I haven't seen it mentioned in the comments so I did want to raise a counterpoint with regards to sustainable losses. It's important to remember in 1939 we weren't talking about Russia, we were talking about the soviet union and it's incredibly deep demographic advantage, with lots of young people coming into military age and that was absolutely as important as you outlined in this video. Today, we're talking about Russia, and it does not have that same luxury, the Russian population pyramid is no longer a pyramid. While the Russian people may be more willing to accept deaths than their western counterparts, their demographic makeup will not support the kind of losses that the USSR could endure during their great patriotic war. Their disregard for the lives of their people incurred a massive debt to their future in past wars, and what they're doing today is taking out a second mortgage with no means to pay back the first. Any victory in Ukraine will be pyric at best.
Thanks for sharing your well formulated opinion. You make good points. I agree that modern Russia largely lacks the demographic advantage of 1940's USSR, and that may be significant. Just as it may be significant that the US largely lacks the domestic manufacturing capability we had at that time. A lot has changed over the last 85 years. That said, I think the past is still the best template we have for predicting the future, and that template urges extreme caution when dealing with Russia. I agree that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be hollow at best, but it's not this war I am concerned about - it's the next one.
Every time you said something like "russian people may be more willing to accept deaths than their western counterparts" every russian think "oh, another dehumanisation of russian people from westerner. Nothing new. Nothing changed". In school we study all history from ancient times to modern. And almost every school year we read "germans/englishmen/french/osmans etc. try to conquer Russia because they think we are barbaric and non-human. And enemies always said "they just don't care about lives like we do so we can k**l them like we do in Africa and Asia colonies - without any doubts". When they lost they always said "it's because winter/summer/barbaric nature or russians" not because of good russian generals and brave soldiers. Only humans can be wise and brave, right? "General winter", heh. You just can't cope reality All wars will be stopped when you can understand all people are the same and you are not the Ubermenschen. But you can't because it's against your nature.
A very good and much needed lesson in Russian War history. Never under estimate a potential adversary who may have more blood to sacrifice than your team has or is willing to give. 😮
Thanks friend! I think you encapsulated my concerns perfectly with "willing to give". Do I think that the west is capable of beating Russia? Absolutely. Do I think the west is willing to stomach the losses that such a campaign *may* require? No idea. We've never done it before. Russia has.
“The reality is that human warfare is almost never an existential battle between good and evil, but it is instead a messy and complex affair in which the best and worst expressions of humanity are present on all sides”. That’s one of the best contemporary quotes I’ve heard in a very long time, and it is timelessly accurate. It’s crazy how polarizing discussions about things that occurred even 1,000+ yrs ago are these days.
I think you are wrong with comparing modern day Russia to its ww2 USSR counterpart but I will say you were very well spoken in a way I’ve come to expect from this channel. Well done
Beginning in 1990, my career with the USG began in Yugoslavia. In later years, I worked/lived in the former-Soviet (CIS) republics, Ukraine (arriving at the onset of the Orange Revolution), every former-Soviet republic (CIS), the 'new' Balkan states (FRY), Albania, the Baltics and Belarus. Arguably, your timely analysis on the matter is, at the very least, an understatement of the Russian mindset and verifiable capacity to "soldier on." BRAVO ZULU, /26\.
Miss you bro. Wish I wasn’t so busy with work and life. I wish there was a way to get in touch with you. Just got my first Mosin. An M44 I could not pass up. Minty fresh 1944 Ishevsk. Still has the rubber ink stamps on the wooden stock. It’s insane. Don’t wanna get religious or political in the comments section here, but you have done an excellent job on this one. There is one thing worth noting however. The first Soviet Anti Religious Campaign of 1921 was pretty clear and less discriminatory than what the Ukes just voted on. Namely to ban my church. The Orthodox Church. And no other religious institutions besides it. I said what I wanted. Keep up the amazing work and let’s figure out a way to communicate. Peace ✌️
I discovered your channel today by accident underneath a Battlefield Curator video. This is now the 9th video of yours I’ve watched and I’m quite picky about the firearms content I consume. Not to say that I’m some sort of all knowing connoisseur, just that I have quite specific taste that errs toward the more esoteric and in depth content. I think your channel is great and you should absolutely have more subscribers because your content has more quality than a lot of creators manage to fit in videos twice as long.
