While the history as Stockman tells it is true enough, it avoids mentioning that Catherine was not obtaining territory occupied by a majority of Russians. It took mass deportations of various peoples of the Crimea in order to “Russify” the territory. That was followed later on with more mass deportations by the Soviets in 1944. Why? Because the long established people of Crimea were Tartars, a Turkic people but not the same as the Ottomans who occupied Turkey. It is that ethnicity that got them deported from Crimea, out of Russian fear and insecurity that they may one day make league with the Turks of Turkey.
But the Tartars of Crimea had long before become a people that incorporated most all the groups living in the Crimea, including Greeks and others, though the Turkic language and culture became the language and culture of most all the Crimea communities - until the Ottoman empire sale to Catherine, and Catherine and later the Soviets had to “Russify” it. Once Catherine felt comfortable, the deportations ended. But the Soviets deported nearly all the Tartar communities of Crimea in 1944, not allowing any to return until 1989. Just something Stockman left out.
Interesting points. Thank you