Putin and Hitler. What does the war with Ukraine lead to the leader of Russia?
(Rubric “Point of view”)
Recent weeks have shown us a completely different Vladimir Putin. Today it is no longer a person who meets with rare visitors a long white table and participates in official ceremonies alone. Putin is visiting one meeting after another, makes speeches, presents awards. This is Putin “before the pandemic.”», which, seems, accordingly, sure that the victory over Ukraine and the humiliation of the West is only a matter of time. And the Russian president is not at all interested in the fact that reality does not meet his expectations. Putin – from those politicians who believe that if reality does not correspond to his plans, i.ethey are worse for reality.
Confidence Volodymyr Putin can be confusing. But we must remember that we are dealing with a person who wants to live in his own world. In this world, there is no Internet or social network. Putin still seems to see the Internet as “white noise” and prefers to work with documents the way his Soviet predecessors did before the advent of the World Wide Web.
Employees of the FSB familiarize themselves with the reports of representatives of the administration of the President of Russia
The Wall Street Journal reconstructs procedure for obtaining information about the war by Putin. The military does not address its reports to Putin personally, but to the head of the Federal Security Service of Russia. Employees of the FSB, in their time, get acquainted with the reports of representatives of the administration of the President of Russia. And the administration is already preparing the final versions of the reports, which should not throw the Russian president off balance.
In an authoritarian system, the one who brings bad news is guilty. Therefore, reports are made in such a way as to increase the effect of successes and reduce the significance of defeats. It is clear that the key events of this war cannot be hidden from Putin anyway. But they can be interpreted as the whole general picture. And the most general picture should be presented as part of a big plan to destroy Ukraine. Didn’t work in three days? It will be released in three years!
Hitler could not believe in the defeat of Germany until almost the last days
Thus, there is nothing significant in such behavior of Putin. Any authoritarian leader fights for the implementation of his plans to the end. Historians of the Third Reich will tell you that Adolf Hitler could not believe in the defeat of Germany almost until the last days.
The Allies were already on the territory of Germany, Berlin was destroyed by bombing, and the Führer was still making plans for revenge and retaliation. And, among others, he forbade his closest allies to even think about peace negotiations. So, all peace initiativeswho emerged from the highest circles of the Nazis in the last months of the war, came from Hitler and went against his will.
Officials who tried to provide the Reich Chancellor with information that irritated Hitler were now cut off
Hitler’s suicide is the best proof that he never admitted defeat.
But how did Hitler work with information? Practically the way Putin works with her today. A brilliant rally speaker and ideological fanatic, Hitler did not tolerate any interpretation of reality that did not correspond to his idea of what should be happening. Officials who tried to provide the Reich Chancellor with information that annoyed Hitler were now cut off by the Führer himself and the apparatus of the party and the state.
The decision-making situation in Russia is remarkably reminiscent of the Reich
Hitler effectively isolated his closest associate and official successor Hermann Goeringwhen that decided to tell the Führer about the progress at the front. Of course, this attitude to the truth gave rise to unhealthy competition. The winner was the one who pandered to the ambitions and whims of Adolf Hitler, not the one who could inform the head of the Reich about the real problem and thus contribute to the adoption of realistic decisions.
“La Jewand in the case”
The decision-making situation in Russia is remarkably reminiscent of the Reich. Hardware logic during decision-making. Lack of competition of opinion. Competition of officials for the favor of the first person.
Putin can neither win nor accept his own defeat
All this makes Vladimir Putin not a “man in a bunker” but a “man in a case.” And it largely explains the striking mistakes and miscalculations that Putin made in his struggle with Ukraine. He has never, never, practically, understood what he is really dealing with and has never received – and does not want to receive – adequate information about what is going on.
And that is why Putin is so dangerous. This person can neither win nor accept his own defeat. such people do not believe in negotiations, compromises, or truces. They believe only in the defeat of the enemy, but do not allow their own collapse.
Vitaly Portnikov – journalist and political commentator, columnist Radio Svoboda and Crimea. Realii
The opinions expressed in the “Point of view” section convey the views of the authors themselves and do not ultimately reflect the position of Radio Liberty