Thank you. I try to make the same type of videos that I enjoy watching, and while I know they will never do as well as “How Many iPads Does it Take to Stop a 50 BMG???”, I’m OK with that. It’s always a joy to hear from someone who appreciates that approach.
@@Triangle26 for sure! We all love breaking shit but especially here in England where the majority of firearms are illegal and the ones we can get (if we jump through all the hoops and get accepted for the privilege) are prohibitively expensive; it’s good to have content that gives the real history and context for the piece. If you think firearms are interesting but you only look at the surface level then you’ll only get the widely enabled commentary that guns are almost sentient, murderous beings in their own right and that you could only ever want to own a firearm to kill with. The sort of reading of guns like stories all their own doesn’t really exist here unfortunately. I can’t even speak to my friends about them because so few people are able to think past the notion that firearms are inherently evil. Sorry for the Ted Talk 😅😂 just suffice it to say that it’s a big deal when I’m able to find and consume more quality content about my passion cus I’m kind of alone out here 😂
@@minisforerbody I hear you friend. Even in the US it’s an issue. I’m extraordinarily tired of explaining to people that just because I’m literate and have an interest in history/defense doesn’t mean I am somehow complicit in evil.
@@Triangle26 yeah I worry when I see how hard some people are pushing for more gun legislation in the US. I live with the type of rules that they would love to enact and it’s not a safe feeling. My partner is a paramedic and she’s been assaulted 3 times doing a job where she’s only there to help people. I’d feel much more comfortable with her going about the city, especially on a night shift, if she had a 43x inside her waistband 😂. I’m ranting again but long story short this has become a place where I don’t want my children to grow up anymore and I really hope America doesn’t make itself any more like Britain. Except maybe free health care 😂 big fan of that!
Good grief. When you kick over a worm can, they all get away instead of just a few. I am indeed impressed with the intelligent and meaningful comments generated by your video and follow up. Please, please never stop.
love this video, more observations about the russians than your super good technical stuff, delivered without a lot of cutsey pie music and jokes. rationality made interesting
As always, awesome content. I’ve been digging into Russo-Finnish wars recently. Have you seen Ian McCullum’s video comparing Winter War and Ukraine invasion?
I haven't, but thank you for bringing that to my attention. I've just added that to my list and I am very much looking forward to hearing Ian's thoughts!
Brother, you are so smart and very well read. Please be careful you don’t get recruited by any of the 3 letter dog and pony shows (respectfully)! Thank you again, switching over to your SKS disassembly video to check the cleanliness/firing pin of my new (1969) TYPE56 SKS. Hope you’re feeling better, Happy New Year! Tony
Thanks Tony, Happy late New Year to you as well. Unfortunately I am still sick as a dog, but as a silver lining, I'm sure that should be plenty enough to scare away the three-letter types. All jokes aside, thanks for watching and sharing a few kind words!
Thank you for this enlightening post. You completely changed my perspective on this issue. The Russians just have a different cultural approach to war which they have been executing for many decades. As an Israeli, we encounter the same "non-Western" logic in our war with Hamas on a daily basis. I listened to several "intelligent" analysts that believe they understand Hamas's motives while analyzing them via Western eyes and moral concepts. We need to be very careful when we examine at the military reasoning of our adversaries. All the best.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I couldn't agree more with the parallel to Hamas - I've been thinking about that a lot recently. Ironically, one of the things that concerns me most about Hamas is the possibility that they are better at weaponizing competing value systems than the "west" is. Much of Hamas' public messaging and information warfare indicates that they understand and are able to exploit western values. This would explain how they are able to (miraculously) present themselves as sympathetic to some western progressives, despite their abysmal record on all of the issues progressives actually care about. Meanwhile, many westerners still seem confused every time Hamas does something unexpected of a "civilized" adversary. Like you said, we need to be very careful in examining the reasoning of our adversaries. If they were truly motivated by the same things that motivate us, we probably wouldn't be at war in the first place.
