General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy the Russians do not want and never wanted a WW3
They witnessed first hand the ravages of war during WW2. Most of their leaders during the Cold War were WW2 veterans and saw first hand and suffered.
The American people and their leaders never witnessed such carnage and damage to their cities.
It is one thing to see movies and hear stories, but another thing to actually participate.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Total casualties in WWII = 60 million
Total USSR casualties = 26 million
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
Wilms
(26,795 posts)Besides, Trump said better relations with Russia was a good idea. So the opposite must be true.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)what we want and do....first and foremost
malaise
(269,219 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)That is not to say that the leadership in the USSR at the time of the post war era was entirely opposed to the concept, but for the most part I believe their moves were mostly out of a desire to secure their borders from potential new threats and the potential of the United States along with a considerable amount of general paranoia.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)They believed it was their duty to spread their brand of International Communism. Remember Kruschev? "We will bury you?" He believed it was their destiny.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)if I recall correctly there was something about the expansion of democracy and capitalism as well going on about then. Everyone has and has had their agendas.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Got it.
downeastdaniel
(497 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)By invading and annexing parts of sovereign nations. They know the civilized world would not respond military to that. Amazing that for decades the US and NATO has drawn down but Russia has built up all along the eastern European borders.
Wilms
(26,795 posts)Here are the NATO Expansion countries since 1999.
Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
"Amazing that" you are unaware of this.
The US and at least Germany have drastically reduced their combat units since 1989. Those other new NATO countries have almost no military compared to Russia. I feel for them as they were occupied for decades by the Russians.