Russia’s Greatest Hoax: That it’s Invincible
Diverse Russian governments have been among the first to recognize the deceptive power of words and slogans in winning wars and weakening enemies. One such phrase is “Russia cannot be defeated.”
It has become customary to oppose aid for Ukraine with the justification that “Russia cannot be defeated.” This assumption has been so effectively disseminated that it has become virtually an unchallenged truism. However, it is an evident falsehood and a deception heavily promoted and oft-repeated by Russian officials and its benighted supporters.
The logical conclusion would be to take Pope Francis’s advice and grasp the opportunity to wave a white flag and negotiate a cease-fire at any cost. After all, if Ukraine cannot defeat Russia, then the sooner the fighting ends, the less damage and loss of life. This is a narrative that needs to be critically examined, considering the influence of Russian propganda in shaping public opimiom.
In his “Art of War,” Sun Tzu, the legendary Chinese military strategist, famously stated that “all warfare is based on deception.” He then noted: “One need not destroy one’s enemy. One needs only destroy his willingness to engage.”
Promoting the fiction of Russian undefeatability is one of Russia’s most potent deceptions in destroying a “willingness to engage.” However, even a cursory review of Russia’s military successes in modern times would find little support for that assumption. Its military success record has been dismal, and even its occasional “victory” has been that of a thug and braggart rather than an equally matched or severe adversary.
Let’s consider its record from the beginning of the 20th century.
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