Walter Laqueur (1921–2018)

Putinism: Russia and Its Future with the West, by Walter Laqueur is a fascinating exploration of the reasons that Russia, whether under the Czars, the former Soviet Union or post-Soviet iterations has never been “able to get its act together.” Russia default mode is towards entropy of one kind or another, with a rich history of alcohol abuse, xenophobia, and zapadophobia (fear of the West). This has resulted in an ability to form alliances or relationships with other countries that are not contentious; unless they are in a dominating or controlling mode.

This malevolent history harks back at least to such Czarist era author and poets as Nikolay Danilevsky (1822-1885), Alexander Pushkin (author of, among other poems, To the Slanderers of Russia) and Georgy Fedotov. The core belief is of Russia being a “great” country, an empire. Russia is not content to be a country with a comfortable standard of living, but not much dominant power.
Around 1990-1, there was great expectation for Russia to democratize, to become a “normal” country, a member of the community of nations. Laquer makes a great case that this was a triumph of hope over experience, much like a third marriage after a succession of divorces.

Among other shortcomings, Russia lacks a real economy. Instead it is a gas station, a petrostate. Laquer expresses little hope for its economy if oil prices remained in the $50 per barrel area. The book was written in 2015; oil has fluctuated around $55-$60, far below the level of $90 - $140 which would be optimal for Russia.

Some international theorists have postulated that the West lost a historic opportunity by not integrating Russia into NATO, and expanding NATO’s reach to the Baltic states. Walter Laquer dismissing these as wishful thinking.

The book earns “four stars” on Goodreads from me. The book was excellent but could have used a proofread. The book has typographical errors. Even within the space of two pages, the book frequently diverges from chronological order; confusing in any book partially about history.
But recommended, even mandatory reading for those with a serious interest in Russia or international politics.… (más)

Published in 2015 in the wake of Russia’s seizure of Crimea, this book provides key background on the causes of Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It reviews Russia’s intellectual, political, religious and economic history in examining Russia’s current political and economic conditions and prospects as well as the emergence of “putinism” as the current ideology.

While the book goes back into the very beginnings of Russian history, the main context is provided by the collapse of the Soviet Union and Putin’s acquisition of power. Laqueur focuses on the economic conditions which played a key role in these developments. The decline of oil and gas prices in the 1980s contributed to the economic collapse of the Soviet Union, and their recovery in the 21st century made possible Putin’s attempt to restore Russian greatness. One of the might-have-beens he discusses is whether the Soviet Union might have muddled through with less reformist leadership in the 1980s and 1990s (e.g., a Chernenko rather than a Gorbachev) until the recovery of oil and gas made its economy viable again. Another theme is the disillusionment with democracy in Russia. The initial period in the 1980s was characterized by chaos in the political system and oligarchs taking advantage of the cheap sale of state assets. As a result, many Russians today continue to believe that strong central leadership is more important than democracy to the governance of the country.

Laqueur clearly lays out the current power structure in Russia. The oligarchs, while wealthy, are dependent on Putin and do not have an independent political base. The real power structure consists of the sloviki, the individuals who serve in government and are the key advisors to Putin. Because of corruption, these individuals have wealth that may exceed that of the oligarchs, but they keep their wealth in Russia and have a lower profile.

But the central theme of the book is the effort to develop an ideology for Russia in the 21st century. Laqueur examines each of the elements that contribute to this effort including traditional Russian nationalism, distrust of the West, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church, the myth that Russia is a Eurasian society and the theory of geopolitics. The result is what is called “the Russian idea” which in its extreme (and perhaps current) forms views Russia as having a Messianic mission. And part of that mission is restoring the greatness of the Russian Empire, including reasserting Russia’s dominance over the geographic coverage of the Soviet Union.

Ranging back and forth across Russia’s history, Laqueur introduces us to the thinkers and movements that extend primarily from the 19th century to the present. It is a fascinating range of characters but also foreboding for the extreme ideology that has emerged from their work.

The book reflects the author’s long engagement not only with Russian history but with the nature and history of fascism and European and global politics. But the book is marred by a lack of editing. Laqueur bounces back and forth between individuals and historical factors which leads to some confusion as well as repetition. Nevertheless, this is still an excellent book for understanding the causes of the current conflict.… (más)