I've been reading Peter the Great by Robert Massie and throughout it I have been drawing some rather odd comparisons. In 30 years Peter took Russia from a backwards country paying tribute to the Crimean Tatars (and yet still getting raided by them annually) and turned it into a major power in Europe.
I'm sure a number of people might not like my comparison, but Iran has undergone a change similar to Russia in that 30 year period of time. From being a puppet country exploited for its resources (Russia was exploited for its abundance of slaves and livestock by the Tatars). Both freed themselves from this exploitation. Both struggled with massive, long lasting, wars during the early parts of the change they were going through which they were expected to lose. Both made their countries into modern powers, Russia developing a navy and Iran developing their own armed forces and now the ability to launch satellites. Both were opposed by the superpower of their time, Russia with Sweden and then England, Iran by the US.
I know that I have a few history buff friends on here, am I completely off-base with these similarities?
I'm sure a number of people might not like my comparison, but Iran has undergone a change similar to Russia in that 30 year period of time. From being a puppet country exploited for its resources (Russia was exploited for its abundance of slaves and livestock by the Tatars). Both freed themselves from this exploitation. Both struggled with massive, long lasting, wars during the early parts of the change they were going through which they were expected to lose. Both made their countries into modern powers, Russia developing a navy and Iran developing their own armed forces and now the ability to launch satellites. Both were opposed by the superpower of their time, Russia with Sweden and then England, Iran by the US.
I know that I have a few history buff friends on here, am I completely off-base with these similarities?
_margot_:
Hectic good, or hectic bad??