It would seem that in today's planet there is no place for large private armies to settle wars. possibly the last one, in the past of Europe, was an army formed by Albrecht von Wallenstein, who fought alongside Emperor Ferdinand II 400 years ago during the 30 Years' War. In those days, the Republic besides utilized various private formations, that I would mention the Lisovians, the company created by Alexander Lisowski, who caused fear throughout almost Europe, from the Rhine to the White Sea.
These times of private armies, as the state monarchies were replaced by the absolute monarchy, and then the sovereign national state, had to go back into the past. No 1 could have had a private army due to the fact that the sovereign state must have a monopoly on the usage of violence.
However, one more time it turned out that what was to yet and irrevocably vanish in the darkness of history, an uncongruous chasm as uncongruous to the present time, abruptly reappeared, awakening surprise and horror. During the war in Ukraine, the formations of the private military company PMC ‘Wagner’, owned by Evgeny Prigozyn, were revealed.
Before that, his troops had become known during the war in Syria, Libya and another African countries. The thought itself was most likely a copycating of companies that had previously been created in the United States. At the same time, these companies were actually only engaged in providing safety services, while Prigożyn rapidly came to a stand-alone political role, while his formations proved to be possibly the most efficient and able to fight by force on the Russian side in Ukraine.
This is peculiarly actual erstwhile it comes to offensive capabilities, as for 7 months only Wagner's Group has managed to make any advancement in the field by taking over the cities of Solidar and Bachmut. Observers and analysts stress that this was done at the expense of large individual losses that are unacceptable to another formations, to the regular army.
The Primogyn itself is increasingly emphasizing the advantages of its formations and claims that Wagner Group is the best army in the world, while the Ukrainian army is now in second place. Russia's armed forces, under the command of the Minister of the Shojg, do not find him to be recognized, and are peculiarly sick expressed about the Shojg himself and Chief of the General Staff, General Gierasim.
Moreover, he accuses them of deliberately stopping the supply of ammunition for their forces, which was to be the main origin of major losses during the capture of Bachmut.
It would seem that the Primogyn is moving on a thin line openly, challenging the full strategy created by Putin.
After all, it is known that Sergei Szojgu, whose removal of the Prigożyn demands, is considered to be a figure number 2 in Russia, immediately after Putin. The Shojgu is not only a Minister of Defence, but besides a associate of the group of 5 main leaders of the ruling organization 1 Russia, as well as, above all, a very close associate of Putin. For many years he was besides at the head of the Ministry of civilian Defence, Extraordinary Situations and the Elimination of the Consequences of the Food Disasters. His services participated, among others, in activities around the 2010 Smolensk disaster, and he himself was vice-president of the committee appointed to explain the causes of the disaster. It shows that the Shoygu knows besides much about Putin's actions so that he can get free of him so simply.
And yet, despite this, the Primogyn unceremoniously, utilizing the most offensive terms, the mildest of which is the “creature”, attacks the Shojg and makes fun of his subordinate officers. specified an example: recently, erstwhile the Primogyn began to leave the captured Bachmut and pass on his positions to the army, he presented Biber and Dolik, 2 of his, with a alternatively unusual appearance, “protectors” who have blocked the way for the Ukrainians if they attacked the Russian army. He besides ordered them to treat the military with respect. I mean, 2 of his bodyguards are expected to save the Russian army.
In any ways, however, the Primogyn may be right. Indeed, his troops may be effective in combat, but the way he conducts it, not looking at losses, is that specified methods are unacceptable to the regular army.
However, his Wagner Group has already had many combat experiences, including those gained in Syria and Africa. He boasted that his organization was able to master 20 percent of African territory.
He besides recalled that it was his men who had overcome the crisis in Syria that arose after ISIS's capture of the city of Palmyr and again removed the terrorists, and it was the Shoigu and his generals who took credit and shared the orders.
The fact is that Deputy Commander of Wagner Group's forces was made by three-star general Mikhail Mizincev, formerly Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. This alone someway makes Prigozhyn credible and justifies his claim of the qualitative advantage of his troops and methods of fighting over the military. Mizincev himself, having quite a few military experience, said in an interview that he perceives Wagner's organizational structure as a discovery, which is flexible and consists of modules that let him to adapt easy to the tasks he has set.
Perhaps, specified a structure as Wagner's Group, is specified a Russian consequence to the general crisis of the armed forces, inactive operating on the principles developed during the Cold War, or, in the case of Russia, even earlier, due to the fact that during planet War II.
The feeling that specified a crisis has occurred is common, besides in Poland, which is reflected in the promotion by the group focused around Jack Bartosiak, the thought of the Army of the fresh Pattern. The essence of this problem is that it is hard today, with certainty, to identify any model of a military organization that exists somewhere, which should only be imitated.
The Israeli army, whose reputation was severely affected during the Second Lebanese War in 2006, was no longer 1 of these erstwhile the best Israeli units could not cope with the Hezbollah militants. It is besides hard to follow the pattern of the U.S. Army, which has late failed in Afghanistan, and has previously been poorly coping, even in Iraq after 2003.
It is besides impossible to completely negate the actions of the Primogyn by claiming that he is just a cook who is trying to wage war with thousands of convicts.
Ukraine, for its part, made Bachmut a symbol of its opposition to Russia. Bad thing, then, looks like Bachmut, hailed by Ukraine's bastion, was captured by the cook and his convicts.
Nor should the nose be peculiarly turned on to enlist convicts into armed forces. specified practices have been common for centuries, and past has repeatedly shown that specified people have worked well as soldiers due to the fact that they are willing to take increased risks. It is adequate to callback that Napoleon's army, with which he captured Italy in 1796, consisted mostly of convicts released from Tulon and Marseille prisons.
And Napoleon's opponent and his final winner, under Waterloo, Lord Wellington, said of his army that the soldiers were scum there: “we have in the service the cum of the earth as common soldiers.”
Recently, the Prigozhin has been increasingly entering politics; he began to tour the full country and any indicate that he could make his next presidential election in Russia, in 2024.
The explanation of this situation is not clear. If the Primogyn truly wanted to challenge Putin, he would gotta consider that Putin does not tolerate the action of genuine political competition. In that case, a fatal accident could happen to him. That's how Russia utilized to be. The Primogyn is well aware of this, and the criminal past must have further strengthened his ability to survive. So he will not challenge Putin, at least until he holds power.
The mentioned Albrecht Wallenstein at first, being, during the 30 Years' War, in a situation akin to Prigozhyn, made a mistake and actually acted against the emperor. For this reason, at the Emperor's command, he was killed while in Cheb City. possibly the Primogyn has not even heard of Wallenstein, but he will instinctively avoid the symbolic road to Chebu.
The point here may be that Putin wanted, through the actions of the Primogyn, to make an apparent alternative, not actually threatening it, but allowing to phase and control the political scene, all possible even, competitors to power. In specified a situation, many of those who may have thought of removing Putin realize that they will then deal with Wagner Group troops, against which even the army may prove besides weak. Therefore, the removal of Putin may be the beginning of the Prigoshyn road. specified a devilly alternate that Putin, most likely consciously, created himself.
For many years, Vladimir Zyrinski, who has besides created the impression of creating competition for Putin, has played a akin function as the Primogyn today, who is now dead. This was not hindered by creating in the media the appearance of a conflict with Putin's party, which Żyrinski publically called the organization "swindlers and thieves". It can be assumed that Prigozhyn, after the death of Zyrinski, became his counterpart for the war. Interestingly, they both come from the same cultural group as they request not, although they may, translate into a akin steel of political action.
Stanisław Lewicki
