I was reading this excellent book on Russian Revolutionaries, beginning with Stanko Razin, who rebelled against the Czar Ivan. It really was an interesting read. I found out, among other things, that during the reign of Peter the Great, a revolutionary Cossak named Bolotin led a revolt and attemted to aid the army of Charles IX of Sweeden during the battle of Poltava. Unfortunately for him, the Sweedes were defeated. I also read that during the reign of the tyranical Catherine the Great, a Cossak rebel named Pugachev revolted and nearly toppled the imperial regeim but for some unknown reason retreated from Moscow and was overtaken by imperial forces. What is also a little known fact is that during Napolian's invasion of Russia, Russina peasants offered him bread and salt and hailed him as a liberator. In Moscow a freemason by the name of Nabachov pleaded with fellow russians to aid Napolian. Finally I read about the Decemberists, who were army officers who in 1821 tried to prevent the new Czar, Nicholos I from assuming power. Their attempt to seize power failed due to poor organization and their leaders were put to death.

All of which leads me to think, were not the Russians their own worst enemies?

Back when Europe was a feudal police state, the Slavs were pretty much a free people. As Europe progressed out of feudalism, Russia spiraled right into it.

Interesting thing about Napolean, he succesfully captured Moscow and was dumbfounded when the Russians just laughed at him from their "new" palace in St. Petersburg.

And when the Nazis invaded, they would have had a ready allegiance with the masses, if only they hadn't been so bent on those nationalistic ideals that labeled Slavs as subhumans.

But nobody said being an evil dictator is easy!

Originally posted by Casper
And when the Nazis invaded, they would have had a ready allegiance with the masses, if only they hadn't been so bent on those nationalistic ideals that labeled Slavs as subhumans.

But nobody said being an evil dictator is easy!
You definately know your Russian History Casper. I saw a rare movie called "Vlasov: General for two devils" (Available through IHF.COM) on the subject of the Russian Liberation Movement. It really showed that the Russian people were between a rock and a hard place during the war. While the subject of the film remains controversial, some concider him a traitor and a collaborator, still others concider him a patriot, it really sheds some light on the delema that Russians faced during the war.