This has been a difficult post to write, not only due to the conflicting emotions any thoughtful wargamer has when confronted with the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine, but in part due to posts on others blogs.
I have deleted some of my responses, partly due out of a wish to not involve the blog owner in any acrimonious debate, and partly out of the fear that my response was an emotional one due to not understanding the poster 's position.
The posts in question appear to accept Putin's arguments wholesale and attach any blame to the Ukraine or the west.
While I accept a counter narrative can be useful in arriving at the "truth" (which sadly will always be relative not absolute) and am well aware of and do not necessarily condone the UK and US (and to a lesser extent NATO) involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, I have found myself very conflicted at these posts, especially as I have a lot of respect for at least one of the posters.
I have studied the various wars in the post-Soviet republics and states, have a reasonable grasp of Russian history and their psyche and am well aware of some of the issues in the Ukraine and elsewhere around what happened in WW2 and the neo-Nazi movements the have sprung up in eastern Europe.
I am also cynical enough to know the media can slant a report to reflect whatever opinion they wish to portray.
Despite this, I find I am unable to accept that the invasion of Ukraine is the responsibility of anyone other than Putin and his clique. It is simply not true that he " had no other choice" or that it is due to NATO aggression. Had he sent peacekeepers into Donbass it's unlikely the west would have reacted as severely, but instead he CHOSE to invade a sovereign nation, that whatever it's faults is more democratic than Russia is at present.
if people are unable to see this, I don't know what to say to you. I doubt anything would convince you in any case. We live in a world where the internet spreads dubious and often dangerous opinions without a shred of truth or supporting evidence.
There is a truism that you should never discuss politics or religion; we should probably add belief to that, as these days there are so many "alternative facts" and it is simply too easy to dismiss uncomfortable truths as " fake news".
Whatever your beliefs it's hard to see recent events as anything other than a tragedy for both the Ukrainian and Russian people. I only hope we don't all suffer (yet again) from the actions of one man with a distorted world view, happy to sacrifice the youth of several nations in the cause of realpolitik.
Enough; this blog is about toy soldiers. Normal service will resume in next post.
Hear hear.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree. Personally, I have only seen one blogger who seems to support the Russian view of this conflict. Whilst accepting The West probably had no more justification for the two assaults on Iraq, I still feel the Russian attack is worse. Maybe that's just emotional...a friend said to me just yesterday that I was probably glad I was not a British serviceman today ...the truth is, I am in two minds. People voluntarily join the army, particularly the infantry and other combat arms, because they want to fight...it may not be a PC or rational position, but it's a fact....what other reason or explanation can there be? My guess is Russia will fare a lot worse in this conflict than Putin expected and as some wrote elsewhere, the attack has revealed the Russians as a Collosus with legs of clay...the initial assault was certainly not the Shock and Awe delivered by the Coalition in the Second Gulf War and now eight days after the initial assault, the Russian invasion seems almost stalled. I always suspected their army and equipment would come off second best in any fight with NATO and that has only been reinforced by what is playing out in Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to compare with Chechnya; the initial "military operation" involved an attempted occupation of Grosny by predominantly conscript formations which came badly unstuck . If reports are true, it looks as if the briefing given to these units in Ukraine is optimistic to say the least. Either it's an attempt to use a display of force to overwhelm (as in Georgia) and then impose regime change or if you are more cynical a deeply cynical "win-win" ploy by Putin. Send in the conscripts, if that works all well and good; if it doesn't, then it gives a pretext for a no holds barred "suppression" of " rebel" elements using contract troops and overwhelming firepower as "revenge" for the death of Russian servicemen acting " to bring peace". It also allows for more domestic control and repression.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I'd expect widespread destruction will be the next act.
Hi Neil,
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with you, and I have changed my posting schedule as a result. I was going to show a number of Russian engineering vehicles that I had been 3d printing. I changed my mind because I thought that with the current war it might be in poor taste, but also I didn't want to create an opportunity for the blog post to be used as a vehicle for a 'counter narrative' to the current state of affairs by an internet random.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteIt's always difficult if you game anything vaguely "modern" or within living memory, when faced with the reality. I defy most wargamers with such an interest to not be fascinated when the hardware comes on our TV screens ; if only to shout "it's not a tank!" when some commentator calls a SPG or APC or IFV a " tank ". While you mentally note the green of the Russian vehicles, there's a part of you that can't help experience a little shame.....
I remember playing a 1/300 US v Soviet game in which the Soviet players exhibited very poor tactics, trundling forward down a narrow valley and being decimated by Hellfire missiles, artillery and M1 gunfire. It ended with a long burnt out column....
Fast forward a few years to the Gulf War and the pictures of burnt out Iraqui vehicles.....
Neil
Spot on, Neil!
ReplyDeleteRegards, Chris.