The Ukrainian president's actions in the face of the Russian invasion turned him into a hero online.
Lessons from Historical Perspectives... Taking on Self-Created Larger-than-Real Life Roles
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Time to review what is now the most-televised conflict in history, created by a self-stylized national hero who owns his own media production company. Like many media moguls he is a millionaire more than twenty times over who usually wears plain camouflage-green clothes these days for public consumption as a hero. His name: Volodymor Zelenskyi seen in the image to the left dressed-up to portray Napoleon.
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Bait and switch: How Russia handed Moscow to Napoleon 210 years ago, but went on to win the war
The Western cliche is that "General Winter" defeated the French leader, but the truth is far more complex
- In three months, however, what remained of Napoleon’s army was fleeing – the corps and regiments mere shadows of their former selves. The huge forces that invaded Russia in the summer were all but destroyed by the end of the year; the exact losses are debated to this day, but the number of soldiers dead or captured is estimated to have been between 400,000 and 500,000.
Why did Napoleon lose?
The classic Western narrative is that Napoleon had to retreat because of the Russian winter, his forces beaten down by the harsh climate. The standard Russian view is that Napoleon was met by a different natural force – patriotism, which drove ordinary people to take up arms against the French invaders, complementing the efforts of the regular army. Leo Tolstoy’s account of the war contributed to this image, and it’s hard to compete with the power of his literary genius.
- First of all, it is hard to imagine that such a seasoned general had forgotten to consider the climate of the country he set out to conquer. In fact, Napoleon had already waged winter campaigns. The Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 was lost by the Russians under colder temperatures than the Battle of Berezina – where the Russians prevailed. Meanwhile, the Battle of Eylau, which ended inconclusively for both parties, occurred during heavy snowstorms.
In other words, Napoleon was not some African chieftain who could be excused for never having seen snow in his life.
- Russians themselves faced a guerrilla war in Finland during the Swedish campaign of 1808-09, when the winter was extremely harsh.
- But it did not stop the Russian offensive.
- In other words, neither snow nor mass resistance could guarantee the outcome, and certainly could not ensure the defeat of a massive army led by a brilliant general.
Unusual war
The War of 1812 was unusual. At first, the French Army advanced and the Russian defenders pulled back. None of the battles could alter the course of the conflict. Napoleon then began to retreat, but the ensuing confrontations did not have any significant impact on the overall situation either. Napoleon kept going backwards after each one, and the Russians kept following his army. But the Russians were not simply reacting to a campaign that seemed to have its own internal logic – they had a detailed plan.
The scheme had its roots in the failed campaigns of 1805 and 1806-07. After a series of humiliating defeats, Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon signed the Treaties of Tilsit. However, this peace deal did not resolve the conflict between the two countries, and everyone realized it was nothing more than a brief interlude. . .
_______________________________________________PAUSE FOR AN INTERRUPTION FROM HISTORY
06 March 2022
STARING DOWN A TV STAR: After Reagan and Trump We're Getting Punked All Over Again by Zelenskyy
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His early declaration that he wouldn’t accept an offer to leave the
country — “I need ammunition, not a ride” —
became a rallying cry that shamed foreign governments into action and
inspired homegrown soldiers; (it’s now being sold on t-shirts on
Amazon.)
CULTURE WAR Opinion | How Zelenskyy’s Acting Career Showed Hints of His Powerful Underdog Leadership
Magazine
Where did the Ukrainian leader learn to rally the public and captivate a western audience?
TV, of course.
- Zelenskyy’s character, a divorced high school history teacher named Vasily Goloborodko, stumbled into office after making a long, profane rant against corrupt elections, which one of his students secretly filmed and posted on YouTube.
- When it went viral, students crowdfunded his fee to qualify for the upcoming election.
- He wound up winning more than 60% of the vote — to the shock of the nation’s shadowy ruling oligarchs, its political apparatus and, most of all, the candidate himself.
- And his talent for public expression is not just a ticket to name recognition at election time; it’s also a potent governing tool.
- That should be no surprise to anyone who remembers Ronald Reagan.
- Trump used the skills he’d built as a tabloid centerpiece-turned-TV-star to hone his still-rock-solid base. . .
- It’s also a show about the surprising political power of direct communication... in a democratic a system so deeply entrenched with patronage and greed.
As he navigates this unfamiliar world, Zelenskyy’s onscreen persona is closer to Jon Stewart’s than Will Ferrell’s; a bemused observer, rather than the butt of the joke. The camera often finds him in reaction shots, . .
."[. ] In a 2017 interview with the website Cinema Escapist — back when he was only a make-believe politician — Zelenskyy said life in Ukraine had bred a particular brand of comedy, heavy on wordplay and satire that reflected current events and helped the public grapple with challenging news. .."
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