In Slavic language, "Ukraine" means border area. Compared with Lithuania in the north and even Moscow, Ukraine is the southern "border area" of the Slavs.

Therefore, the "Earl of Ukraine" that Marin bought for Simon in Slavic language means "Earl of the Border Region".

Maybe people in later generations find it incredible - the warm and fertile Ukraine on the Black Sea in the south will be a border area? Yes, it's true...

The Slavs originated in the Vistula River Basin in Poland. Once, during the Roman Empire, the distribution area of ​​the Slavs started from the Od River in the west, the Dnieper River in the east, the Carpathian Mountains in the south, and the Baltic Sea in the north. The Dnieper River is the central river in Ukraine. Therefore, it is not impossible to say that Ukraine is the border area of ​​the Slavs.

Later, the Slavs expanded in Europe, and the group that went south occupied the Balkans, for the Yugoslavs. To the north... Well, because of the Baltic Sea, they migrated along the seaside to the Livonian region, which is the area of ​​Estonia and Latvia in later generations. Needless to say, the Russians were the group that went east. As for the group that went west, they were blocked by the German knights and stopped in the Czech Republic.

As for the Ukrainian region in the southeast, states such as the Principality of Kiev and Russ appeared, which should have developed into an important civilized area of ​​the Slavs.

But unfortunately, during the Mongol Badu expedition, the Duchy of Kiev Rus was destroyed, and Ukraine's civilization process was interrupted and became a poor border area.

Later, although the Grand Duchy of Lithuania took advantage of the decline of the Golden Horde to snatch Ukraine from the Golden Horde, it was difficult for Ukraine to develop its economy because there were fierce robber states like the Crimean Khanate in the south of Ukraine.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Ukraine region is a poor border area. But ironically, this poor border area is the warmest place in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the land is also the most fertile place.

Because the land is too fertile and there are rivers such as the Dnieper River, this area of ​​Ukraine still feeds two or three million Ukrainians. The so-called Cossacks are actually just a relatively tough minority among the Ukrainians. Most of the Ukrainians are ordinary herders, and a few engage in agriculture by the river.

But agriculture in Ukraine is generally concentrated in the northern region, because the farms in the south are easily robbed by the Crimean Khanate.

The Galicia region in Poland was actually originally from Ukraine. After the decline of the Golden Horde, Poland took the opportunity to seize the Galicia region. Lviv, in the Galicia region, is now a famous granary in Poland.

It also belonged to the Ukrainian region and was also black soil, but because the Lviv region was protected by Polish knights and was in the northwest of the Ukrainian region, it was basically not affected by the Crimean Khanate. Therefore, local agriculture developed.

Therefore, in the Ukrainian region, only the northern part of the country has relatively stable agricultural areas. For example, Kiev has developed agriculture because it is located in northern Ukraine and is relatively safe in the area. However, the southern region is basically abandoned under the threat of the Crimean Khanate. Or, some Cossack villages are grazing.

The reason why the Cossacks and ordinary Ukrainians in the south chose to grazed was because they were afraid that the Crimean Khanate would rob them. The reason was very simple - you see, we also grazed poor people, and we usually eat cheese, and we have no oil and water to grab... The heroes of Crimeans, don't rob us herders who are equally poor... Not to mention, the Crimeans really have no interest in villages that are also herders. At most, go grab some population...

Also, it is easy to relocate herders. If you hear that the Crimean Khanate had invaded, everyone would move tents and other things onto a carriage, then drive cattle and sheep, and immediately run away. The Ukrainian grassland is so big that it is not easy to be caught by Crimean robbers. If it is a farming village, it is impossible to run away from the monks and temples...

...

Of course, Marin asked Simon to be an earl in Kiev, not to let him go to open land and farm, but to attack the Ukrainian population.

After all, the Ukrainian region has two or three million people. For countries around the world before the Industrial Revolution, population is labor and productivity.

Although Malin encourages childbirth in Beihai Country, childbirth also takes time. When women in China slowly give birth and raise them, Malin may be dead.

Therefore, the easiest and quickest way is to plunder the population. And the Ukrainians without their own country have become the target of Marin's covetment.

Although both Slavs were different from Moscows, the Russians had formed a strong and unified country at this time, and had a strong sense of national identity. Moreover, the Russians were also used to using their own language and writing.

As for the Ukrainians, they do not have their own country. Although they have their own language, in their writing, they mainly use the Ruthenian language of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (about the language of Belarus and Lithuania). Usually, if Ukrainians want to communicate with the outside world, they must use Ruthenian, even German, Latin and Polish. Even the legal provisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania are written in Ruthenian, Latin and German.

This gave Marin the opportunity to absorb and integrate the Ukrainians - Ukrainian aristocrats and upper class, both of whom were German.

The reason is mainly because the Grand Duchy of Lithuania converted to Catholicism, and German missionaries made great contributions. In addition, the Teutonic Knights, the largest enemy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was a German-speaking country. For religious and diplomatic needs, Lithuanian aristocrats generally learned Latin and German.

In this way, when Simon became the Earl of Ukraine, it would be no problem to promote German locally. At that time, Marin planned to pay for a number of church schools in Ukraine to teach Ukrainian children German, and eventually Germanize the Ukrainians.

What are the benefits of Germanization in Ukraine? Of course it is convenient for immigration! These people can speak German, so it is easier for Marin to recruit them. Even the Beihai Army can recruit German-speaking Ukrainians.

Once the Ukrainians were used to speaking German, they would be completely Germanized and integrated into the Germans like the East Prussians in history.

It should be pointed out that the Prussians were not Germans, but the authentic Slavs. However, as the Teutonic Knights from Germany invaded the Prussian region and Germanized the Teutonic Kingdom, the Prussians, who were originally Slavs, integrated into the German Empire and became Germans.

Obviously, Marin also planned to use the same routine to promote German language education in Ukraine. He even spent money to establish tuition-free church schools to Germanize the Ukrainians. In this way, after several generations, these Ukrainians will integrate into the North Sea like the Prussians and be silently integrated by the Germans...
Chapter completed!