Before Russia lost its war with Japan and expanded its interests in the Balkans, it was aggressively attempting to assimilate its neighbours into its Empire. Although it succeeded in the Baltic countries and Poland, it was unsuccessful in Finland, despite the efforts of the Governor General, Nikolay Bobrikov, to fully integrate Suomi through the February Manifesto of 1899.
The history of how Finland resisted Russian aggression over many years and eventually gained and held onto its independence is a salutary lesson, which we would do well to remember as we approach the third anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Blackwood’s article in July 1899 (the year it published Heart of Darkness), epitomised the role of free British press in exposing the truth behind dictatorial regimes, which used secret police to quell public unrest. This pivotal role continues today through organisations such as The Frontline Club in London, which is showing Dancing with the Russian Bear later this month. This is a critical insight into the question why the West has misread Putin and definitely worth watching.
Moscow May Parade
Rupert Wieloch 