روسیه: داستان جنگ

No nation is a stranger to war, but for Russians war is part of who they are. Their “motherland” has been the battlefield where some of the largest armies have clashed, the most savage battles have been fought, and the highest death tolls paid. Having prevailed over the Mongol hordes and vanquished Napoleon and Hitler, many Russians believe that no country on earth has sacrificed so much for the world. In Russia: The Story of War Gregory Carleton explores the belief in exceptionalism that pervades Russian culture and politics and shows how Russians have forged a distinct identity rooted in war. While outsiders view Russia as an aggressor, Russians themselves see a country surrounded by enemies, poised in a permanent defensive crouch as it fights off one invader after another. Time and again, history has called upon Russia to play the savior―of Europe, of Christianity, of civilization itself―and Russia’s victories, especially over the Nazis in World War II, have come at immense cost. Even its defeats, always suffered on behalf of just causes in this telling, have become a source of pride. War is the unifying thread of Russia’s national epic, the factor that transcends its wrenching ideological transformations from the archconservative Russian Empire to the radical-totalitarian Soviet Union to the pseudo-democratic Russian Federation. Today, as Vladimir Putin’s Russia asserts itself in ever bolder ways, knowing how the nation’s war-torn past inflects its self-image is essential to understanding Russia’s sense of place in history and in the world. For A Millennium Russia's Lands Have Been One Of The World's Great Battlefields. The Scope, Savagery And Frequency Of Conflict That Have Ravaged This Area Are Almost Unprecedented. The Largest Armies, The Biggest Battles, The Worst Losses Of Life--all Of These Superlatives Would Rightfully, And Tragically, Point There. This Fate Has Had A Profound Impact On How Russia Sees Itself In The World, Producing A Myth Of Exceptionalism Anchored In War. No Other Nation, It Holds, Has Sacrificed Like Russia, Particularly In Defeating Titans Like Napoleon And Hitler. Russia: The Story Of War Is The First Book To Explore How This Idea Has Become A Cornerstone Of National Identity For Russia In The Modern Age. It Showcases How For Centuries The Nation's Political And Cultural Leaders Have Used This Experience To Counter Its Reputation As An Insatiable Aggressor And Help Process The Trauma Of Repeated Invasions, Civil Wars And Their Often Colossal Body Counts. It Also Demonstrates How Russia's Belief In Its Own Exceptionalism Can Erase The Sting Of Defeat, Turn Isolation Into A Virtuous Destiny, And Elevate The Whole Of Its Bloody History Into A Source Of Unbroken Pride. This Book Opens A New Door On Russia That Is Essential In Order To Understand Its Self-image And Worldview--perhaps More So Now Than Ever Before. If Russia And The Idea Of War Seem Inseparable To Us, The Same Holds True There As Well. It's Just Different. Quite Different.-- Pedigree -- A Myth Comes Of Age -- The Burden Of Victory -- Halo Of Blood -- Defeat Undone -- Deadliest Sin -- War Neverending. Gregory Carleton. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Présentation de l'éditeur : "For a millennium Russia's lands have been one of the world's great battlefields. The scope, savagery and frequency of conflict that have ravaged this area are almost unprecedented. The largest armies, the biggest battles, the worst losses of life--all of these superlatives would rightfully, and tragically, point there. This fate has had a profound impact on how Russia sees itself in the world, producing a myth of exceptionalism anchored in war. No other nation, it holds, has sacrificed like Russia, particularly in defeating titans like Napoleon and Hitler. Russia: The Story of War is the first book to explore how this idea has become a cornerstone of national identity for Russia in the modern age. It showcases how for centuries the nation's political and cultural leaders have used this experience to counter its reputation as an insatiable aggressor and help process the trauma of repeated invasions, civil wars and their often colossal body counts. It also demonstrates how Russia's belief in its own exceptionalism can erase the sting of defeat, turn isolation into a virtuous destiny, and elevate the whole of its bloody history into a source of unbroken pride. This book opens a new door on Russia that is essential in order to understand its self-image and worldview--perhaps more so now than ever before. If Russia and the idea of war seem inseparable to us, the same holds true there as well. It's just different. Quite different." For a millennium Russia's lands have been one of the world's great battlefields. The scope, savagery and frequency of conflict that have ravaged this area are almost unprecedented. The largest armies, the biggest battles, the worst losses of life--all of these superlatives would rightfully, and tragically, point there. This fate has had a profound impact on how Russia sees itself in the world, producing a myth of exceptionalism anchored in war. No other nation, it holds, has sacrificed like Russia, particularly in defeating titans like Napoleon and Hitler. Russia: The Story of War is the first book to explore how this idea has become a cornerstone of national identity for Russia in the modern age. It showcases how for centuries the nation's political and cultural leaders have used this experience to counter its reputation as an insatiable aggressor and help process the trauma of repeated invasions, civil wars and their often colossal body counts. It also demonstrates how Russia's belief in its own exceptionalism can erase the sting of defeat, turn isolation into a virtuous destiny, and elevate the whole of its bloody history into a source of unbroken pride. This book opens a new door on Russia that is essential in order to understand its self-image and worldview--perhaps more so now than ever before. If Russia and the idea of war seem inseparable to us, the same holds true there as well. It's just different. Quite different.-- Provided by publisher