant role than traditionally acknowledged. The thesis establishes a scholarly foundation for future monographic research drawing on archival materials from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and British colonial records.