Ukraine - where are the Cossacks in this?
I remember from a Russian history class what an impact these free-wheeling and dealing people had on the region. Belligerent and very talented in military matters. Hated being allegiant to any power for very long.
Bet they are re-activated in some form in this mess one way or another.
From -
http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/cossack/cossack.htm
A LONG article, but combined with other wiki sites regarding their history, make me wonder if this group is organized in any fashion during this fierce unrest.
"Both the Reds and the Whites claim to hate the Communist Party and everything for which it stood.41 Prominent Cossack leaders, especially in the Red camp, were ranking Party functionaries and, although most of them have denounced the Party, old allegiances die slowly. Local opposition parties are quick to accuse a local ataman of a lust for power and being part of the Party nomenklatura. A. Martynov, a former Communist, is the ataman of the Union of Cossacks. Sergei Meshcheryakov, his bitter opponent and also a former Communist, is ataman of Southern Russia and ataman of the Don Cossack Host.42 Prominent ultra-right-wing Red-Brown leaders, such at former KGB general Aleksandr Sterligov (leader of the National-Patriots) and Aleksandr Barkashov (Russian National Unity), are paying avid court to Meshcheryakov and, by extension, on the Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks.43
It goes without saying that Russian politicians see the Cossacks as an organized, armed, potentially coherent force which, if harnessed, could assure the ascendancy of a political bloc. The politicians wish to make the Cossacks their pawns. But, on the Russian chess board, a pawn can advance to control or become a king.
Snip
Cossacks and International Relations
Russian Cossacks have created problems with Russia's neighbors-Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Chechen-Ingush, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Japan, plus Muslims and Jews in general.
Ukraine: The Ukrainian government has seen fit to raise its own Cossack forces, apparently not by a popular movement but rather by government sponsorship. This has been in response to the oath of allegiance taken by Krasnodon Cossacks (who live in Ukraine) and the Don Cossacks (who live in Russia and Ukraine) to the Don Republic and Russia.59 This threat to Ukrainian sovereignty has led to the spectacle of Ukrainian Cossacks solemnly abjuring the oath of loyalty sworn to the Tsar of Muscovy in 1654. Hetman Vyacheslav Chornovil stated that this was not done to break the friendship between Russia and Ukraine; rather, it was to correct the mistake of national hero, Bogdan Khmel'nitskiy, and "to expiate the involuntary sin committed by our Cossack forbearers 388 years ago." Ukrainian Cossacks then swore a loyalty oath to Ukraine."