Harvard professor: “How naive we were!”

“We are seeing a new period for Europe and world history, which also depends on the outcome of the Russian war against Ukraine – the biggest war in Europe since 1945,” said the historian, who holds the chair of Ukrainian history at the elite American university Harvard . holds. Now “our history, that of our children and that of the next twenty years” will be decided. It’s actually a turning point.

A turning point he identified was in late March and early April 2022. At that time, Ukraine showed its ability to resist the Russian invasion and fight back. “Nobody would have given Ukraine more than a few days, that’s how the West saw it. Then a coalition for Ukraine was forged. When the counter-offensive ended, there were no more miracles in Ukraine,” Plohky concluded. “Now we have a more sober assessment of the situation, which is the second turning point. We don’t know what is happening in Russia, but I don’t think that all the dead and wounded returning to Russia convey the message (note from Russian leader Vladimir Putin) that Ukrainians and Russians are brothers.’ He believes the Russians are. not immune to the influences of history, even if it seems that way at the moment.

“The resistance created the Ukrainian nation, not Putin”
Regarding the formation of a Ukrainian feeling – which Putin seriously underestimated – Plohky said that it is the consciousness of the masses that brings about the changes. “The resistance created the Ukrainian nation, not Putin,” Plokhy said after citing the drivers of nation-building. However, the expectation that changes – for example with regard to regime change in Russia – could come quickly is problematic. ‘My generation lived through the perestroika years. We actually believed in the end of history and paid no attention to the lessons of history. How naive we were!” He does not expect rapid changes in Russia, because society cannot be transformed overnight. And if so, this will happen in the long run.

Putin’s war is also a Russian war
Be that as it may, the attack on Ukraine is as much a war of Putin as it is of the Russians, because they have their support. “This is bad for everyone, including Russian interests, but I don’t see anyone going into Putin’s office and taking over,” said the Harvard professor, who has also written several books on the subject (“The Front Line,” “ The Attack.”, “The Gate of Europe”). There is never just one turning point. He remembered the two Chechen wars in Russia. Those were formative experiences. Not only Putin has grown from this, but also the attitude of the Russians. And we should not forget that Putin’s predecessor Boris Yeltsin already ruled by decrees, bypassing parliament.

Difficulty accessing resources
What historians find difficult, says Plokhy, is to what extent the war changed access to sources and archives. Of course, documents have also been destroyed; some of these were also destroyed by the Ukrainians during the withdrawal. In any case, his students could work in both Russia and Ukraine; After all, Ukraine had the largest publicly accessible ex-KGB archive. The students now work in Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states. “But despite the war, this is a happy coincidence: the students get very different and new approaches and special perspectives. Social media also opens up completely new possibilities. It’s really about turning a disadvantage into the greatest possible advantage.” This was confirmed by Barbara Stelzl-Marx, head of the Institute for Contemporary European History at Karl-Franzens University in Graz and head of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research into the Consequences War: Unfortunately, there is currently little access to Russia and Ukraine, so cooperation with Georgia is being expanded, says the university professor.

The West must learn again that values ​​are not free
When asked what would happen to Ukraine with a possible US President Donald Trump, Plokhy replied: “That reminds me of something Winston Churchill said: you can trust the US to do the right thing, but first, if at all tried the other. . This can now be expanded to the entire West.” The Western economic model is undoubtedly powerful and productive. But the population in the West probably needs to relearn that things like values, security and prosperity are not free, not in the kind of Cold War situation we find ourselves in now.