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Politics
Oleksa Drachewych, Assistant Professor in History, Western University

Is Putin drawing inspiration from Stalin’s military purge? Despite parallels, probably not

Vladimir Putin Josef Stalin Russia Sergei Shoigu Andrey Belousov FSB KGB Red Army Ukraine

May 2024 was a noteworthy month for Russia’s military. Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu with economist Andrey Belousov. Several military leaders were also arrested by the FSB, the Russian successor to the Soviet KGB.

Recent reports suggest these orders came directly from the top levels of the Russian government and have Putin’s blessing. Insiders believe the purges are just beginning, pointing to Putin’s recent replacement of several defence ministry deputies with his cousin’s daughter.

Naturally, Putin’s military purge brings to mind another notable military purge — when Josef Stalin discharged approximately 35,000 army leaders from the ranks and ordered tens of thousands of officers arrested.

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