Like France in 1958, it faces a fundamental choice between policies of the past and viable strategies for the future. Admit it or not, Russia is at an impasse. However, it is already clear that this will further harden Western opposition to Moscow’s imperial program, lead to the deaths of further thousands of young Russians at a time when Russia’s population is already diminishing, vitiate the Russian economy, and exacerbate tensions within Russian society. In spite of such sound advice, Putin seems likely to barge ahead, and his immediate successor may well choose the same course. Why, he asked, should Russians “continue to pay for the mistakes of fathers”? “Those lands that do not want to stay” should be allowed to leave. For the same reason Russia’s great nationalist writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, writing as early as the 1960s, wanted Soviet Russia to “show good sense” and give up its non-Russian republics, including Ukraine. Similarly, a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine may be the only way Moscow can continue to hold onto the Kuril Islands, the Russian far East, and even Siberia. De Gaulle pulled out of Algeria not because he thought France was no longer a major power but because he was a nationalist who did not want to lose the rest of France’s empire. Other aspects of de Gaulle’s approach are directly relevant to Russia. De Gaulle took positive action with respect to France’s colonies while Putin used armed force to recapture two provinces of the Republic of Georgia and Ukraine’s Crimea. Most important, de Gaulle came to power just as colonialism was everywhere waning, while Putin came to power with the intent purpose of reviving it. Separation was even harder for Algeria than for Ukraine, which gained independence thanks to the collapse of the USSR. Algeria in 1958, by contrast, remained an integral part of the French state. Ukraine had been ruled by Moscow down to 1991 but is now a sovereign state and a member of the United Nations. To be sure, Russia is not France and Ukraine is not Algeria. The best past forward for Putin’s successor is to do the same in Russia. In its aftermath, 900,000 pieds noir abandoned Algeria.ĭe Gaulle succeeded because he envisioned a better future France without Algeria than with it and convinced a majority of French citizens that he was right. Far from conceding to such domestic forces, de Gaulle went himself to Algeria, ordered French troops there to cease backing the rebellious Committee of Public Safety, and then declared a ceasefire and granted independence to the Algerians, to be confirmed by a later vote, which took place on 1 July 1962. The strife led to a terrible loss of lives, a revolt in the French army, and a fracturing of society that is still evident today. France had sent 600,000 soldiers there, who were supported by a million pieds noir, French who had settled there.
Russia needs its own Charles de Gaulle, the French general-turned-president who got France out of its disastrous war in Algeria.īack in 1958 when de Gaulle came out of retirement to become president, France faced an armed uprising by ethnic Algerians seeking independence.
No one knows what will come next, but it is clear what should follow. I agree 🍪Ĭlick here to say no and run for the hills.Win or lose, Putin and his weakened and his discredited system will not long survive. Please read the Cookies section in our Privacy Statement to learn more about the cookies used on our website. You can withdraw your consent at any time by setting your browser to disable cookies and/or to remove all cookies from your browser. By clicking “I agree” you consent to the use of these cookies. These cookies are stored on your device or in your browser may be used in a number of ways, including but not limited to, optimizing the user experience tracking Internet behaviors on and outside our website providing targeted advertisements enabling a “like” button, etc. Our third-party partners may also store tracking cookies and/or social media cookies when you visit our site. We may also use your IP address for general marketing purposes. We collect this data in order to show you offers and things we think you’ll like. When you visit our website we may use marketing cookies and other similar techniques to collect data about you.
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