History, Russia and the West, and Cold Wars

Abstract

We forget history at our peril. This is not to suggest that history repeats itself, but rather that we need to know where we have come from to understand where we are today and how we arrived at this particular juncture, and thereby better to appreciate possible futures. “Lest We Forget:” these are iconic words in the English language, words that most people immediately understand as relating to the millions of young citizens who lost their lives fighting for their countries in the two World Wars of the 20th century. “Lest We Forget” is a term associated with war and the need not just to recall those who were sacrificed but also to remember the lessons of war, and to offer a reminder that we should remain vigilant to ensure that war does not occur again. Europe suffered greatly in the wars of 1914–18 and 1939–45, and there are numerous tombs to unknown soldiers across the length and breadth of the continent. In the United Kingdom alone there are over 100,000 war memorials, prominent in any town or village.¹ We also have Remembrance Days with parades and commemorations in which citizens are asked to pay their respects to the war dead and to contemplate the evils of warfare. The wars that inflicted so much pain and destruction during the first half of the 20th century had multiple complex determinants, but central to them was the power of nationalism and the idea of the national sovereign state and great power politics.