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Is Russia military the most underperforming military?
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:32 pm
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:32 pm
of the last couple of centuries given its size, resources and population. I'm including Imperial Russia, the USSR and now the Russian Federation.
I mean given its land and manpower resources they have had some real clunkers from getting embarrassed in the Crimea in the mid-nineteenth century, losing decisively to the nascent Japanese Empire in 1905, embarrassment in WWI putting the nail in the coffin for Imperial Russia, embarrassment against the Finns in 1939, massive, massive losses in WWII that likely would have been disastrous without material support from Allies and German blunders, Afghanistan and now the quagmire that is Ukraine. Could also include some post Soviet collapse attempts to bring back former FSRs as well.
Undoubtedly some will argue the French as they went on a mostly uninterrupted losing streak beginning with the Franco-Prussian wars, but Russian resources and might far outpace the Frogs, so for my money the Ruskies are the most underperforming.
I was thinking about this today listening to a podcast regarding the prelude to the Bolshevik revolution.
Of course they were able to absorb huge body blows and get up off of the mat against Hitler
I mean given its land and manpower resources they have had some real clunkers from getting embarrassed in the Crimea in the mid-nineteenth century, losing decisively to the nascent Japanese Empire in 1905, embarrassment in WWI putting the nail in the coffin for Imperial Russia, embarrassment against the Finns in 1939, massive, massive losses in WWII that likely would have been disastrous without material support from Allies and German blunders, Afghanistan and now the quagmire that is Ukraine. Could also include some post Soviet collapse attempts to bring back former FSRs as well.
Undoubtedly some will argue the French as they went on a mostly uninterrupted losing streak beginning with the Franco-Prussian wars, but Russian resources and might far outpace the Frogs, so for my money the Ruskies are the most underperforming.
I was thinking about this today listening to a podcast regarding the prelude to the Bolshevik revolution.
Of course they were able to absorb huge body blows and get up off of the mat against Hitler
This post was edited on 7/12/26 at 8:59 pm
19
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:34 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
They’ve normally just thrown bodies at the battle. Not really known for being tacticians (other than a few) or more advances.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:39 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
So, probably. I grew up in the 80s, reading Jane's miliary review, constantly seeing information about the tens of thousands of tanks they had more than us, how they had many more hunter killer subs than us, etc.
It was basically all bullshite. They were counting WWII era tanks, whereas everyone in the west presumed the bar graph of how they outnumbered us was just T72s.
For a world power to not be able to conquer a few 100km of ground is grand incompetence. Yes, we couldn't do shite about Afghanistan or Iraq, but we were sucked into those. But, they did annex Crimea with zero impacts from a certain administration. Just like the Syrian redline that resulted in zero impacts from a certain administration.
ETA: If you want so see how horrible our intel about the USSR was (or basically, since the CIA existed, and why if you rename an airport, Dulles should be the first) read Legacy of Ashes. They've been so wrong, and so bad, forever.
It was basically all bullshite. They were counting WWII era tanks, whereas everyone in the west presumed the bar graph of how they outnumbered us was just T72s.
For a world power to not be able to conquer a few 100km of ground is grand incompetence. Yes, we couldn't do shite about Afghanistan or Iraq, but we were sucked into those. But, they did annex Crimea with zero impacts from a certain administration. Just like the Syrian redline that resulted in zero impacts from a certain administration.
ETA: If you want so see how horrible our intel about the USSR was (or basically, since the CIA existed, and why if you rename an airport, Dulles should be the first) read Legacy of Ashes. They've been so wrong, and so bad, forever.
This post was edited on 7/12/26 at 8:41 pm
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:39 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
There’s no use understating the Soviet contribution to WWII.
They shortened the war in Europe (and thus the conflict in general) by years through the human sacrifices they endured.
Their entry into the Pacific war (unbeknownst to them at the time) was a huge influence on Japan’s decision to surrender as well.
They shortened the war in Europe (and thus the conflict in general) by years through the human sacrifices they endured.
Their entry into the Pacific war (unbeknownst to them at the time) was a huge influence on Japan’s decision to surrender as well.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:40 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
At least the frogs have advanced military technology. Russia had a long, rough bout of the retard AIDS known as communism and is still suffering the after effects of the disease. With the nation’s demographic and economic suicide from Putin’ Stupid War, there is a decent chance there will a much smaller or even possibly no Russia in the future. China and Derka Derka are certainly licking their chops.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:45 pm to Indefatigable
quote:
There’s no use understating the Soviet contribution to WWII.