Very interesting discussion and I really appreciate the way in which you present this material. You bring a wealth of knowledge. I have always found this topic to be very engaging. As I consider the comparative elements of the Winter War scenario compared to the current war in Ukraine, the one missing piece is the imminent threat of a western empire that Germany played during WW2. To be sure, I have no doubt that Russian leadership would eye most surrounding nations as a threat, but not to the extent that Nazi Germany was at that time. Russia has largely held an offensive posture during the current conflict, and as such I find myself wondering what is the current drive to maintain that offensive momentum? In WW2, while Russia held a largely offensive posture with the Winter War, they were quickly thrust into an urgent defensive posture against the Germans to defend their homeland and would do so at all costs. The Ukraine conflict presently holds a different sense of drive (in my opinion). No one is invading Russia. There is no imminent military threat of invasion. With that in mind, while we cannot under estimate Russia’s ability to respond with reckless overwhelming force, I can’t help but wonder if Russian leadership has counted the cost of their invasion of Ukraine. Not that I think they seem to care about the lives lost, but more about whether or not it is worth the bleeding of resources into a conflict that seems to have somewhat stalemated and drawn out into several years now. In short, the question now isn’t about whether or not Russia has the capability, but more about if they have the drive to do it. The current stalemate does make me wonder why Russia would not then thrust overwhelming forces into Ukraine and complete their campaign if this is that valuable to them. That could be an interesting follow-up discussion, and how that might relate to the Winter War.
I think the general lack of perspective in regards of how many people there are outside people's bubbles is a big issue with all kinds of things, but I agree this is definitely so,thing that should be seriously factored in when considering the Ukraine issue.
I didn’t want to hear this. Especially as a Russian Studies undergrad. But I know you are right deep down and I’m glad you said it. But I’m still sad about it because it has very depressing implications.
I just now had time to watch your video . Very informative , I believe a lot of people know this about Russia because of how it has played out before , yet they don’t accept it as being true . So look to the past to know the present and future
Exactly. I try to never underestimate people's tendency to prioritize what they want to be true, rather than what they know to be true. It is much harder to break cycles than it is to simply repeat them.
Amazing content brother! 👌 great info and perspective on Russia as a country. Learned a ton off of this video. It's always good to reflect on how others can thunk sifferently as it keeps us on our toes and keeps us humble. All the best from Canada with our crappy commie leader (at least for now). Idea for a future video if you havent already done it, how you clean your SKS' when you do a full disassembly. Keep the great content rolling!
Great video, well spoken, well researched, well written One important distinction is that Russia has only about 150 million people, compared to Europe's 700 million, America's 330 million, or NATO's roughly 950 million. Their wars of numbers don't add up anymore, so they aren't a threat to anyone who has more population and more industry than they do. I don't think any force could successfully invade Russia, but Russia doesn't have the numbers to offensively pose a threat to "us." Thus the Ukraine war has shown us that Russia's standard military is not very effective when attacking, in addition to their lack of numerical superiority that they used to have to back up initial failures.
The one point you should consider, is the use of the word "willing" to give, what good is more manpower when it is not going to be utilized.... That said the same attitude mentioned above was how the Japanese thought about the US of the 40's... But interesting points you posed nonetheless
Thanks for your insights - you certainly raise good points. My only counterpoint would be exactly what @grant9939 mentioned - a potential distinction between total manpower and *willingness* to endure losses. My concern is that despite a lower total population, Russia might still be more capable of sustaining the scale of losses that would come with an expanded conflict. They have a living cultural memory of losing ~15% of their total population in war - and winning. The US has no comparable experience. Even the Civil War only killed ~2% of the total population, and that was 160 years ago.
@@Triangle26 In a way it depends on what starts the conflict. The west would need something major to happen in order to be okay with the levels of deaths that the Russians are okay with. To me it seems like whoever is on defense wins because neither side has the total population combined with willpower to win an offensive war with the other.
@@Triangle26you really can't understand anything about russian "cultural memory" sorry. It's not about losses or winning. It's about surviving. While European jew can survive in camp soviet jew can't survive ghetto. While European kids just going to school like nothing changed soviet kids were b*rning alive or be forced to camp for blood donation for german soldiers. Russia lost just 8 million soldiers equal with Germany losses. But more than ten millions civilians were k*lled just because they were untermenchen in European eyes and Europe needs Lebensraum. I said Europe because it wasn't just Germany - France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Holland etc etc. Like EU pre-release
No they aren't. People tend to either overestimate or underestimate Russia and the Russians. In reality, they are people just like us. Probably more like us than either the Chinese or the Europeans, actually. But Putin is no grandmaster of anything.
Well, usually...1242. The year the Mongol Empire almost invaded all of Europe. Based on their brutal method of warfare, wiping out entire cities and people groups, I think one could fairly say that Medieval Europe was in a bit of an existential crisis.
