Putin's war: history as a weapon | Beatrice de Graaf

• Date: 19 February 20:15 - 21:45
• Location: Koninklijke Schouwburg

Putin plunged Europe into the biggest war since World War II. Still fascinating is the question of why he single-handedly chose the path of destruction. How did Putin radicalize? And on what historical and religious grounds does he justify the war?

In Putin's War: History as a Weapon, historian Beatrice de Graaf, together with researcher Niels Drost, delves into these questions. They show how, in over 500 speeches, the Russian president slowly opened a front towards the West and its values.

Using historical examples and scholarly insights, De Graaf makes clear how history can serve as a weapon for war and violence in our time.

Do wartime leaders make irrational decisions because of their historical beliefs? And can Putin's view of the past tell us anything about how this war ends? Beatrice will show you on this evening why history is never completely past.

Beatrice de Graaf is a historian, Faculty Professor of Humanities at Utrecht University and author of several books.

Niels Drost is Russia researcher at the Clingendael Institute.

This is a program of Haagsch College.

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