Oh, I agree 100%, but the amount of loss is unprecedented before or since, and I would argue that Germany couldn't get out of its own way on the Eastern Front after its initial push.
Maybe there was no way around that and maybe no other army would've done better, but after 1940, Allies vs Germany was more balanced in terms of wins/losses albeit on a smaller scale.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:47 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
I suppose that if your thread/point is that the Russians value human life less than we do in the west, I’d agree.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:47 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Even in the final weeks of WWII when the Red Army was at its apex and the Wehrmacht was in its death throes, German formations, which by this point most consisted of cobbled together kampfgruppen maned with a mix Volkstrum old men & boys, and reclassified Luftwaffe snd Kreigsmarine personnel, the Soviets regularly suffered far heavier casualties than the Germans and only overwhelmed German defenses by sheer numbers.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:49 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
British journalist Andrew Coburn published a book called The Threat in 1982, exposing the Soviet military machine as a fraud. It was the height of the Cold War and both Washington and Moscow denounced him, but he was proven right within a decade.
Russian dissident Andrei Amalrik published this book in 1970. He was only off by six years.
My favorite example of Russian military incompetence comes from the 1904 Russo-Japanese war, when the Russian Navy fired on British fishing trawlers in the English Channel, thinking they were Japanese torpedo boats.
Russian dissident Andrei Amalrik published this book in 1970. He was only off by six years.
My favorite example of Russian military incompetence comes from the 1904 Russo-Japanese war, when the Russian Navy fired on British fishing trawlers in the English Channel, thinking they were Japanese torpedo boats.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:54 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
General Winter did stop Napoleon that one time.
General Winter was MIA when the mongols came to town though.
General Winter was MIA when the mongols came to town though.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:58 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Moscow is paradise with cheap groceries and russia still hasnt taken their gloves off in ukraine
-poliboard
-poliboard
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:58 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
Pretty much operates like a zombie horde
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:01 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
quote:
losing decisively to the nascent Japanese Empire in 1905
They lost the Russo-Japanese War because they went broke. There was an international Jewish banking conspiracy led by Jacob Schiff that denied them the money to pay for it.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:03 pm to BigPapiDoesItAgain
You forgot Vladimir Lenin’s failed invasion of Poland shortly after The Great War (World War I).
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:04 pm to jmarto1
The Poles sent the Bolsheviks back to Moscow about 100 years ago in a little remembered war.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:05 pm to Indefatigable
The Soviet sacrifice was immense, but one can't ignore the USAs contribution to the soviets via Lend-Lease. The U.S. sent about 400,000 trucks, thousands of aircraft, tractors, millions of tons of food, fuel, and raw materials. By 1944, much of the Red Army's mobility depended on American trucks. The USSR did the bulk of the fighting, but U.S. logistics were a major reason they could keep advancing.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:16 pm to Lonnie Utah
quote:
The Soviet sacrifice was immense, but one can't ignore the USAs contribution to the soviets via Lend-Lease. The U.S. sent about 400,000 trucks, thousands of aircraft, tractors, millions of tons of food, fuel, and raw materials. By 1944, much of the Red Army's mobility depended on American trucks. The USSR did the bulk of the fighting, but U.S. logistics were a major reason they could keep advancing.
If not for Lend Lease, by 1944 whatever remained of the Red Army would be a barefoot, starving mob wandering aimlessly on the Russian steppe looking for the nearest Wehrmacht unit to surrender to.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:19 pm to Missouri Waltz
quote:
Jewish banking conspiracy
Explain how this fought the socialists, which your ilk say the global Jewry supported, but somehow the money flowed to the West. Don't Jews control all the money? Why would the anti socialists get any money if the Jews actually had control?
Scramble the eggs of logic to support your view, and...execute.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:21 pm to Indefatigable
quote:
There’s no use understating the Soviet contribution to WWII.
Meh. Stalin himself IIRC stated that they would have fallen without Lend Lease. Best they could have done was a stalemate with a shoeless, starving leg army. Fun fact: they executed more of their own soldiers than America had total casualties in the war.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:26 pm to TigerHornII
quote:
Fun fact: they executed more of their own soldiers than America had total casualties in the war.
Hot damn
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