THE despatch CHRISTMAS 2023
In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. This
began WW1 and launched Europe into a state of almost total war.
Russia joined the Triple Entente and were decisively defeated by the
Germans at the Second Battle of Tannenberg, leaving Russia struggling
to survive, leading to Lenin taking over the country. The Bolsheviks
agreed to a heavy peace deal at the Treaty of Brest - Litovsk, and Russia
began a massive civil war that saw millions die of famine. After the civil
war the Bolsheviks retook lost territory, including Ukraine, and Stalin
took over from Lenin after his death. Then came WW2, during which
850,000 - 1.6 million Ukrainian Jews were massacred. The Iron Curtain
was drawn up after the war and Ukraine became a vital part of Soviet
agriculture and economy. In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, and
Ukraine became an independent nation.
Since independence, Ukraine has faced several problems. In 2004, the
election for president was full of corruption and fraudulent claims.
There have been pro and anti - Russian candidates taking part in
elections, and Ukraine has been split apart by this divide.
History shows that Ukraine and Russia are connected, and this link is
continued in the present day with the names of the two politicians.
Putin ’ s first name is Vladimir, which in Ukrainian is directly translated to
Volodymyr, the first name of Zelensky, the president of Ukraine.
Ideologically, many Ukrainians are undisputedly Ukrainian, and Ukraine
includes Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. On the other side many
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