That is my concern, however unlike the winter war, Ukraine is being supplied with lots of weapons and ammo from many countries. Then throw in the sanctions against Russia. Compared to receiving aid from Germany in winter war and everyone else not wanting to upset Russia
I would have briefly touch on the fact that the SKS rifle is, like the Mosant, a simple rifle built for the common peasant. Unlike the Mosant, it is more effective, being a semi-automatic, rather than a bolt action rifle. What the Russians have in their CBRN arsenal, and how they train in that environment, might be a topic for a future video.
Excellent analysis! I would add since Kiev is the historical birthplace of the Russian people, it holds special significance to them. Therefore, it stands to reason many consider Ukraine part of Russia.
One factor though, ethnic russians_not kozaks ect_are aging with low birth rate. Human waves can only continue for the next few decades because of this to my view point.
Your comments applies to Ukraine now days a way more than to Russians, just as the western medias strictly restrict the reports on Ukraine loses and poor performances while mass drafting on total inexperienced civilians from Ukraine side
Our "good" war ended up 5 yrs later with most of BOTH Europe and Asia back under hostile tyranny so when have we actually won long or even medium term after hard won short term success over Germany Japan or even the South so lets be reasonable judging recent "failure" other than the true disaster of the AFG cut-n-run Yes this is in line with underestimating RUS
You are forgetting that Russia had allies during WW2, otherwise Germany would have won that war if USA didn't join the war! Germany was simply exhausted at the end and Russia was fighting for survival. Now Russia is the aggressor and that makes all the difference on the battle field, not to mention that Ukraine was the main fighting force in WW2 against Germany! It is simply incomparable with present days but, Believe me, Russia is not the superpower it once was, anymore!
"You are forgetting that Russia had allies during WW2" I acknowledged that several times. Are you suggesting that Russia does not have allies today? Perhaps China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, Serbia, and others? "Germany would have won the war if USA didn't join" That's possible, but speculative. All we know for sure is that Russia killed more Germans than the rest of the allies combined. Also, refer back to Russia's modern allies. If Russia fights NATO, they won't be alone. "Now Russia is the aggressor" Russia was also the aggressor in Finland, and they performed just as badly then. It's not about the invasion, it's about where it might lead. That's the whole point of the video.
@@Triangle26I’ve agreed with almost everything you’ve said, though I have to argue the “Allies” part of this. Do you really think that China, Iran, Brazil, etc. would actually throw in with Russia if the war went global? Serbia I could see, but none of the other nations seem to really want to help Russia when it matters. And heck, Russia and China have competing ambitions and China doesn’t really need Russia imo. But that’s just what I’ve observed, so I’d like to hear your perspective on it.
@@sirboomsalot4902Depends on the circumstances. They certainly don't seem any more interested in helping Russia with its invasion of Ukraine than NATO is with helping Ukraine with its defense.
Well it seems like history has changed in Russia. With 50,000 dead Russians and over 400,000 dead Ukrainians it seems the table has turned. Russia is valuing life this time rather than throwing it away for sure. Of course the numbers I stated I reported everywhere in the world except in the western media
The most absurd statement in the entire video was your contention that Russia still exists, but Nazi Germany does not. Did you think about that before you said it in your video? Nazi Germany for the Soviet union, which no longer exists. I kept waiting for you to get to the point, however, tenuous it may be, that Russia is humiliation, and Ukraine does not betray a weakness on the part of their military. You never did.
Thanks for your feedback, as rude as it was. I strive to make the sort of content which will inevitably upset a small percentage of viewers, and I'm glad to know I hit the mark with this one.
My friend you are much more articulate and smarter than you give yourself credit. Great discussion, great video
Thank you friend!
I haven't seen it mentioned in the comments so I did want to raise a counterpoint with regards to sustainable losses.
It's important to remember in 1939 we weren't talking about Russia, we were talking about the soviet union and it's incredibly deep demographic advantage, with lots of young people coming into military age and that was absolutely as important as you outlined in this video.
Today, we're talking about Russia, and it does not have that same luxury, the Russian population pyramid is no longer a pyramid. While the Russian people may be more willing to accept deaths than their western counterparts, their demographic makeup will not support the kind of losses that the USSR could endure during their great patriotic war.
Their disregard for the lives of their people incurred a massive debt to their future in past wars, and what they're doing today is taking out a second mortgage with no means to pay back the first.
Any victory in Ukraine will be pyric at best.
