Ivan the Terrible

Most school children have heard of Ivan the Terrible. Ivan IV Vasilyevich was famous for two things: First, establishing the Russian Tzar as a dangerous, powerful, and formidable autocrat; and second, the transformation of the city-state Moscow into the first Russian Empire.

Born Grand Prince of Moscow in 1531, Ivan the IV ruled from the age of three. He was made ruler as a dying whish of his father, Ivan III.  His father’s death spawned a series of plots and intrigue by powerful "advisors" to the ruler - including the poisoning of his mother when he was eight - and finally culminated in his ascension in 1547, at the age of 16, to Tsar.

In early life he did many very progressive and popular things, like revising the Rule of Law, establishing the first Russian parliament, expanding Christianity, standardizing orthodoxy, and introducing the printing press – to name only a few.

In older life, he personified the axiom: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Whether it was dementia or power mad brutality, we may never know. But in time he helped characterize the position of Tsar as one accountable to no earthly authority - but only to God.

His wars in Crimea, Siberia, Poland & Turkey, among others, were brutal attacks on citizens and rulers alike. His military exploits crippled the Russian economy, and at his death, Russia entered what was called the “Time of Troubles” where people starved, and the oligarchs took divided control of a devastated country.  

Today a modern Ivan the Terrible is at the helm of Russia. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has stolen the playbook of Ivan Vasilyevich. In his autocratic position of absolute power, he yearns to rebuild the communist Soviet Union by any means necessary.

Vladimir the Terrible is writing his legacy in real time – as we watch.  Unlike the Tsars of the past, today’s power mad dystopian ruler can put his evil on display for the world to see. As he laughs and threatens nuclear war if he is opposed – the 5 o’clock news details the brutality and suffering of a nation that posed no threat.  No threat in any way. Their only fault: Serving as a reminder of the power that was once the façade of the USSR.

Held together by force, fear and propaganda, the old USSR could not endure in the face of increasing challenges to its antiquated economic and technical shortcomings. Many of the western regions of the failed USSR sought independence once again – and that, to Putin’s way of thinking – was a wrong that needed correcting.

Ukraine is a nation of the proud and the imperfect. It’s only been independent from the USSR for thirty years. Many of the old communist influencers are still there. It still struggles to balance a thirst for democracy with a history of communist political and economic corruption. But they were making progress. Real progress. Progress the entire world was monitoring – from the European Union to NATO – and yes – to Putin.

Putin and his oligarchs once felt that Ukraine would slowly dissolve back into Russia. The eastern provinces were already break-away areas that Russian military "advisors" propped up. Russia took the Crimea by force in 2014 as a display of their resolve. Putin clearly expected the rest of Ukraine would simply fall in line in time. Once it became obvious that his wishes were not being honored by the Ukrainian politic, he resorted to the only tactic absolute corruption has left.

Russian armed forces are capable. While they still may lack the organization and control of a democratic force, they are more than Ukraine can reasonably hope to defend against. Over time, the shear force of destruction and death will make it impossible to resist.

Many politicians and pundits in the U.S. have tried to figure out Putin’s “End Game”.  What is he trying to achieve? Nothing. What has Ukraine done to deserve this? Nothing. What does Ukraine have that Russa desperately needs? Nothing.  What will Putin do with Ukraine once he is victorious? Nothing.

He simply wants to rule it. Period. He does not care if it is a pile of rubble and blood stained streets. It will be his.

I can see why Trump thinks so highly of him.

JB