Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised speech on the 24th, announcing the pacification of the Wagner group’s rebellion and defining the socialist revolution as a “tragedy of civil war.” In his address, President Putin expressed his disappointment with the rebellion and declared an end to it.
President Putin stated that Russia is currently fighting a difficult war for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their trainers. He referred to the Russian Revolution of 1917, calling the Wagner group’s rebellion a betrayal of the fighters on the front lines. According to President Putin, the victory of the Russian Empire in World War I was “stolen” by the strike, leading to the destruction of the army and state, the loss of vast territories, and eventually the tragedy of the civil war.
President Putin’s interpretation of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 seems to be from the perspective of the Russian Empire. As the hardships of life worsened during the prolonged First World War, demonstrations and strikes took place in March 1917, leading to a revolution when the soldiers ordered to suppress it refused. This revolution, known as the “February Revolution,” gave rise to the Provisional Government of Kerensky, a coalition of bourgeois and socialists. Subsequently, the Bolshevik Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin broke out in November 1917, calling for the overthrow of capitalism and leading to the founding of the Soviet Union. The “Red and White Civil War” then ensued over the stance on communism and the tsar system.
President Putin has been known to highly praise Joseph Stalin, who led the victory in the Red and White Civil War and raised the Soviet Union to the ranks of great powers while establishing a totalitarian system. He has criticized the decision to disband the Soviet Union in 1991 as “the worst geopolitical mistake.” President Putin’s view of history aims to restore the Soviet Union’s aspect as a great power and its geopolitical influence, rather than its ideology.
It is believed that President Putin’s ultimate goal is to restore the influence of the Russian Empire. He has openly expressed his admiration for Peter the Great, who significantly expanded the territory of the Russian Empire. Last year, he justified the invasion by stating, “Ukraine is ancient Russia,” and compared the war in Ukraine to Peter the Great’s Northern War.
President Putin’s recent TV address defining the socialist revolution as a civil war and his historical view of the Russian era have sparked discussions and debates about his intentions and goals for Russia’s future.
How does President Putin describe the rebellion led by the Wagner group in relation to the Russian Revolution of 1917?
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a televised speech on the 24th, where he announced the pacification of the rebellion led by the Wagner group. He referred to the socialist revolution as a “tragedy of civil war” and expressed his disappointment with the rebellion, declaring its end.
President Putin acknowledged that Russia is currently engaged in a challenging war for its future, combating the aggression of neo-Nazis and their trainers. He drew parallels to the Russian Revolution of 1917, denouncing the Wagner group’s rebellion as a betrayal of the soldiers fighting on the front lines. According to the President, the strike that followed the victory of the Russian Empire in World War I resulted in the loss of the army and the destruction of the state, which he deemed a theft of their hard-earned triumph.
This article offers a thought-provoking perspective on Putin’s interpretation of socialist revolution as ‘civil war’ and his ambition to reinstate Russia as a formidable global power. It raises important questions about the ideology and vision driving his political agenda.