'Russia in a Nutshell': Learn the Real Reasons Why Russia Is So Big - And So Brutal

Does Russia's geography explain the nation's history of bloodshed, overbearing government, secret police and poverty - and does it explain why Vladimir Putin is such a bellicose president? In a video published on YouTube earlier this year, geopolitical guru Caspian Report took a look at Russia's history and geography and made the essential connections: Occupying a vast, flat land without significant mountains or seas to serve as natural barriers, the Russian people were forced to become brutal and bureaucratic in order to survive. After throwing off Mongol and Tatar domination in the first half of the last millennium, Russia's rulers found themselves in a "conquer or be conquered" situation, Caspian Report noted.

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