Oh, please. If Churchill didn't know it, it must have been because this cliche and excuse for murder and mayhem had not been invented yet, Captain Obvious. And just who it was that invaded "Russis" "many many times"? Have they been invaded more more times than the Hungarians? In fact, the "Russis" and the various ethnicities on the territory of present day Russia have been the invaders themselves. How do you figure Russia has acquired such vast territory? And, by the way, Churchill and his contemporaries were better educated than any of us here graduates of 20th century American universities, you can bet on that!
“And just who it was that invaded ‘Russis’ many many times’.”
Genghis Khan, early 1200’s, was a murderous conquerer to many groups. His decendent, Batu Khan and subsequent members of the “Golden Hoard” continued to conquer and rule althought they were savaged by Tamerlane, late 1300’s early 1400’s, another murderous Mongol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Horde
Finally the Ottoman Turks defeated them and conquered the area that became southern Russia in the 1500’s. In the 1700’s there were several conflicts with Sweden. Then at the beginning of the 1800’s was the invasion and terrible death toll of Napoleons invasion so vividly portrayed in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” A few decades later the British and I think the French engaged southern Russia in the Crimean War. Russia withdrew from World War I in 1917, and after the war ended in 1918 British and American forces invaded her northern ports in an attempt to help the White Russian armies overthrow the Red Army. Last, but hardly least, was the terrible war with Adolph Hitler wherein some 20 or more million Russians died.
Gee, do you think a little paranoia might be warranted?