Thanks for sharing your well formulated opinion. You make good points. I agree that modern Russia largely lacks the demographic advantage of 1940's USSR, and that may be significant. Just as it may be significant that the US largely lacks the domestic manufacturing capability we had at that time. A lot has changed over the last 85 years. That said, I think the past is still the best template we have for predicting the future, and that template urges extreme caution when dealing with Russia. I agree that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be hollow at best, but it's not this war I am concerned about - it's the next one.
Every time you said something like "russian people may be more willing to accept deaths than their western counterparts" every russian think "oh, another dehumanisation of russian people from westerner. Nothing new. Nothing changed".
In school we study all history from ancient times to modern. And almost every school year we read "germans/englishmen/french/osmans etc. try to conquer Russia because they think we are barbaric and non-human. And enemies always said "they just don't care about lives like we do so we can k**l them like we do in Africa and Asia colonies - without any doubts". When they lost they always said "it's because winter/summer/barbaric nature or russians" not because of good russian generals and brave soldiers. Only humans can be wise and brave, right? "General winter", heh. You just can't cope reality
All wars will be stopped when you can understand all people are the same and you are not the Ubermenschen. But you can't because it's against your nature.
A very good and much needed lesson in Russian War history. Never under estimate a potential adversary who may have more blood to sacrifice than your team has or is willing to give. 😮
Thanks friend! I think you encapsulated my concerns perfectly with "willing to give". Do I think that the west is capable of beating Russia? Absolutely. Do I think the west is willing to stomach the losses that such a campaign *may* require? No idea. We've never done it before. Russia has.
“The reality is that human warfare is almost never an existential battle between good and evil, but it is instead a messy and complex affair in which the best and worst expressions of humanity are present on all sides”. That’s one of the best contemporary quotes I’ve heard in a very long time, and it is timelessly accurate. It’s crazy how polarizing discussions about things that occurred even 1,000+ yrs ago are these days.
I think you are wrong with comparing modern day Russia to its ww2 USSR counterpart but I will say you were very well spoken in a way I’ve come to expect from this channel. Well done
I may well be wrong. On this subject in particular, I hope that I am! Thank you for considering my thoughts all the same.
Beginning in 1990, my career with the USG began in Yugoslavia. In later years, I worked/lived in the former-Soviet (CIS) republics, Ukraine (arriving at the onset of the Orange Revolution), every former-Soviet republic (CIS), the 'new' Balkan states (FRY), Albania, the Baltics and Belarus. Arguably, your timely analysis on the matter is, at the very least, an understatement of the Russian mindset and verifiable capacity to "soldier on." BRAVO ZULU, /26\.
Miss you bro. Wish I wasn’t so busy with work and life. I wish there was a way to get in touch with you. Just got my first Mosin. An M44 I could not pass up. Minty fresh 1944 Ishevsk. Still has the rubber ink stamps on the wooden stock. It’s insane. Don’t wanna get religious or political in the comments section here, but you have done an excellent job on this one.
There is one thing worth noting however. The first Soviet Anti Religious Campaign of 1921 was pretty clear and less discriminatory than what the Ukes just voted on. Namely to ban my church. The Orthodox Church. And no other religious institutions besides it. I said what I wanted. Keep up the amazing work and let’s figure out a way to communicate. Peace ✌️
Very good presentation! Really gives me a new perspective on the situation.
You’re a very capable thinker and speaker. Thanks for your work!
Thank you friend!
I discovered your channel today by accident underneath a Battlefield Curator video. This is now the 9th video of yours I’ve watched and I’m quite picky about the firearms content I consume. Not to say that I’m some sort of all knowing connoisseur, just that I have quite specific taste that errs toward the more esoteric and in depth content. I think your channel is great and you should absolutely have more subscribers because your content has more quality than a lot of creators manage to fit in videos twice as long.
Thank you. I try to make the same type of videos that I enjoy watching, and while I know they will never do as well as “How Many iPads Does it Take to Stop a 50 BMG???”, I’m OK with that. It’s always a joy to hear from someone who appreciates that approach.
@@Triangle26 for sure! We all love breaking shit but especially here in England where the majority of firearms are illegal and the ones we can get (if we jump through all the hoops and get accepted for the privilege) are prohibitively expensive; it’s good to have content that gives the real history and context for the piece. If you think firearms are interesting but you only look at the surface level then you’ll only get the widely enabled commentary that guns are almost sentient, murderous beings in their own right and that you could only ever want to own a firearm to kill with. The sort of reading of guns like stories all their own doesn’t really exist here unfortunately. I can’t even speak to my friends about them because so few people are able to think past the notion that firearms are inherently evil. Sorry for the Ted Talk 😅😂 just suffice it to say that it’s a big deal when I’m able to find and consume more quality content about my passion cus I’m kind of alone out here 😂
@@minisforerbody I hear you friend. Even in the US it’s an issue. I’m extraordinarily tired of explaining to people that just because I’m literate and have an interest in history/defense doesn’t mean I am somehow complicit in evil.
