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{{Cquote|Despite President Vladimir Putin’s bluster yesterday that “it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” there’s no question the last twelve months have been  terrible for his nation. But frankly, Russia has had not just a disastrous year, but a couple of bad centuries.

{{Cquote|Despite President Vladimir Putin’s bluster yesterday that “it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” there’s no question the last twelve months have been  terrible for his nation. But frankly, Russia has had not just a disastrous year, but a couple of bad centuries.

Just over 200 years ago, Napoleon invaded Russia, eventually occupying and burning Moscow before the Russian army, aided by a brutal winter, was able to eject the French Grande Armee at a cost of more than half a million casualties on both sides. In the middle of the 19th century, Russia lost the Crimean War against the combined forces of the UK, France and the Ottoman Empire, crippling the Imperial Russian Army (500,000 casualties in a two-year war), losing the Crimean Peninsula, and forfeiting the right to base warships in the Black Sea.  

Just over 200 years ago, [[Napoleon]] invaded Russia, eventually occupying and burning Moscow before the Russian army, aided by a brutal winter, was able to eject the French Grande Armee at a cost of more than half a million casualties on both sides. In the middle of the 19th century, Russia lost the [[Crimean War]] against the combined forces of the UK, France and the Ottoman Empire, crippling the Imperial Russian Army (500,000 casualties in a two-year war), losing the Crimean Peninsula, and forfeiting the right to base warships in the Black Sea.  

The Russian Navy was essentially destroyed by Japan in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, suffering a humiliating loss of eight battleships in the lopsided Battle of Tsushima while inflicting virtually no damage to the Japanese Imperial Fleet. A dozen years later, as the Russian empire imploded after the Bolshevik revolution, Western armies invaded to pick up the spoils. All that occurred before Germany invaded and destroyed much of the Russian army in the early days of World War II, notably at the battle of Stalingrad, where Russia suffered close to a million casualties in a year of fighting, albeit ultimately achieving victory.

The Russian Navy was essentially destroyed by [[Japan]] in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] of 1904-1905, suffering a humiliating loss of eight battleships in the lopsided Battle of Tsushima while inflicting virtually no damage to the Japanese Imperial Fleet. A dozen years later, as the Russian empire imploded after the Bolshevik revolution, Western armies invaded to pick up the spoils. All that occurred before [[Germany]] invaded and destroyed much of the Russian army in the early days of [[World War II]], notably at the battle of [[Stalingrad]], where Russia suffered close to a million casualties in a year of fighting, albeit ultimately achieving victory.

A decade ago, as the supreme allied commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I would meet occasionally with my counterpart in Russia, General Nikolai Makarov (not to be confused with General Vladimir Makarov, a failed Russian commander in Ukraine who committed suicide in Moscow this month). Makarov would remind me of those centuries of war and humiliation. “Too much history,” he once said. Russians have a lot of scar tissue from the last 200 years.<ref>[https://archive.md/ya4oV#selection-3471.0-3471.55 Getting Pummeled in War Is a 200-Year Russian Tradition] by James Stavridis, Bloomberg News, February 23, 2023</ref>}}

A decade ago, as the supreme allied commander of the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], I would meet occasionally with my counterpart in Russia, General Nikolai Makarov (not to be confused with General Vladimir Makarov, a failed Russian commander in Ukraine who committed suicide in Moscow this month). Makarov would remind me of those centuries of war and humiliation. “Too much history,” he once said. Russians have a lot of scar tissue from the last 200 years.<ref>[https://archive.md/ya4oV#selection-3471.0-3471.55 Getting Pummeled in War Is a 200-Year Russian Tradition] by James Stavridis, Bloomberg News, February 23, 2023</ref>}}

Yaro Kurfyust, Ministry of Affairs of the Czech Republic wrote:

Yaro Kurfyust, Ministry of Affairs of the Czech Republic wrote:

{{Cquote|Soviet and Russian propaganda gave us a sense of the "invincibility" of Russian weapons and the unsurpassed strength of this geographically large and valuable Asian country. A Czechoslovak socialist upbringing instilled in us respect for the victorious Soviet army, which it mistakenly and purposefully identified with the Russians.

