Archiv des Autors: Michael Wehle

From the Bundeswehr questionnaire 18-year-old German men are required to fill out indicating their qualifications for and interest in induction into the military. Benedikt Bierhoff, Am Sportplatz 9. This is the organization protecting western European civilization from the ravages of … Weiterlesen →

On 7 December 1988, in New York, Gorbachev addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations. He announced the withdrawal of half a million Soviet troops from the countries of Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union also released almost all of … Weiterlesen →

Is it possible for someone to review Bundeswehr, US military, and Russian military recruiting collateral, and still take the Bundeswehr halfway seriously? How? 🤔 I mean this in all seriousness: in Russia I regularly photograph recruiting posters. The difference between … Weiterlesen →

This morning I am musing over Tony Benn’s five questions to people in power. „If you can’t get rid of the people who govern you, you don’t live in a democratic system.“ I am finding I can’t even talk about … Weiterlesen →

The problem, contrary to customary Western claims, lay not in the „crushing“ defense outlays. The Soviet military, the military-industrial complex (MIC), and R&D were remarkably cost-effective; according to the best available estimates, they never exceeded 15 percent of GDP. A … Weiterlesen →

The idea of renovating the Soviet Union originated not with Mikhail Gorbachev, but with his mentor Yuri Andropov. For years after the Soviet collapse, many said wistfully: „If only Andropov had lived longer.“ They meant that under his leadership the … Weiterlesen →

The purpose of this book is neither to demonise Putin – he is more than capable of doing that himself – nor to absolve him of his crimes, but to explore his personality, to understand what motivates him and how … Weiterlesen →