@@Triangle26 yeah I worry when I see how hard some people are pushing for more gun legislation in the US. I live with the type of rules that they would love to enact and it’s not a safe feeling. My partner is a paramedic and she’s been assaulted 3 times doing a job where she’s only there to help people. I’d feel much more comfortable with her going about the city, especially on a night shift, if she had a 43x inside her waistband 😂. I’m ranting again but long story short this has become a place where I don’t want my children to grow up anymore and I really hope America doesn’t make itself any more like Britain.
Except maybe free health care 😂 big fan of that!
Good grief. When you kick over a worm can, they all get away instead of just a few. I am indeed impressed with the intelligent and meaningful comments generated by your video and follow up. Please, please never stop.
love this video, more observations about the russians than your super good technical stuff, delivered without a lot of cutsey pie music and jokes. rationality made interesting
As always, awesome content. I’ve been digging into Russo-Finnish wars recently. Have you seen Ian McCullum’s video comparing Winter War and Ukraine invasion?
I haven't, but thank you for bringing that to my attention. I've just added that to my list and I am very much looking forward to hearing Ian's thoughts!
Good info!
I really enjoy your content my man... Insightful, thoughtful and well delivered. Well done.
Thank you friend!
Excellent content.. totally agree.
"The one with the rifle shoots! The one without follows him! When the one with the rifle gets killed, the one without picks up the rifle and shoots!"
You know that’s made up right? That never happened. And it had nothing to do with the book.
You’re spreading Nazi propaganda
Excellent perspective.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the history lesson. Much better school ever was.
Thanks friend, glad you enjoyed it!
Brother, you are so smart and very well read. Please be careful you don’t get recruited by any of the 3 letter dog and pony shows (respectfully)!
Thank you again, switching over to your SKS disassembly video to check the cleanliness/firing pin of my new (1969) TYPE56 SKS.
Hope you’re feeling better, Happy New Year!
Tony
Thanks Tony, Happy late New Year to you as well. Unfortunately I am still sick as a dog, but as a silver lining, I'm sure that should be plenty enough to scare away the three-letter types. All jokes aside, thanks for watching and sharing a few kind words!
0:59 objectivism mentioned 👍
Great channel
Thank you for this enlightening post. You completely changed my perspective on this issue. The Russians just have a different cultural approach to war which they have been executing for many decades. As an Israeli, we encounter the same "non-Western" logic in our war with Hamas on a daily basis. I listened to several "intelligent" analysts that believe they understand Hamas's motives while analyzing them via Western eyes and moral concepts. We need to be very careful when we examine at the military reasoning of our adversaries.
All the best.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I couldn't agree more with the parallel to Hamas - I've been thinking about that a lot recently.
Ironically, one of the things that concerns me most about Hamas is the possibility that they are better at weaponizing competing value systems than the "west" is. Much of Hamas' public messaging and information warfare indicates that they understand and are able to exploit western values. This would explain how they are able to (miraculously) present themselves as sympathetic to some western progressives, despite their abysmal record on all of the issues progressives actually care about. Meanwhile, many westerners still seem confused every time Hamas does something unexpected of a "civilized" adversary.
Like you said, we need to be very careful in examining the reasoning of our adversaries. If they were truly motivated by the same things that motivate us, we probably wouldn't be at war in the first place.
Love your videos, please keep em coming!
Excellent analysis
Great history lesson and insight into Russian military tactics the future may bring.
Thank you friend!
Very interesting discussion and I really appreciate the way in which you present this material. You bring a wealth of knowledge.
