Was the USSR actually a union or just another Russian Empire (Short Animated Documentary)
video description
Date: 2024-07-27
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 20
Salantor
The answer - which you did not provide btw - would be much different if you would take into consideration:
Countries on the right side of the Iron Curtain and later under The Warsaw Pact agreement, technically free, but under the USSR regime,
Countries being a part of Cold War proxy wars between the USSR and the USA and the general idea of Spheres of Influence between communist and democratic countries,
More specific time periods, which is to say the rules of different First Secretaries, usually pretty different compared to the previous ones.
Comparing the British Empire to the USSR is only fair if you also look at the geopolitical situation of both countries. By that set of rules yes, the USSR was an empire.
reply
The answer - which you did not provide btw - would be much different if you would take into consideration:
Countries on the right side of the Iron Curtain and later under The Warsaw Pact agreement, technically free, but under the USSR regime,
Countries being a part of Cold War proxy wars between the USSR and the USA and the general idea of Spheres of Influence between communist and democratic countries,
More specific time periods, which is to say the rules of different First Secretaries, usually pretty different compared to the previous ones.
Comparing the British Empire to the USSR is only fair if you also look at the geopolitical situation of both countries. By that set of rules yes, the USSR was an empire.
reply
Rydonattelo
This is really no different from the modern UK. The entire UK is a London centric economy. The UK is actually a poor country that happens to have an extremely wealthy slef governing principality in the South called London. London on its own is as wealthy as Norway. Outside the south east the rest of Britain on average is on par with eastern Europe on standard of living bit with a higher cost of living.
reply
This is really no different from the modern UK. The entire UK is a London centric economy. The UK is actually a poor country that happens to have an extremely wealthy slef governing principality in the South called London. London on its own is as wealthy as Norway. Outside the south east the rest of Britain on average is on par with eastern Europe on standard of living bit with a higher cost of living.
reply
w1ssam31
why didnt the USSR just make their regions independent but united states (see what I did there)
if states were split up like baltic states, ukranian state, belarusian state, and increase autonomy for these regions, it will make people lives better, stalin and the communist party tried running an entire country on their own
smh 400hrs in Hoi4 and I would have run the USSR Better than stalin
reply
why didnt the USSR just make their regions independent but united states (see what I did there)
if states were split up like baltic states, ukranian state, belarusian state, and increase autonomy for these regions, it will make people lives better, stalin and the communist party tried running an entire country on their own
smh 400hrs in Hoi4 and I would have run the USSR Better than stalin
reply
Honkious5824
About the USSR annexing parts of Poland, it should be noted that many of those territories were originally Soviet, but were conquered by the Polish in the Polish-Soviet war, in fact, many towns set up welcome ceremonies when the red army took them back at the start of WW2, rejoicing that their motherland had come to free them from the Polish Imperialists.
reply
About the USSR annexing parts of Poland, it should be noted that many of those territories were originally Soviet, but were conquered by the Polish in the Polish-Soviet war, in fact, many towns set up welcome ceremonies when the red army took them back at the start of WW2, rejoicing that their motherland had come to free them from the Polish Imperialists.
reply
steve1978ger
Generally speaking, the post-Stalin Soviet leadership did a lot to accommodate the different nationalities in the Union, to avoid any centrifugal tendencies. Gorbachev really messed things up though, he had the political awareness of an ironing board and a talent to make every thing he touched worse, including nationalist discontent.
reply
Generally speaking, the post-Stalin Soviet leadership did a lot to accommodate the different nationalities in the Union, to avoid any centrifugal tendencies. Gorbachev really messed things up though, he had the political awareness of an ironing board and a talent to make every thing he touched worse, including nationalist discontent.
reply
sergodobro2569
My father remembers Soviet times. He remembers a huge deficit in Krasnodar. When served in the military he was moved to one of Caucassian republics. For entire life he remembered that there was everything that was in deficit at home. Is it an empire when you keep outsiders healthy while making life worse at home
reply
My father remembers Soviet times. He remembers a huge deficit in Krasnodar. When served in the military he was moved to one of Caucassian republics. For entire life he remembered that there was everything that was in deficit at home. Is it an empire when you keep outsiders healthy while making life worse at home
reply
primebandet8937
This video is so weird. It just comes to the conclusion that people in big cities had better quality of life than people everywhere else. But, that's true of every society in history, to single out the Soviet Union for this perceived inequality when it's equally true of the US, China, etc. is non-sensical.
reply
This video is so weird. It just comes to the conclusion that people in big cities had better quality of life than people everywhere else. But, that's true of every society in history, to single out the Soviet Union for this perceived inequality when it's equally true of the US, China, etc. is non-sensical.
reply
history_matters
by this metric, the british werent an Empire as Major Industrial investment and manufacturing took place outside England and Benefitted The Scots (Glascow) and Northern Irish (Belfast. The USSR was clearly an empire designed to improve the lot of a select few at the expense of the Many.
reply
by this metric, the british werent an Empire as Major Industrial investment and manufacturing took place outside England and Benefitted The Scots (Glascow) and Northern Irish (Belfast. The USSR was clearly an empire designed to improve the lot of a select few at the expense of the Many.
reply
asdilia693
If the Soviet Union had been an empire, then it would not have collapsed.
