0:08 The historian Stephen Kotkin and the Ukrainian journalist Sevgil Musaieva on a year of disaster, and the hopes for an end. This is a Russia we know, and it's not a Russia that arrived yesterday or arrived in the 1990s. Either install a puppet government or force the current government and president to sign some paperwork. Stephen Kotkin: They've done much better than we anticipated based upon what we saw in Afghanistan withdrawal, in the Aukus rollout, the rollout of the deal to sell nuclear submarines to the Australians but they've learned from their mistakes. It turned out the Ukrainian people are brave and they're willing to resist and die for their country. Gerry Baker is Editor at Large of The Wall Street Journal. He is now completing the third and final volume. Stephen Kotkin is a professor of history at Princeton university and one of the great historians of our time, specializing in Russian and Soviet history. Stephen Kotkin: Dont Blame the West for Russias Invasion of Ukraine. They ended up with an insurgency against their rule and they ended up with a 10-year war that they lost. Since the war in Ukraine broke out a year ago, Kotkin has appeared regularly on Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to offer his unique perspective on the Russian aggression and answer five questions for us. The problem now, David is not that the Biden administration made mistakes, it's that it's really hard to figure out how to de-escalate. I was honored to appear in four different venues in February. We need a little bit of luck and fortune here, perhaps in Moscow, perhaps in Helsinki, or Jerusalem, perhaps in Beijing, but certainly in Kyiv. INFREQUENT EPISODES; Feb 4, 2022 LATEST; So we asked Professor Kotkin to come back for a second round of questions, this time all dedicated to one topic: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's the subject of Kotkin's latest booShow More. What's failed was the attempt to take Kyiv in a lightning advance. The courage of the Ukrainian people and the bravery and smarts of the Ukrainian government and its president Zelensky, galvanized the West to remember who it was. Articles by this author: Essay Spring 1983 Beyond Free Trade Plus, Angela Bassett on playing the queen of Wakanda. Why would they care about Ukraine? Perhaps. All of that turned out to be bunk. Episode Links:Stalin (book, vol 1): https://amzn.to/2FjdLF2Stalin (book, vol 2): https://amzn.to/2tqyjc3Here's the outline of the episode. the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new . Stephen Kotkin on the History of Harvesters, Telepathy and the Future of Food. Learn more about your ad choices. You know it. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.00:00 - Introduction03:10 - Do all human beings crave power?11:29 - Russian people and authoritarian power15:06 - Putin and the Russian people23:23 - Corruption in Russia31:30 - Russia's future41:07 - Individuals and institutions44:42 - Stalin's rise to power1:05:20 - What is the ideal political system?1:21:10 - Questions for Putin1:29:41 - Questions for Stalin1:33:25 - Will there always be evil in the world? In addition, has a brilliant coterie of people who run macroeconomics, for example, your Central Bank, your Finance Ministry, are all in the highest professional level. The more you corner, the more there's nothing to lose for Putin, the more he can raise the stakes. Its a fascinating conversation that delves deep into one of the countrys brightest minds. Kotkin writes with verve and imagination and pages of brilliant synopses intersperse the narrative. Throughout the 1930s the USSR prepared for war. If you want to understand this crisis and some possible outcomes, dont miss this conversation. 2) An appearance on Brian Chau's From the New World podcast (nearly three hours!) The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. We need a de-escalation from the maximalists spiral. The premise of this show is simple: Peter Robinson poses five questions to Dr. Kotkin: what Xi Jinping, the president of China believes; what Vladimir Putin believes; whether nuclear weapons are a deterrent in the 21st century; the chances of another American renewal; and Kotkin's rational basis for loving the United States. He taught at Princeton for more than 30 years, and is the author of nine works of history, including the first two volumes of his biography of Joseph Stalin, Paradoxes of Power, 1878 to 1928 and Waiting for Hitler, 1929 to 1941. Stephen shares the story of his hair, which led to him using a variety of pen names in the literary world. His weekly column for the editorial page, Free Expression, appears in The Wall Street Journal each Tuesday. It had militarism. Join the #1 community of podcast lovers and never miss a great podcast. The Clements Center at the University of Texas at Austin is the premiere institution for the research and teaching of history, strategy, and statecraft. He has been a journalist for more than 30 years, writing and broadcasting for some of the worlds most famous news organizations, including his tenure at The Financial Times, The Times of London, and The BBC. Stephen Mark Kotkin (born February 17, 1959) is an American historian, academic and author. He discusses the Ojibwa tribe and their oral stories, and how his love for folklore has influenced his work. Download it (App Store, Google Play), use code "LexPodcast". Ever seen a snail go on a skating rampage? In the scheme that you're sketching out, it seems to me that at least for a good while, the people these are most aimed at will be able to absorb sanctions. We discuss the forces that led to the development of harvesters and what they may be able to achieve in the future. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices, 5 More Questions For Stephen Kotkin: Ukraine Edition. He sits down with Isaac Chotiner to discuss Stalins differences from the autocrats of today, what Stalin and Hit, On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with one of the worlds pre-eminent historians of Russia, Stephen Kotkin, about the autocratic ambitions behi, When Professor Stephen Kotkin set out to write a biography of Stalin, he faced a series of challenges. Let's think about him. Prior to that, Mr. Baker was Deputy Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal from 2009-2013. It's trying to overthrow your regime in some type of so-called collar revolution. That works for a time ostensibly, very superficially it works and Russia has a spurred of economic growth and it builds up its military and then, of course, it hits a war. David Remnick: Steve Kotkin, I'm very grateful to you. . A filmmakers journey to the heart of the war. Stephen Kotkin is a historian specializing in Stalin and Soviet history. Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. David Remnick: In the meantime, as we saw in Grozny in 99 and 2000, as we saw in Aleppo, Russia is perfectly willing if precision doesnt work, theyre perfectly happy to use decimation. A modern realistic story like John Mearsheimer tells us that a great deal of the blame for what we're witnessing now must go to the United States. It is committed to policy-relevant scholarship that addresses the most important strategic issues facing our nation today and . Would he even agree to run Ukraine on behalf of Russia? 4) An appearance on Todd Lewis's Praise of Folly podcast. The contributing writer Dhruv Khullar examines which strategies worked to control the virus, and talks with the C.D.C.'s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, about the problem of misinformation. Stephen Kotkin: With Russia, what you've got is a remarkable civilization. Of course, there's been tremendous change. And how does the conflict impact the world?Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon. The biggest sanctions and the most important sanctions are always technology transfer. Accuracy and availability may vary. Stephen Kotkin: Oh, yes. The worst part of this dynamic in Russian history is the conflation of the Russian state with some personal ruler. The . Viktor Yanukovych is still in Russia. Report Video. Recorded on March 3rd, 2022 Last month, Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson asked Princeton Professor and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Stephen Kotkin . Stephen Kotkin: Here's How Ukraine Could Defeat Russia on the Battlefield The Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression was one of the greatest gifts the West has ever received. Putin is what he is, he's ruling in Russia and he's got these circumstances, almost a syndrome where geopolitics is trying to make up for a power differential that it can't make up for. Stephen Kotkin is a historian specializing in Stalin and Soviet history. He believed what he was likely told or wanted to believe about his own military. If they can force all opposition into exile or prison, they can survive no matter how incompetent, no matter how corrupt, no matter how terrible they are. The problem with their argument is that it assumes that had NATO not expanded, Russia wouldn't be exactly the same or very likely close to what it is today. What happens, the balance of those groups shifted more in favor of the military security, let's call it the thuggish part of the regime. All rights reserved. 54 min A history lesson with Stephen Kotkin Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt Politics James and Al are joined by foreign affairs and Russian expert Stephen Kotkin for a deep dive into the history of the Soviet Union, how Putin is running the country in its aftermath, and the current state of the war in Ukraine. It had an autocrat. He is the author of nine works of history, including the first two volumes of his planned three-volume history of Russian power and Joseph Stalin, Paradoxes of Power, 18781928 and Waiting for Hitler, 19291941. Stephen Kotkin: Putin, Stalin, Hitler, Zelenskyy, and War in Ukraine | Lex Fridman Podcast #289 Lex Fridman 2.67M subscribers Subscribe 34K 2.1M views 8 months ago Lex Fridman Podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. Once again they hollow themselves out. Professor Stephen Kotkin. No one I know understands this history more intimately than Stephen Kotkin. He has written many books on Stalin and the Soviet Union including the first 2 of a 3 volume work on Stalin, and he is currently working on volume 3. They're terrible at everything. It's not exactly the same as Stalinism. Some experts, includingJohn Mearsheimer, have blamedNATOexpansion for the invasion of Ukraine, arguing that it has provoked Putin to defend his sphere of influence. It's always starving them of the high-tech. New episodes about infrequent. It did a coup in Afghanistan. Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where youre from!Get More From This Weeks GuestsStephen Kotkin:Princeton | Hoover Institution | AuthorAdditional Reading On Russia Mentioned By Stephen:Carnegie Endowment In WashingtonMichael Kofman- CNA & TwitterRob Lee- Foreign Policy Institute & TwitterPlease Support This Weeks SponsorsMiracle Brand:For 40% off high quality self-cooling sheets with 3 free towels, go to trymiracle.com and use the promo code: WARROOM, Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt, Politicon: How The Heck Are We Gonna Get Along with Clay Aiken. Historian Stephen Kotkin became the Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution in 2022. "Putin's strategy could be defined as 'I can't have itnobody can have it.' And, sadly, that's where the tragedy is right now," Stephen Kotkin, a fel Understanding the psyche of Russia and the Russians has bewildered Westerners for generations; foremost expert Stephen Kotkin gives some penetrating insights into how to do it. On this episode of Free Expression, Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerry Baker speaks with one of the worlds pre-eminent historians of Russia, Stephen Kotkin, about the autocratic ambitions behind Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, how the west can do more to resist his aggression and how he has placed China at an inflection point in its rise to global superpower status. They can't educate their people, but they only have to be good at one thing to survive, the suppression of alternatives. Perhaps first and foremost, people already thought they knew who Stalin was. You're going to turn the light switch on in your office? It had suspicion of foreigners and the West. Kotkin describes how and why the Putin regime has evolved toward despotism, and he speculates that the strategic blunders in invading Ukraine likely resulted from the biases of authoritarian rulers like Putin, and the lack of good information available to them. Ad Choices, Never miss a podcast episode again! Very similar situation in some ways. Stephen Kotkin: It's a military-police dictatorship. Russia is advancing very well. Photograph by Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP / Getty, a settlement among Russia, Ukraine, and the West. The financial sanctions are very impressive but they'll take a while to affect the calculus of those people around Putin and Putin himself. Putin's aggression is "not. Produced by The New Yorker Yet an end to the conflict seems nowhere in sight. It turned out that the television president Zelensky who had a 25% approval rating before the war, which was fully deserved because he couldn't govern, now he has a 91% approval rating. Stephen Kotkin is a professor of history at Princeton and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. This is the third installment. For more context on the invasion of Ukraine, you might want to hear my conversation with reporters Masha Gessen and Joshua Yaffa who shed light on everything that they've seen on the ground. Perhaps first and foremost, people already thought they knew who Stalin was. Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Nuclear Weapons and American Renewal. Its impossible to understand the destruction and death that Vladimir Putin is unleashing in Ukraine without understanding his most basic conviction: that the breakup of the Soviet empire was a catastrophe from which Russia has yet to recover. Kotkin is a Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton University and he's a research scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. That is what we're seeing in Kharkiv, weve seen it in other parts of Ukraine, and to my mind, it's only just begun potentially. 2023 Cond Nast. With plenty of my thoughts on how to avoid the errors made after those earlier regimes were eliminated, which errors allowed members of the former regimes to keep much of their power and privileges. Join the #1 community of podcast lovers and never miss a great podcast. It's not a response to actions of the West. The authoritative record of New York Public Radios programming is the audio record. Would you think I'm wrong? He believed, it seems that Ukraine was not a real country. Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly roundup of the latest, Putins Descent Into Despotism, and Jane Campion on The Power of the Dog. 3) An appearance on Stephen W. Carson's Radical Liberation podcast. Administrations that perform badly can learn and get better which is not the case in Russia and it's an advantage we can forget. The premise of this show is simple: Peter Robinson poses five questions to Dr. Kotkin: what Xi Jinping, the president of China believes; what Vladimir Putin believes; whether nuclear weapons are a deterrent in the 21st century; the chances of another American renewal; and Kotkins rational basis for loving the United States. Historian and author Stephen Kotkin of Princeton University and Stanford University's Hoover Institution talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the historical significance of the life and work ofShow More, Stephen Kotkin is a historian and the author of Stalin: Waiting For Hitler, 1929-1941. David Remnick: Let's describe Putin and Putinism what kind of regime is it? There are internal processes in Russia that account for where we are today. In the year since Russia's invasion, Ukrainians have shown incredible fortitude on the battlefield. David Remnick: It's impossible to understand the destruction and slaughter that Vladimir Putin is unleashing in Ukraine without understanding his most basic conviction, that the breakup of the Soviet empire was a catastrophe that Russia has yet to recover from. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, where he graduated in 1983 with a 1st Class Honors Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads. Stephen Kotkin: Yes. A Historian Of The Future: Five More Questions For Stephen Kotkin | Peter Robinson | Hoover Institution. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. These were: 1) A second appearance on Alex Kaschuta's Subversive podcast. Let's not do that again. In a sweeping discussion at FIS Maastricht, Professor Stephen Kotkin argues that Ukraine still has a long fight ahead, China has learnt economic strangulation and diplomatic coercion are a better strategy than invasion in Taiwan - and the west must invest more in its financial systems, military alliances and society.