How did Russia end up so huge? Why did no other nations form

>>43461
Russians were the only ethnic group who got to benefit from the the scientific and philosophical revolutions of Europe while being independent. The other Slavs were already taken over, and the Tartary of Siberia had no access. Before Russian Expansionism, there were plenty of Khanates, but they all fell apart.

>>43461
because 90% of it is/was an uninhabitable frozen wasteland

Russia is so majestic

Russian imperialism in central asia and siberia was remarkably successful in acquiring territory - but so was british imperialism in India, or french in Africa. Russia also had a land border and settlers for the east and held onto its empire longer.

>>43581
This.

Siberia is almost terra nullus.

>I only say this because it seems there isn't a clear and distinct homogenus Russian ethnicity.
What? From Smolensk to Vladivostok, it's all same Russians.
Of course they have a lot of minorities, but in most of their territory ethnic Russians are majority.
As to why it ended up so huge, well it was mostly underpopulated land, and it was colonized over few centuries.

>>43461

Russia would ally with the steppe tribes, when the tribes started to get worried about the bigger steppe tribes russia would offer to build forts to protect against the bigger tribes, then settle the land with russians, germans and the nomads who now had their grazing territory cut due to the forts. Rinse and repeat with some conquering of the siberian tribes (and giving them tax benefit if they converted to orthodox and became settled).

Ming was more worried about the Qing and the Qing was more worried about the dzungars who posed a serious threat and consolating their control over china proper.

Russia had some minor skirmishes (which they lost) with the chinese.


I may have got some of this mixed up.

>>43739
Russians were pretty tolerant with their minorities.
Except Circassians, they literally destroyed them.

>>43660
>>43581

Siberia was worth a fortune, the furs alone represented a massive chuck of russias economy.

>>43839
werent circassian women the sexiest in the world. Y u kill them russia?

There is definitely a clear Russian ethnicity, there just happens to be a lot of minorities in Russia.