Aksyonov's starting point was that if Crimea were an island, it could have become to the Soviet Union what Taiwan/Formosa was to the PRC.
Could have happened, possibly, if the Whites had run their war better.
I was going to mention this book but I figured nobody heard of it. Want to hear about a funny/spooky coincidence? The Putin stooge who has just been put in charge of Crimea and is inviting in the Russians in named... Aksyonov! No, not the same guy just same name.
How is that for an Illuminati conspiracy!