I have always found this topic to be very engaging. As I consider the comparative elements of the Winter War scenario compared to the current war in Ukraine, the one missing piece is the imminent threat of a western empire that Germany played during WW2. To be sure, I have no doubt that Russian leadership would eye most surrounding nations as a threat, but not to the extent that Nazi Germany was at that time. Russia has largely held an offensive posture during the current conflict, and as such I find myself wondering what is the current drive to maintain that offensive momentum? In WW2, while Russia held a largely offensive posture with the Winter War, they were quickly thrust into an urgent defensive posture against the Germans to defend their homeland and would do so at all costs. The Ukraine conflict presently holds a different sense of drive (in my opinion). No one is invading Russia. There is no imminent military threat of invasion. With that in mind, while we cannot under estimate Russia’s ability to respond with reckless overwhelming force, I can’t help but wonder if Russian leadership has counted the cost of their invasion of Ukraine. Not that I think they seem to care about the lives lost, but more about whether or not it is worth the bleeding of resources into a conflict that seems to have somewhat stalemated and drawn out into several years now. In short, the question now isn’t about whether or not Russia has the capability, but more about if they have the drive to do it. The current stalemate does make me wonder why Russia would not then thrust overwhelming forces into Ukraine and complete their campaign if this is that valuable to them. That could be an interesting follow-up discussion, and how that might relate to the Winter War.
I think the general lack of perspective in regards of how many people there are outside people's bubbles is a big issue with all kinds of things, but I agree this is definitely so,thing that should be seriously factored in when considering the Ukraine issue.
I didn’t want to hear this. Especially as a Russian Studies undergrad. But I know you are right deep down and I’m glad you said it. But I’m still sad about it because it has very depressing implications.
I just now had time to watch your video . Very informative , I believe a lot of people know this about Russia because of how it has played out before , yet they don’t accept it as being true . So look to the past to know the present and future
Exactly. I try to never underestimate people's tendency to prioritize what they want to be true, rather than what they know to be true. It is much harder to break cycles than it is to simply repeat them.
Amazing content brother! 👌 great info and perspective on Russia as a country. Learned a ton off of this video. It's always good to reflect on how others can thunk sifferently as it keeps us on our toes and keeps us humble. All the best from Canada with our crappy commie leader (at least for now). Idea for a future video if you havent already done it, how you clean your SKS' when you do a full disassembly. Keep the great content rolling!
Wow what a great video
Great video, well spoken, well researched, well written
One important distinction is that Russia has only about 150 million people, compared to Europe's 700 million, America's 330 million, or NATO's roughly 950 million. Their wars of numbers don't add up anymore, so they aren't a threat to anyone who has more population and more industry than they do. I don't think any force could successfully invade Russia, but Russia doesn't have the numbers to offensively pose a threat to "us." Thus the Ukraine war has shown us that Russia's standard military is not very effective when attacking, in addition to their lack of numerical superiority that they used to have to back up initial failures.
Edit: My memory was wrong, Russia only has less than 150 million people.
The one point you should consider, is the use of the word "willing" to give, what good is more manpower when it is not going to be utilized....
That said the same attitude mentioned above was how the Japanese thought about the US of the 40's...
But interesting points you posed nonetheless
Thanks for your insights - you certainly raise good points. My only counterpoint would be exactly what @grant9939 mentioned - a potential distinction between total manpower and *willingness* to endure losses.
My concern is that despite a lower total population, Russia might still be more capable of sustaining the scale of losses that would come with an expanded conflict. They have a living cultural memory of losing ~15% of their total population in war - and winning. The US has no comparable experience. Even the Civil War only killed ~2% of the total population, and that was 160 years ago.
@@Triangle26 In a way it depends on what starts the conflict. The west would need something major to happen in order to be okay with the levels of deaths that the Russians are okay with. To me it seems like whoever is on defense wins because neither side has the total population combined with willpower to win an offensive war with the other.
@@Triangle26you really can't understand anything about russian "cultural memory" sorry.
It's not about losses or winning. It's about surviving.
While European jew can survive in camp soviet jew can't survive ghetto. While European kids just going to school like nothing changed soviet kids were b*rning alive or be forced to camp for blood donation for german soldiers.
Russia lost just 8 million soldiers equal with Germany losses. But more than ten millions civilians were k*lled just because they were untermenchen in European eyes and Europe needs Lebensraum.
I said Europe because it wasn't just Germany - France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Holland etc etc. Like EU pre-release
Thank you! We’re playing fckng checkers bro. They’re laughing at us
No they aren't. People tend to either overestimate or underestimate Russia and the Russians. In reality, they are people just like us. Probably more like us than either the Chinese or the Europeans, actually. But Putin is no grandmaster of anything.
"human warfare is never an existential battle between good and evil." Where do you get that quote? Or are you just that smart?
