Part 8/13:
The Historical Roots of Russian Power Struggles
This internal chaos echoes historical patterns. Stalin’s purges in the 1930s decimated military command structures, leading to catastrophic failures during WWII. Similarly, in the 1980s, Yuri Andropov’s anti-corruption campaigns created a climate of fear that stifled initiative, hampering Soviet responses to critical issues.
The recurrent theme is that purges and internal power struggles lead to paralysis rather than strength. Russia’s current scenario resembles these past episodes—purges, arrests, and internal conflicts weaken not just the security services but also the entire state machinery. This pattern has repeated over decades, illustrating a cycle of instability driven by fear and distrust within the elite.