Siberia and France has a long history of contentious relations, most notably in the immediate wake of the Russian Exodus. In 1834, the Ural Uprising was generally regarded as being backed by the Siberians, and the 1862 Franco-Siberian War was fought over control of a mountain pass between Europe and Siberia through the Urals, resulting in a French victory. Deep into the 20th century, Siberia remained a thorn in the side of the French, who refused to recognize the Siberian state and instead regarded the territory as a protectorate of the more docile and friendly Alaskans, especially at the turn of the century. France finally recognized the Novosibirsk government in 1952 as an "exile state," and in 1986 Siberia finally relinquished its claim over eastern Europe, over a century and a half sin