Putin & The Great Patriotic War (1941–1945)

The Great Patriotic War in Vladimir Putin’s Russia signifies the staple of perseverance and victory for the Russian people. Any careful reading of history testifies to why Putin would use The Great Patriotic War to his advantage.

I will do precisely that in this blog post.

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

Clearly, the Russian war effort against Nazi forces diverted their attention from Western forces. The Battle for Stalingrad, for example, held between 1942 and 1943 claimed more than 1 million Red Army lives. Other infamous Russian battles tell a similar story.

Indeed, Russia suffered heavier losses than every other Allied nation during World War II. According to the statistical evidence, Russia is responsible for a large part of the war effort against Germany. In fact, the British historian and journalist Max Hastings writes in “Inferno: The World at War, 1939–1945” that the Red Army was “the main engine of Nazism’s destruction.”

Putin’s Image

The now infamous video footage of Putin standing in the rain to commemorate victims of World War II features a stoic Putin who cares less about his image than other world leaders. In reality, Putin’s image is his most cherished asset to power and helps in the subjugation of the Russian people. When asked about this moment, Putin said “It didn’t even…