We know that economically, or even, militarily, Russia is not ahead of USA or China. Yet, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is considered one of the most powerful and feared politicians in the world. Being voted as the most powerful person in the world between 2013 and 2016, he definitely knows how to exercise his power, toping any other world leader in terms of it. This fact is evident from the invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
However, this article isn’t about the war itself, but about the man behind the war. From working as a spy in Russia’s Intelligence Service to becoming one of the most prominent leaders of the 21st century. This article takes a look at the story of how Vladimir Putin rose to power.
Spy Career
Putin was born on 7th October 1952, in Leningrad to a middle-class Russian family. At a very young age Putin knew he had to become a spy and soon after completing his law degree, he started working as one at the KGB- a Soviet Union Intelligence Agency.
In the 1980s when many people around the world started protesting against communism and socialism. Vladimir travelled to Germany, where he witnessed one such protest. Due to the protest, the infamous Berlin Wall, which divided East Germany from West Germany, collapsed and fell.
Putin, there saw how people were trying to run away from a Soviet-controlled East Germany, to a Western controlled West Germany. There he saw how Soviet power had diminished in comparison with the West. As a patriotic since his youth, who refused to even read the books written by people that betrayed his motherland, that moment definitely left a scar for the rest of his life.
Political Career
By the year 1991, Putin resigned as a spy agent in KRB and returned back to Leningrad (now, St. Petersburg). There, he met a man named Anatoly Sobchak, who helped Putin start his political career. Sobchak who was one of the first democratic mayors of the city-appointed Putin as his deputy mayor. Under the leadership of Sobchak, Putin got the opportunity to develop his political administration and aggressive political techniques.
Later, in 1997, Valentin Yumashev, the deputy of the then president, Boris Yeltsin; appointed Putin as his deputy. It was during this time, that the people of Russia started losing faith in their president Yeltsin. One of the main reasons for Yeltsin’s downfall was his poorly implemented strategies against the war with Chechnya, where the Russian arm force was in a war with the secularists who wanted that region to be independent.
Soon, in August 1999, Yeltsin appoints Putin as the Prime Minister, and then, after a year out-of-nowhere appoints him as the President. During the initial years of his presidency, Putin primarily focused on the domestic affairs of the country. By adopting an aggressive policy against the Chechnya war, he soon established his reputation as the President of Russia.
Russia’s Economy
Under the presidency of Putin, Russia’s GDP grew by almost 94% between the years 2000 and 2008; and the per capita GDP of the country almost doubled. One, of the main reasons for this sudden economic boom, was the increase in global oil prices
However, things didn’t always work in the favor of Russia. The economic boom wasn’t permanent. The economy had been hit by many economic misfortunes like the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2014 oil price crash, the 2016 US elections, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changing Constitution
In 2004 after being re-elected as the President for a second term, 2008 Putin had to step down from his position. According to the then constitution of Russia, a Russian president could only serve for two consecutive years, which left Putin no choice but to step down from his presidential rule.
Dmitry Medvedev was soon elected as the President and within a day he made Putin the Prime Minister of the country. During this time, the global financial crisis had begun all over the world and it had slammed Russia’s economy.
In the 2012 parliamentary elections, Putin had been elected as the President for the third term. To serve his country without stepping down from the presidency again, Putin later in 2020 changed the constitution through an amendment, which now allowed him to serve as the president of Russia till 2036. In this referendum about 78% of the people voted for a change in the term limits of a president, however, many people believe that the voting for this referendum was not fair.
Conclusion
Ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s popularity has reduced in Russia, especially among the youth. Although in the initial years of Putin’s presidency the Russian economy increased at substantial rates, it also came at the cost of the political freedom of many Russians. In today’s scenario, an autocratic leader, a falling Russian economy and the country at war depict the same situation in which Russia once was, about 30 years ago, during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- Written by Paridhi Aggarwal
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