Yaroslav Shimov: Prussian in the Kremlin

When, 17 years ago, Vladimir Putin became the master of the Kremlin, many drew attention to the fact that he is the first leader of Russia since Lenin, a fluent speaking in one of the European languages, German. The details of Putin’s biography as an officer of Soviet intelligence, who served in the GDR, left no doubt that Germany occupies a noticeable place in his life, tastes and addictions. One Russian-German political scientist sympathizing with Putin even wrote a book called "Vladimir Putin." German "in the Kremlin." True, the tendency of the Russian leader forever late for planned meetings does not fit into traditional ideas about German punctuality, but at first it seemed a trifle. After all, the statements of the young and energetic president about the “dictatorship of the law” and the desire to restore order in chaotic Russia, which he got from a sick and tired predecessor, sounded much more “in German”.

Soon, however, it turned out that Putin-politician has many other features that are very different from stereotypical ideas about modern Germans or Germanophiles. The "dictatorship of the law" in Putin turned into a triumph of the principle formulated not by the German, but by the Spaniard, Generalissimo Franco: "For friends I have everything, but for the rest-the law." In the economy, Putin’s era initially brought relative well -being, provided by high oil prices. But about consecutive reforms like those that Ludwig Erhard once spent in Germany, who laid the foundations of German well-being for decades ahead, the Russians still have to dream. But the state, not becoming truly strong and healthy, became the ubiquitous and virtually autocratic, closed on the "national leader", surrounded by a servile bureaucracy. Her credo was formulated by Vyacheslav Volodin: "No Putin - no Russia."

Modern German members of the Club of Military History ("Reconstructors") on the grave of Friedrich II in Potsdam

And here, in the guise of the Putin system, something German was again unexpectedly peered. More precisely - Prussian. In 1776, the governor Frederick II in Silesia told the officials of his administration: "Every day you must do at least something noticeable in the interests of the king." A couple of years later, the Prussian Minister Friedrich Anton von Khaynitz erupted with a panegyric addressed to the monarch: “The sovereign is our model; who can compare with him? He is hardworking, he sets duties above entertainment, there is no one more selfless and stubborn ..." What is not the Volodins of the XVIII century, of course, with the same, with the "Iron Kingdom of Friedrich" The labor king really worked in many respects like a clock. The dictatorship of the law in it was not a figure of speech, but a reality: a case is known when the royal government lost the lawsuit due to the land plot to a simple miller.

Nevertheless, the Putin system has features that allow the current inhabitant of the Kremlin not a “German”, but the likeness of the Prussian of the oldest times. Both bureaucratic regimes are contempt with parliamentary institutions and democracy. In Prussia, unlike the rest of Germany, until 1918 there was a "three -year" electoral system , which actually reduced to zero the political influence of the vast majority of the population. In addition, the vote was not secret, but open, no Prussian Churovs were even required. But the Prussian authorities cherished its bayonets: the lion's share of budget expenditures went to the needs of the army, which was a kind of idol in this country. No wonder it was in Prussia that the saying "man was born - this is from the title of captain and above." The special services in their current form did not exist then, but the Prussian spies effectively acted throughout Europe, and in Prussia the subjects were afraid to be frank in letters, knowing the zeal of the officials of the "Black Cabinet", which was engaged in the perclesy of correspondence.

There is nothing more distant from the modern Russian system than the device of the Federal Republic of Germany. Apparently, therefore, and not only because of the Crimea and personal hostility, it was the Angel Merkel who gradually became the main antagonist of Vladimir Putin on the international stage. But "Old Fritz", quite possibly, would give the Russian president an approving royal nod. After all, Friedrich II began his rule by using the change of ruler in a neighboring country, under a far -fetched pretext annexed part of its territory. This happened in 1740, when the Prussian troops occupied Silsia belonging to Austria. Maria Teresa, who had just entered the Vienna throne, recalled her situation as follows: "I sat without money, without troops and without advisers." The Silesianities of the Run became the cause of several wars and the enormings of Prussia with neighbors, which led to decades, which led the "old Fritz" and his state to the line of disaster.

