Another Symbolic Date Passes: Putin’s War in Ukraine Now Longer than Russia’s in World War I which Triggered Revolution

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 11 – In January, Putin’s expanded war in Ukraine passed the length of Russia’s participation in World War II, a conflict Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War. Now, it has exceeded the length of Russia’s involvement in World War I, a conflict that triggered the revolutions of 1917.

            That makes this week’s anniversary far more symbolic if far more troubling than the more frequent comparison with World War II. At the end of that conflict, the USSR was a victor and in possession of half of Europe; but at the end of the earlier one, it was losing to the Central Powers and mired in revolution and civil war.

            Not surprisingly, the Putin regime isn’t interested in having anyone draw comparisons between today’s conflict with Ukraine and Russia’s defeat in World War I, especially on the question of revolution. But even pro-Kremlin commentators have not been able to avoid the temptation to suggest parallels even if they suggest the ultimate outcome will be different.

            For one of the more thoughtful examples of articles on this subject, see in particular Dmitry Seleznyov’s reflection on how the current war in Ukraine is both similar to and different from World War II and thus why its outcome is likely to be very different as well at apn-spb.ru/opinions/article39781.htm.