What is common between Nicholas II and Joseph Stalin?
What do Nicholas II and Stalin have in common? If I had to answer this question, I would say that both of these people ruled our country. With a little more reflection and presenting their portraits, I would have noticed that both wore a mustache. I do not find other similarities.
And I would be wrong.
Unexpected Survey Results
The fact is that this year, to mark the centenary of the beginning of the Civil War in Russia, VTsIOM conducted a survey. Among other questions, respondents were asked to name political figures of the XX century, causing them the greatest sympathy. Nikolai II and Joseph Stalin became the leaders. Moreover, 54 percent of the respondents voted for Nikolai, and 51 percent for Stalin. Simple arithmetic shows that some of the Russians, and no small ones, sympathize with both rulers of Russia at the same time.
A control shot in my brain was the fact that Vladimir Lenin, guilty of the execution of Nikolai Romanov and his family, took the third place with a minimum margin (49%).
There is no reason not to trust the results of VTsIOM. This is a respected organization that has repeatedly proved its objectivity and professionalism. So, Russian society, indeed, finds features of similarity between Stalin and Nikolai II, causing him feelings of sympathy.
How can this be explained?
If we leave out the price and methods that accompanied Stalin's achievement of his goals, the choice of his candidacy is more or less clear. He adopted a weak and backward agrarian country, and after him remained one of the largest industrial powers.
Nikolai Romanov had a mirror situation. He got a relatively stable country under control, not burdened by unsolvable contradictions and having a workable the economy, and brought her to complete collapse.
I suppose that a considerable part of those who sympathize with Nikolai believe that he fell a victim to his own humanism and philanthropy. Although, I think this statement is very controversial. Others did not vote for the former emperor, but for the Russian Empire, a powerful and respected country that we lost. Indeed, of the Russian emperors, only Nicholas II ruled in the 20th century. Other, more worthy candidates ruled much earlier, and therefore could not be named.
And Stalin, if we forget about all the crimes he committed, returned the respect to our country. As a result of his reign, the Soviet Union turned from an outcast into a powerful state, one of the most influential in the world.
If we draw historical parallels, then Stalin can be compared with Napoleon. Both of these people came in the wake of the revolution that destroyed the monarchy and became emperors of their countries, making their power even more absolute than under the previous monarchs. And both of them were charismatic to such an extent that the population idolized them.
Perhaps, if we consider the issue from this point of view, then there is a sense in the results of the survey. Perhaps the Russians have a need for strong power. They sympathize with the people who run a strong and powerful Russia, whose authority in the world was undeniable.
I do not pretend to be the ultimate truth, I’m just trying to understand what the Russians want from the current government when they discuss the previous rulers.
And I would be wrong.
Unexpected Survey Results
The fact is that this year, to mark the centenary of the beginning of the Civil War in Russia, VTsIOM conducted a survey. Among other questions, respondents were asked to name political figures of the XX century, causing them the greatest sympathy. Nikolai II and Joseph Stalin became the leaders. Moreover, 54 percent of the respondents voted for Nikolai, and 51 percent for Stalin. Simple arithmetic shows that some of the Russians, and no small ones, sympathize with both rulers of Russia at the same time.
A control shot in my brain was the fact that Vladimir Lenin, guilty of the execution of Nikolai Romanov and his family, took the third place with a minimum margin (49%).
There is no reason not to trust the results of VTsIOM. This is a respected organization that has repeatedly proved its objectivity and professionalism. So, Russian society, indeed, finds features of similarity between Stalin and Nikolai II, causing him feelings of sympathy.
How can this be explained?
If we leave out the price and methods that accompanied Stalin's achievement of his goals, the choice of his candidacy is more or less clear. He adopted a weak and backward agrarian country, and after him remained one of the largest industrial powers.
Nikolai Romanov had a mirror situation. He got a relatively stable country under control, not burdened by unsolvable contradictions and having a workable the economy, and brought her to complete collapse.
I suppose that a considerable part of those who sympathize with Nikolai believe that he fell a victim to his own humanism and philanthropy. Although, I think this statement is very controversial. Others did not vote for the former emperor, but for the Russian Empire, a powerful and respected country that we lost. Indeed, of the Russian emperors, only Nicholas II ruled in the 20th century. Other, more worthy candidates ruled much earlier, and therefore could not be named.
And Stalin, if we forget about all the crimes he committed, returned the respect to our country. As a result of his reign, the Soviet Union turned from an outcast into a powerful state, one of the most influential in the world.
If we draw historical parallels, then Stalin can be compared with Napoleon. Both of these people came in the wake of the revolution that destroyed the monarchy and became emperors of their countries, making their power even more absolute than under the previous monarchs. And both of them were charismatic to such an extent that the population idolized them.
Perhaps, if we consider the issue from this point of view, then there is a sense in the results of the survey. Perhaps the Russians have a need for strong power. They sympathize with the people who run a strong and powerful Russia, whose authority in the world was undeniable.
I do not pretend to be the ultimate truth, I’m just trying to understand what the Russians want from the current government when they discuss the previous rulers.
- Sergey Kuzmitsky
- https://www.kp.ru
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