By Peter Harris
Leaders often turn to history when they are unsure of how to proceed. As President Obama and his closest advisers consult on how best to respond to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, one historical episode is likely to stand head and shoulders above all the rest: Munich. No other bygone foreign-policy failure is more etched into the minds of western elites than the fateful attempt to appease Nazi Germany in September, 1938. Whether or not White House officials themselves see any prescriptive merit in the lessons of Munich, the administration undoubtedly will be keen to avoid criticism that the president is an appeaser—an allegation levelled with gusto by Obama’s detractors following his actions over Syria and his modus vivendi with Iran last year. Yet a thorough consideration of what transpired at Munich offers a more subtle lesson for those who seek to preserve peace and stability than just a dictum against appeasement.
The parallels with 1938 are eerie to some. Russia today is a resurgent great power led by an autocratic strongman with a penchant for fanning chauvinist sentiment at home. A large part of Vladimir Putin’s domestic appeal is the perception that he rescued Russia after a decade in the doldrums. The 1990s were a period of humiliation for Russians, when their state and economy collapsed around them. Living standards plummeted and corruption was rife. On the world stage, the former superpower was forced to endure the indignity of the U.S. and its allies meddling in its traditional spheres of influences. Under Putin, this trend of national ignominy has been reversed—a process still underway, to be sure, but an achievement for which Putin has earned the admiration of many of his compatriots.
Source: nationalinterest.org
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