A hundred years on and revolutionary spirits persist. Putin is wary of how history could inspire modern revolutionaries. During the Soviet era, the October Revolution was celebrated every year on November 7th. In 2005 Putin abolished the celebrations, creating a new holiday called “Unity Day”.
He regularly criticises the revolution. He said it had “negative” consequences. And in 2015 he declared that it caused the “collapse” of Russia.
Journalist Shaun Walker claims that Putin uses these statements to “downplay revolution as a political tool”. Why? Because, as The Economist argues, Putin himself has become a “21st century tsar”.
Putin is similar to Tsar Nicholas II in several ways. Both sought approval at home through military conquest abroad. Nicholas’s attempt failed during a disastrous war against Japan. But Putin had more success when his 2014 annexation of Crimea led to a surge in approval ratings.
Putin is also an autocrat. The Economist describes him atop a “pyramid of patronage” controlling “all access to power”. Nicholas tried to rule in the same way, declaring his aim to preserve autocracy “firmly and unflinchingly”.
And, perhaps most importantly, both use repression to contain civil opposition. In 1905 hundreds of civilians were killed by the tsar’s troops on Bloody Sunday. While never approaching such violence, Putin has been criticised for repression against political opponents.
“Power is fragile,” some argue. There is a reason Putin cracks down so hard on the slightest dissent: revolutions grow from small beginnings. The Bolsheviks themselves were a small band of men and they toppled a nation. If repression at home worsens and Putin’s luck changes abroad, he will quickly find himself vulnerable.
>The Bolsheviks themselves were a small band of men and they toppled a nation. Not just any small band of men. (((THE))) SMALL BAND of the finest (((M E N))).
Owen Taylor
idk when do we divide the us and provoke a civil war look at all the land they have seriously kys memeflag
Not yet. 2022 is my guess. Something seems strange about this year. Maybe just a random thought got me to believe in it. But who will take the crown though???
Jose Parker
So many forces want to participate: commies, navalny-fags, libertarians, nazis and many more. Also Kremlin, I have nothing to do with it plz dont kill me
like in every federal country (us, germany) even in centralized countries like mine shit can hit the fan pretty quickly when macron's party will be done none of them will be able to properly reign
Although, our countries tend to be more of a playfields for leaders to participate in. I am implying that we have that kind of a system where if you try to demolish the rulling class no one will go to save them because they have no/lost connection to other classes in their land.
Brayden Martinez
don't see the point oligarchs can still help each other maybe it would be better with an example
