The Tsar's Proxy Civilizers: German Colonists and Scottish and Swiss Missionaries in the Nineteenth-Century Caucasus.

The article examines the role of German colonists and Scottish and Swiss missionaries in the Russian Empire's civilizing mission in the Caucasus during the early nineteenth century. It highlights how the Russian government employed these Western European groups as "proxy civilizers" to promote economic modernization and Christianization in a region marked by ethnic and religious diversity. The article critiques existing scholarship for oversimplifying the motivations behind these colonial efforts and emphasizes the complex interactions between the tsarist state and these immigrant communities, which were often fraught with internal disagreements and varying expectations. Ultimately, the article argues that while these initiatives did not fully achieve their intended goals, they reflect a broader strategy of utilizing foreign agents to influence social change in the empire. [Extracted from the article]