PS: I am very anti-communist, but this country was not destined to die if the communists hadn't been idiots who created and perpetuated the legal framework that turned into the structuring reality of the union
reply
If the Soviet Union had been an empire, then it would not have collapsed.
PS: I am very anti-communist, but this country was not destined to die if the communists hadn't been idiots who created and perpetuated the legal framework that turned into the structuring reality of the union
reply
af8828
Oh the cities were wealthier than the countryside WOWWWW who wouldve thoughttt wowee therefore USSR = bad, empire, the reason my wife peft me, etc.
It was not only categorically not an empire, it was objectively far more democratic than any liberal democracy has ever been.
reply
Oh the cities were wealthier than the countryside WOWWWW who wouldve thoughttt wowee therefore USSR = bad, empire, the reason my wife peft me, etc.
It was not only categorically not an empire, it was objectively far more democratic than any liberal democracy has ever been.
reply
eduarda2221
The UsSR was a Union and not an empire and that is demonstrated by the UsSr’s end in 1991 when the Republics chose to and were allowed to break off. What would happen if an US state like say Hawaii decided it wanted to break off Would that be acceptable to Washington
reply
The UsSR was a Union and not an empire and that is demonstrated by the UsSr’s end in 1991 when the Republics chose to and were allowed to break off. What would happen if an US state like say Hawaii decided it wanted to break off Would that be acceptable to Washington
reply
hankwedelmusic9965
The basic, underlying premise
of this presentation is that
The British Empire
was a REAL Empire
and that
The USSR was NOT
a real Empire
(0: 28 - 0: 42)
and don’t you forget that!
Tally Ho! Hark Away!
Jolly Good!
reply
The basic, underlying premise
of this presentation is that
The British Empire
was a REAL Empire
and that
The USSR was NOT
a real Empire
(0: 28 - 0: 42)
and don’t you forget that!
Tally Ho! Hark Away!
Jolly Good!
reply
riowhi7
Europeans and Americans will see this and scream at how imperialistic the Soviet Union was (it indeed was, but then go on to brush aside the slaughter and genocide of the Native Americans as simply inevitable or necessary.
reply
Europeans and Americans will see this and scream at how imperialistic the Soviet Union was (it indeed was, but then go on to brush aside the slaughter and genocide of the Native Americans as simply inevitable or necessary.
reply
alexhulsebos5401
So the answer is: yes, but also no. Something that I feel should have been talked about that empires tend to do, that the USSR done a lot of, was physically, or politically spread their territory/influence.
reply
So the answer is: yes, but also no. Something that I feel should have been talked about that empires tend to do, that the USSR done a lot of, was physically, or politically spread their territory/influence.
reply
enderkatze6129
I think you miss out a little on the fact that alot of the borders stalin drew were actually not matching ethnic lines, as he had a very Divide and Conqueresque mentality when drawing these borders.
reply
I think you miss out a little on the fact that alot of the borders stalin drew were actually not matching ethnic lines, as he had a very Divide and Conqueresque mentality when drawing these borders.
reply
NadirNovelties
The fact that they conquered by the Soviets made a lot of those countries feel like they were not equals. And that they weren't allowed to decide to leave. Somehow that's missing from this video.
reply
The fact that they conquered by the Soviets made a lot of those countries feel like they were not equals. And that they weren't allowed to decide to leave. Somehow that's missing from this video.
reply
history_matters
They didn't have an Emperor/zar/kaiser but in every other regard they acted like an imperial power. They destroyed culture and language and colonized the areas that the conquered by force.
reply
They didn't have an Emperor/zar/kaiser but in every other regard they acted like an imperial power. They destroyed culture and language and colonized the areas that the conquered by force.
reply
amb8274
Ordinary Brits didn't benefit much from the British Empire either. So not sure that should be part of definition of what an Empire is. In fact an Empire can be a very expensive thing to have.
reply
Ordinary Brits didn't benefit much from the British Empire either. So not sure that should be part of definition of what an Empire is. In fact an Empire can be a very expensive thing to have.
reply
badusername9903
as a communist i dont agree with a lot of the claims you've made over the years, but i must say your assessment of the ussr is very level headed and nuanced. cool vid (-:
reply
as a communist i dont agree with a lot of the claims you've made over the years, but i must say your assessment of the ussr is very level headed and nuanced. cool vid (-:
reply
MisterSpacemonaut
People really just take a barely animated video with cute characters and zero sources at face value and walk away thinking they know more about history. Such a shame
reply
People really just take a barely animated video with cute characters and zero sources at face value and walk away thinking they know more about history. Such a shame
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
3:49