The Kremlin has been deliberately destroying the previous balance of power in Europe and other regions for almost three years

The Prussian foreign policy under Frederick II for the most part was the game of Va-Bank. In 1756, he entered the seven -year war , having a well -trained army and English subsidies, but having three colosses as opponents - Russia, France and the Habsburg monarchy. By the end of 1761, Frederick was on the verge of defeat: 106 thousand Prussian soldiers opposed almost 400 thousand coalition soldiers, Königsberg swore allegiance to Empress Elizabeth, Russian and Austrian cavalrymen raided Berlin. The king was thinking about suicide. And then the "Miracle of the Brandenburg House " happened: Elizaveta Petrovna died, and her successor, a fan of "Old Fritz" Peter III immediately brought Russia out of the war. He even intended to conclude an alliance with his idol, but was overthrown and killed by supporters of his own wife Catherine II. She, however, did not resume the war against Prussia, but with the Austrians and French, Frederick agreed on the honorary world.

The historical reputation of Frederick II as a ruler and commander is very respectable. Few recall how little separated from the entry into history under the nickname is not the great, but the last: the allies thought after the defeat of Prussia to dismember this kingdom, which created so many problems. Frederick, who became a idol for the Prussians, laid down a military-diplomatic tradition, which is somewhat akin to a card bluff. It involves an increase in political rates, despite limited resources and external isolation. The calculation is made, in addition to his own abilities (Frederick was indeed a military genius, although he has been a bit more than once), for lack of will and determination among opponents and - for luck. It appeared to the king in the form of the death of his opponent, the Russian empress.

It seems that something like this "Miracle of the Brandenburg House" in the Kremlin is now considering the election of Donald Trump by the president of the United States. True, in recent days, Russian euphoria has calmed down a little about this, and there is more and more doubts that the Trump administration will behave as friendly as Peter III once in relation to the "old Fritz" in relation to Moscow. But on the whole, Putin’s strategy looks tailored according to the old Prussian patterns: this is the game of Va-Bank, all or nothing. For almost three years, the Kremlin has been deliberately destroying the previous balance of forces in Europe and other regions, because, according to the political analyst Alexander Morozov, "works to be in the third chair in the" New Yalta " - the USA, China, Russia." At the same time, Russia, as once Prussia Friedrich II, can only compare with the two other powers, can only one parameter-military force. For all other indicators, it is very inferior. But the lack of economic, technological, demographic resources "Kremlin Prussian" is trying to compensate for the dexterity of maneuver, speed of reaction and non -standard moves like the latest methods of conducting an information war.

It was not possible to disrupt the bank from the history of the Iron Kingdom

The Prussian strategy is a risky thing. The “old Fritz” at the end of the Seven Years War was unheard of, but he extracted a lesson: the king almost did not fight and behaved carefully the whole second half of his reign. The next Great Prussian, Bismarck , adopted from Frederick aggressiveness and the ability to hold a blow, but, unlike him, Va-Bank never was going on rationally and prudently. This is precisely what the last German emperor and Prussian king Wilhelm II lacked, involved in the First World - with fatal consequences for the monarchy. But the true heir to the king-adventurer Frederick was Hitler, who made a Prussian strategy a tool of a global catastrophe.

As far back as 1939, sociologist Torstain Veblen formulated a kind of verdict of the Prussian political tradition, who wrote that Prussia created a political culture of "enthusiasm for war, blind follow by leaders, enthusiasm for submission and unquestioning obedience to authorities." After the defeat of Hitler, not a single reminder of Prussia in the names of the federal lands of Germany was left, and the former Eastern Prussia was divided between Russia and Poland.

It was not possible to disrupt the bank from the history of the Iron Kingdom.

Yaroslav Shimov - historian of Central Europe, international columnist Radio Liberty

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