On this episode of Trigonometry, hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster interviewed renowned historian Antony Beevor for a deep examination of Russian history and national character, particularly focused on understanding why Russia behaves as it does today under Putin. Beevor, author of a new book on Rasputin, argued that Russia's patterns of conspicuous cruelty in warfare trace back to the Mongol invasions of the 13th century and were codified while Europe moved through the Enlightenment. The conversation centered on how formative traumas—the Time of Troubles, the Russian Civil War with its 10 million casualties, and weak leadership under Tsar Nicholas II—created a Russian preference for strong autocratic leaders at almost any cost. Beevor detailed how Nicholas II's weakness, combined with Empress Alexandra's obsession with Rasputin due to their hemophiliac son Alexei, destroyed the monarchy's legitimacy and precipitated the 1917 revolution. He revealed disturbing continuities between historical Russian brutality toward soldiers and current practices in Ukraine, including strapping landmines to conscripts and using African recruits as suicide bombers. Beevor warned the war's aftermath will devastate Russian society as traumatized, brutalized veterans return home. On geopolitics, he assessed that Putin fears China despite needing the alliance, as Chinese demographic takeover of Russia's Far East accelerates. The historian predicted bitterness from the Ukraine war will poison Russia-West relations for generations and controversially suggested that preventing mass immigration may become armies' primary future role given climate disasters and conflicts driving displacement.
Antony Beevor revealed he predicted in a 1990 book that future armies would primarily function to prevent mass immigration rather than traditional combat. He connected this forecast to current environmental disasters and water wars driving displacement, arguing Europe cannot serve as a lifeboat for climate refugees and conflict-driven migration.
Read this moment →Antony Beevor argued the Russian Civil War, not World War I, was the defining catastrophe of the 20th century with up to 10 million casualties. He stated it created the fear and ideological split between communism and fascism that led to the Spanish Civil War and contributed significantly to World War II, with effects still visible today in geopolitics.
Read this moment →Antony Beevor assessed that while Putin depends on China for support, he likely fears Chinese exploitation of Russia's vulnerability, particularly regarding Siberia. He noted China is already demographically taking over Russia's Far East and changing maps to show Chinese names for cities like Vladivostok, suggesting a looming territorial concern for Moscow.
Read this moment →Historian Antony Beevor disclosed that despite praising the Red Army's heroism, Stalin banned disabled veterans from Soviet cities after World War II, exiling amputees to the north. He noted these veterans were derisively called 'samovars' after losing limbs, exemplifying Russia's historical pattern of brutal treatment toward its own soldiers even after sacrifice.
Read this moment →Historian Antony Beevor warned that Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine, particularly those recruited from prisons, are becoming further dehumanized and committing horrific crimes in civilian society. He noted that Russia's historical pattern of treating soldiers as disposable, combined with current brutal practices like strapping landmines to conscripts' chests, is creating traumatized veterans whose impact will devastate Russian society for years.
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