Russia is following Germany’s trajectory during the interwar years, including an economic recovery, followed by a military build-up, except Russia has helped kill tens of millions more non-Russians than Imperial Germany killed non-Germans.
“followed by a military build-up,”
Putin actually cut Russia’s army forces from 2 million, to 800,000, and introduced an NCO-level command/decision structure like the west, doing away with the old, rigid Soviet-Style command system. (That China still uses, by the way. They started working on a twenty-year plan for upgrading capabilities, with a much smaller military, in Putin’s first terms.
He dropped several divisions from the structure, and the Soviet Cadre system, that resulted in lots of chiefs, but few Indians.
Russia has since concentrated on upgrading several of the remaining units along the lines of the U.S. “Heavy” Brigade structure, with inter-changeable BCT’s.
He has done the same with the Air Force and Navy, scrapping old units, and concentrating on a three-level system of “World Class”, “good”, and reserve.
And Russia is spending massive amounts of money to build/rebuild infrastructure, from double/triple-railing the trans-Siberian, to building a road and pipeline network in the far East and Siberia.
In 10-15 years, backed by the resources opened up in the north and east, Putin sees Russia’s return as true economic power house.
Now, compare that to what has been happening in America since the late 70’s...