When analyzing the relationship between empires and geopolitics, Parag Khanna says, "Legitimacy in the geopolitical marketplace is based on activity, and must prove itself against other super powers."
What Russian President Vladimir Putin, who wants Russia to be as big as it was back in the “Soviet Union” era, understands from this statement, it seems, is merely brute force. In this state, Putin is reminiscent of a combination of the first Russian tsar, Ivan the Terrible, and his 20th century admirer, Stalin. Putin demonstrated in Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea and Syria what he will do with the power he gains. It is clear this power will be of benefit to neither humanity nor Russians.
Russia is a natural gas-rich country, but this has very little benefit to the people of Russia. Lavish spending and a twisted development are neck and neck in Russia. As Khanna wrote in 2007, while almost two-thirds of Russians are living in the hunger threshold, they are dying in waves with every new winter that arrives. If Russia's energy is unable to keep Russians alive, soon there will be nothing left of Russia.
In 2012, Putin had said at Russia's Defense Council, referring to Stalin:
“We need an initiative in the weapon industry, similar to the great move in the 1930s. We are decades behind the world's weapon technology. In order to overcome our backwardness, we allocated a budget of 23 trillion rubles (approximately $718 billion) for the next 10 years. But everybody must know well that this is our final chance. We will not be able to find this much money nor such an atmosphere ever again. Hence, everybody should take as example for the modernization of the military industry, the successes achieved by Stalin back in the time.”
One of those who was impatient in terms of armament like Stalin in the 1930s was Adolph Hitler. Hitler and Stalin signed a “non-attack pact” in 1939. Hitler, who started a world war taking courage from this pact, attacked Russia too, in 1941. Russia suffered the greatest loss in the war which 50-69 million people died. It is said that the loss is more than 20 million. The Soviet Union lost East Europe 45 years later, without shooting a single bullet. Stalin turned the Soviet Union into a “world power,” but this brought neither happiness nor welfare to the people of Russia.
The burden of World War II on Europe was shouldered almost by Russia alone. The Russians awaited in vain for their allies to open a second front in Europe. By the time the new front was opened, they had already suffered their greatest loss. Lately, everybody is trying to figure out what Putin is trying to do through Russian anecdotes. I am also going to join the camel train with an anecdote. The anecdote also explains why the front the Russians requested in World War II opened with delay:
“A British and an American military committee went to Russia. They were received at the airport by a Russian delegation. They all piled into a carriage pulled by four horses. Awhile later, the coachman cried, “Volki, volki!” (Wolves, wolves!). A Russian officer got out of the carriage and fought with his bare hands until the wolves killed him. Meanwhile the carriage continued on its path. Awhile later, the coachman cried, “Volki!” again. Another Russian officer got out of the carriage. He too died fighting the wolves with his bare hands. This incident was repeated a few times. In the end the coachman cried “Volki!” once more. There was not a sound in the carriage, nobody volunteered. The British marshal looked around him and realized there were no Russian officers left in the carriage. Then he turned to the others in the carriage and said, 'Gentleman, we have no choice left but to use our rifles!'”
