Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Russia is the biggest country on Earth — and it didn't get that way by accident. From the Tsars to the Soviets to Putin, Russia's leaders have pursued relentless expansion, justified by geography, ideology, and imperial ambition. The Eastern European plain offered no natural defenses, so buffer zones became an obsession. That obsession cost millions their languages, homelands, and lives.
We traveled to Eastern Europe to ask the harder question: is this just Putin's war, or does it go much deeper? The answer lies in centuries of Russification, forced deportations, and a state built on domination rather than cooperation. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet collapse isn't just sentiment — it's a strategic doctrine. And Ukraine is its most visible battleground.
Understanding Russia's imperial logic is the first step to making sense of today's headlines.
00:00 Introduction – Putin's Russia & the Big Question
00:39 The World's Biggest Country – Geography & Vulnerability
02:07 From Defense to Empire – Centuries of Expansion
04:14 Soviet Crimes – Deportations, Russification & Repression
06:18 Putin's Doctrine – The USSR's Collapse & the War in Ukraine
09:00 Imperialism's Cost – Why Force Always Fails
Link to the email course: go.studentsforliberty.org/ussr-course
LEARN LIBERTY:
Your resource for exploring the ideas of a free society. We tackle big questions about what makes a society free or prosperous and how we can improve the world we live in. Watch more at learnliberty.org/.
Russia is the biggest country on Earth — and it didn't get that way by accident. From the Tsars to the Soviets to Putin, Russia's leaders have pursued relentless expansion, justified by geography, ideology, and imperial ambition. The Eastern European plain offered no natural defenses, so buffer zones became an obsession. That obsession cost millions their languages, homelands, and lives.
We traveled to Eastern Europe to ask the harder question: is this just Putin's war, or does it go much deeper? The answer lies in centuries of Russification, forced deportations, and a state built on domination rather than cooperation. Putin's nostalgia for the Soviet collapse isn't just sentiment — it's a strategic doctrine. And Ukraine is its most visible battleground.
Understanding Russia's imperial logic is the first step to making sense of today's headlines.
00:00 Introduction – Putin's Russia & the Big Question
00:39 The World's Biggest Country – Geography & Vulnerability
02:07 From Defense to Empire – Centuries of Expansion
04:14 Soviet Crimes – Deportations, Russification & Repression
06:18 Putin's Doctrine – The USSR's Collapse & the War in Ukraine
09:00 Imperialism's Cost – Why Force Always Fails
Link to the email course: go.studentsforliberty.org/ussr-course
LEARN LIBERTY:
Your resource for exploring the ideas of a free society. We tackle big questions about what makes a society free or prosperous and how we can improve the world we live in. Watch more at learnliberty.org/.
