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SW-User Best Comment
Russia was, for centuries, behind the rest of Europe. It was poorer, less developed, less powerful. But it was large, highly populated, and always had aspirations of grandeur. Some of these were realized by 18th century rulers like Peter and Catherine the Great who built St. Petersberg and helped bring Russia into the larger European sphere. But by the early 20th century, Russia was still behind. They still had an archaic peasant/serf system that, coupled with the devastation of WWI, led to increased economic turmoil and the Bolshevik revolution. I think Russians have never been content with being second-class, they've always wanted power that matches the size of their population and land. They've gotten it to some extent, but they've skipped steps, leading to many of the problems they have today.
This is a short summary, but it's what I've gathered for the history I've read.
This is a short summary, but it's what I've gathered for the history I've read.
Abstraction · 61-69, M
@SW-User It's not often mentioned, but the central planning of the 1930s led to the fastest economic growth in the history of the world. A strong commitment to the sciences. Also, possibly the external hostility, particularly WWII and the division that followed - created a siege mentality with strong commitment to military might. The west read it as aggression - their rhetoric and talk of world socialism didn't help - but when you see WWII and the years that followed from their perspective, you can understand why they felt threatened themselves.