Well, usually...1242. The year the Mongol Empire almost invaded all of Europe.
Based on their brutal method of warfare, wiping out entire cities and people groups, I think one could fairly say that Medieval Europe was in a bit of an existential crisis.
wave after wave war after war the disposable mosin lives on
Excellent point about waking the Russian bear.
make more historical commentary videos
Roger that 👍
Stalin said, quantity has a quality of its own.
That is my concern, however unlike the winter war, Ukraine is being supplied with lots of weapons and ammo from many countries. Then throw in the sanctions against Russia. Compared to receiving aid from Germany in winter war and everyone else not wanting to upset Russia
Have you seen the movie Sisu? If not Check it out , I think you’ll enjoy it.
Booo...not an SKS video..but we'll take it 🙂
Someone poked a sleeping bear with a stick.
Not good.
Agreed.
I would have briefly touch on the fact that the SKS rifle is, like the Mosant, a simple rifle built for the common peasant. Unlike the Mosant, it is more effective, being a semi-automatic, rather than a bolt action rifle. What the Russians have in their CBRN arsenal, and how they train in that environment, might be a topic for a future video.
This is definitely a Russia we have seen before just look at the battle for Stanlengrad and you'll see the same thing happening again now.
Excellent analysis! I would add since Kiev is the historical birthplace of the Russian people, it holds special significance to them. Therefore, it stands to reason many consider Ukraine part of Russia.
If only they didn’t treat the people of Ukraine has literally less than human for the past several hundred years
One factor though, ethnic russians_not kozaks ect_are aging with low birth rate. Human waves can only continue for the next few decades because of this to my view point.
May well be true.
Your comments applies to Ukraine now days a way more than to Russians, just as the western medias strictly restrict the reports on Ukraine loses and poor performances while mass drafting on total inexperienced civilians from Ukraine side
Our "good" war ended up
5 yrs later with most of
BOTH Europe and Asia
back under hostile
tyranny so when have
we actually won long
or even medium term
after hard won short
term success over
Germany Japan or
even the South
so lets be reasonable
judging recent "failure"
other than the true
disaster of the AFG
cut-n-run
Yes this is in line with underestimating RUS
You are forgetting that Russia had allies during WW2, otherwise Germany would have won that war if USA didn't join the war! Germany was simply exhausted at the end and Russia was fighting for survival. Now Russia is the aggressor and that makes all the difference on the battle field, not to mention that Ukraine was the main fighting force in WW2 against Germany! It is simply incomparable with present days but, Believe me, Russia is not the superpower it once was, anymore!
"You are forgetting that Russia had allies during WW2"
I acknowledged that several times. Are you suggesting that Russia does not have allies today? Perhaps China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, Serbia, and others?
"Germany would have won the war if USA didn't join"
That's possible, but speculative. All we know for sure is that Russia killed more Germans than the rest of the allies combined. Also, refer back to Russia's modern allies. If Russia fights NATO, they won't be alone.
"Now Russia is the aggressor"
Russia was also the aggressor in Finland, and they performed just as badly then. It's not about the invasion, it's about where it might lead. That's the whole point of the video.
@@Triangle26I’ve agreed with almost everything you’ve said, though I have to argue the “Allies” part of this. Do you really think that China, Iran, Brazil, etc. would actually throw in with Russia if the war went global? Serbia I could see, but none of the other nations seem to really want to help Russia when it matters. And heck, Russia and China have competing ambitions and China doesn’t really need Russia imo. But that’s just what I’ve observed, so I’d like to hear your perspective on it.
@@sirboomsalot4902Depends on the circumstances. They certainly don't seem any more interested in helping Russia with its invasion of Ukraine than NATO is with helping Ukraine with its defense.
Well it seems like history has changed in Russia. With 50,000 dead Russians and over 400,000 dead Ukrainians it seems the table has turned. Russia is valuing life this time rather than throwing it away for sure. Of course the numbers I stated I reported everywhere in the world except in the western media
The most absurd statement in the entire video was your contention that Russia still exists, but Nazi Germany does not. Did you think about that before you said it in your video? Nazi Germany for the Soviet union, which no longer exists. I kept waiting for you to get to the point, however, tenuous it may be, that Russia is humiliation, and Ukraine does not betray a weakness on the part of their military. You never did.
Thanks for your feedback, as rude as it was. I strive to make the sort of content which will inevitably upset a small percentage of viewers, and I'm glad to know I hit the mark with this one.