Posted on 06/20/2017 3:35:43 AM PDT by Cronos
On April 16, 1917, Vladimir Ulyanov, the Russian exile better known by his revolutionary alias, Lenin, arrived at St. Petersburg’s Finland Station following a roundabout journey from Switzerland, after spending nearly two decades abroad. Lenin made an immediate splash with a fiery speech and a radical political program known as the “April Theses.” Russian, and world, politics would never be the same.
Because he returned home by way of Germany — and with the obvious cooperation of the German High Command — which was then at war against Russia and her Entente allies (France, Britain and, from April 6, the United States), allegations that Lenin was a German agent were immediately hurled by his opponents, a charge that remains controversial to this day...
In a sense, there was nothing particularly new about a German plot to undermine an enemy government in wartime. For centuries, great powers had played at this game. During the Napoleonic wars, France aided Irish rebels to undermine Britain, and Polish nationalists against Russia. Britain, in turn, backed Spanish guerrillas fighting French occupation forces. The Germans, though latecomers to the arena, were quick learners after Germany’s unification in 1871. They even coined a word for this specific type of influence operation: “Revolutionierungspolitik,” or policy of revolutionizing.
Had the British or French governments been weaker in World War I, they might have been undermined by other Lenins. In fact, Germany did target them, too, though German support for Irish nationalists and French pacifists never amounted to much.
...What singled Lenin out from fellow Russian socialists was his fanatical opposition to the war and his support for Ukrainian independence, a key aim of the Central Powers.
(Excerpt) Read more at mobile.nytimes.com ...
Support for the Saudis in the 70s and 80s led to 9/11, the Islamic state etc.
Supporting the jihadis fighting President Assad will lead to even more hell.
Cleary he was just the Kaiser’s “useful idiot “.
How’d that all work out now? FOR ANYBODY??
Trying to equate Russia’s activities today to Germany’s during the Great War doesn’t make sense. The contexts are just too different. Russia was searching desperately for a way out of WWI after 3 years of sheer carnage. No such circumstances exist today.
I always understood that the Germans provided Lenin with a train car of gold.
One could also suggest that France’s support of the US in the War for Independence was a contributing factor in the French Revolution.
The Germans did provide him with safe passage aboard a train. The Germans may very well have helped finance Lenin’s efforts since they knew he would weaken the Russian forces that Germany faced in the East. That could have been conflated over the years to “a train full of gold”, but I doubt that it was that much gold.
If Germany had followed Bismarck's policies and been nice to Russia, it would have:
And yes, France bled itself dry paying for the American revolution, so tried to get more money out of the people which led to the French revolution
Had the Germans won, it would have worked, Lenin would have done all they wanted, but instead the Kaiser abdicated.
I think it is safe ro say that it is the French who wanted Alzace back and attacked agermany, after being frustrated by Bismark of taking Belgium and in the war of 1870.
I agree. And Germany might have been very well positioned to take on a major role in Middle East oil extraction. Whether the Ottomans had collapsed or not, Germany had relations and know-how. They could have been huge through peace and economic expansion. But they chose war and lost badly. Twice.
Almost seems like they seek a do-over now. Political takeover of Europe (no panzers required) and close relations with Muslims from the oil countries.
If the Kaiser had accepted British overtures to renew treaties and for an alliance, the war would have been adverted, but the Kaiser liked his toy armies and that is how he treated the start of WWI.
Wilhelm set the nasty Lenin on his cousin Nicky.
Ain’t family wonderful!
I disagree with one of your observations.
In 1914 before the start of WWI, Russia was not going to collapse. It was well on the way to becoming a modern economic powerhouse. It was where the US was say in 1870 and Japan in about 1890.
Russia had a merchant marine, colleges of engineering, and the start of a good transportation network. Yes it was still rural but there was a growing middle class. A class that grew perhaps in spite of the Czar and his toadies.
Kaiser Wilhelm was an idiot but as I study WWI in more detail a good part of the blame for the war lies with the
Austrian’s Army Chief of the General Staff-Franz Xaver Joseph Conrad Graf von Hötzendorf.
Pretty much the same with Hitler. If he had just let the German economy prosper, and stayed out of the way without murdering 13 million people, he would have economically ruled Europe before he died. But he was a Socialist full of racial hatred, and lusted for vengeance over what happened to Germany in WW I.
If this, if that, if one thing, or if another thing are ALL, all of them sheer speculations with not one iota of insurance that the results - if this or that happened - would have turned out just as speculated.
It didn’t happen, end of story, unless you’re writing fiction.
Lenin on the Train by Catherine Merridale.
New book, just came out.
I don’t know anything about it, other than I just cataloged it.
Something to look into though.
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