{{Cquote|[[Soviet]] and Russian propaganda gave us a sense of the "invincibility" of Russian weapons and the unsurpassed strength of this geographically large and valuable Asian country. A Czechoslovak socialist upbringing instilled in us respect for the victorious Soviet army, which it mistakenly and purposefully identified with the Russians...

We used a distorted image of victory in [[World War II]] - in cinema, mass culture and education.

 

We used a distorted image of victory in World War II - in cinema, mass culture and education.

The remnants of the socialist educational program have been preserved and teaching in schools still shows the need for an objective study of modern history.

The remnants of the socialist educational program have been preserved and teaching in schools still shows the need for an objective study of modern history.

While not diminishing the number of casualties in the Second World War on the Russian side, we must not forget that the victory was also largely based on the casualties of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and a long list of other nations. And it was not only the victory of the Soviet Union, but also the victory of the Allies, including their own casualties.

While not diminishing the number of casualties in the Second World War on the Russian side, we must not forget that the victory was also largely based on the casualties of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and a long list of other nations. And it was not only the victory of the [[Soviet Union]], but also the victory of the [[Allies]], including their own casualties.

We also cannot forget the violent and imperial nature of Moscow's policy during the Soviet campaign, which resulted in the creation of a colonial system of socialist satellites, which Moscow referred to as the "peace camp."

We also cannot forget the violent and imperial nature of Moscow's policy during the Soviet campaign, which resulted in the creation of a colonial system of socialist satellites, which Moscow referred to as the "peace camp."

However, Russia - not only the current one, but also the older one - lost most of the wars in its history. Especially those where it has faced a persistent resistance from a united military and civilian population, or a technologically advanced adversary. Not much is said about these wars. Russian propaganda completely silences them. But it is worth turning to this part of the story.

...The Russian Empire fought a series of conflicts with the west, in what is now Ukraine and Belarus. Before the reign of [[Peter the Great]], they fought quite unsuccessfully against the Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Poles, and the Swedes. According to statistics compiled by Vladimir Solovyov, a great Russian historian of the late nineteenth century, Russia lost more than 70% of the 50 wars in the north and west from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century.

 

The Russian Empire fought a series of conflicts with the west, in what is now Ukraine and Belarus. Before the reign of Peter the Great, they fought quite unsuccessfully against the Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Poles, and the Swedes. According to statistics compiled by Vladimir Solovyov, a great Russian historian of the late nineteenth century, Russia lost more than 70% of the 50 wars in the north and west from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century.

With varying degrees of success, it tried to conquer Ukraine, consolidate its position on the Black Sea coast and penetrate the Persian southern coast of the Caspian Sea. After clashes with the Turks and Persians, the Russians were forced to retreat. Later, Catherine the Great succeeded on these fronts. Her aggressive policy was detrimental to Ukrainian and Polish statehood, as well as to the peoples of Crimea.

With varying degrees of success, it tried to conquer Ukraine, consolidate its position on the Black Sea coast and penetrate the Persian southern coast of the Caspian Sea. After clashes with the Turks and Persians, the Russians were forced to retreat. Later, Catherine the Great succeeded on these fronts. Her aggressive policy was detrimental to Ukrainian and Polish statehood, as well as to the peoples of Crimea.

At the beginning of the XIX century, the campaign of Russian Emperor Paul I in India ended in complete failure, and in a few decades, Russia was defeated in the Crimean War (1853-1856). At that time, European powers were firmly united against Russia. Thanks to the unity of Europeans and the plight of Russia after the war, it was defeated in the Berlin Congress of 1878.

At the beginning of the XIX century, the campaign of Russian Emperor Paul I in [[India]] ended in complete failure, and in a few decades, Russia was defeated in the Crimean War (1853-1856). At that time, European powers were firmly united against Russia. Thanks to the unity of Europeans and the plight of Russia after the war, it was defeated in the Berlin Congress of 1878.

After these defeats, the Russian leadership was forced to turn away from Europe and begin expansion into Asia.

After these defeats, the Russian leadership was forced to turn away from Europe and begin expansion into Asia.