In Dragon Ball, the much-beloved manga of the Japanese artist Akira Toriyama, there is a type of violent, powerful extraterrestrial beings known as the Saiyans, who are touted as “sendou minzoku”, translated as “warrior nation”. The term “warrior nation” has since been adopted by some, particularly the Chinese, to refer to Russia. ANBOUND’s founder Kung Chan believes that this is a narrow perception developed after being exposed to Russian movies, novels, and other cultural influences for a long time, and it shows a bottom-up admiration for Russia. In reality, the Russians are anything but that.
When considering the last two centuries of history, it becomes clear that the Russian army cannot be characterized as possessing an inherent warrior spirit, nor can it be seen as an unbeatable force. During the Napoleonic Wars of 1812, the Russian army suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the French. Eventually, it was not the Russian army that defeated Napoleon. Rather, it was the harsh Russian winter and the French army's logistical problems that ultimately led to its downfall. Similarly, during the Crimean War from 1853-1856, Russia struggled with poor military equipment, training, and transportation, ultimately leading to their defeat and the signing of a peace treaty. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, the Russian army's only notable success on land was at the Battle of Port Arthur, where their strong fortifications enabled them to inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese army. Despite this, they still lost Port Arthur in the end. In the Battle of Tsushima, the entire Russian Second Pacific Fleet was destroyed, resulting in the loss of over 30 ships, weighing over 270,000 tons, and 4,830 casualties. In contrast, the Japanese Combined Fleet only lost three torpedo boats and 117 people. Finally, during World War I, in the battles of Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes, the Russian army took advantage of the German main force being deeply entrenched on the Western Front and launched a massive invasion of East Prussia. This led to the complete annihilation of the entire army, with a loss of 250,000 personnel, while the German army only lost slightly over 20,000.
As the historical successor of the Russian army, the Soviet army was indeed the pinnacle of Russian history, yet it was still far from being an invincible force. In November 1939, the Soviet-Finnish War broke out. Despite having the dual advantages of air and armored forces, the Soviet army had two divisions encircled and annihilated, and it was not until February 1940 that it finally defeated the Finnish army. In 1941, the Soviet-German War broke out, and in most battles, regardless of victory or defeat, the Soviet army suffered more casualties. Among them, in the Battle of Kiev alone, the number of Soviet prisoners of war reached 700,000. In the end, the Soviet Union won, relying not only on its own army, but also on its vast territory and strategic depth, abundant human resources, and extensive Western assistance. In the Afghan War waged from 1979 to 1989, the Soviet army suffered more than 50,000 casualties. In the Chechen War that lasted from 1994 to 2000, the Russian army suffered heavy losses too. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the performance of the Russian army speaks for itself.
In the past, Russia during the reign of Queen Catherine the Great and the era of Alexander Pushkin embodied a noble spirit. However, the Bolshevik-dominated Russia of the early 20th century was a completely different world, a different Russia. Industries and sectors that have a long-standing cooperation with Russia acknowledge that modern Russians still possess a lofty cultural spirit, but the truly substantive aspects of Russia’s past have been lost and cannot be restored.
In terms of international relations, Russia has displayed arrogance and haughtiness, leading to few friends in the world, with only a few countries like China, India, Vietnam, and North Korea as allies. With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the U.S.-led world has repeatedly imposed harsh sanctions on Russia in finance, energy, and other areas, further isolating Russia from the world. Therefore, whether from a historical or current perspective, Russia is not really a "warrior nation," but rather a nation that appears strong on the outside but is weak within. This is the basic characteristic of today's Russia and its core problem. The belief that Russia is a “warrior nation” is often only held by weaker nations and societies in comparison.
Final analysis conclusion：
Whether looking at the history of the Russian military over the past two hundred years or at the current situation, Russia is not as portrayed in movies and novels as a "warrior nation". In reality, it is only a nation that appears strong on the outside but weak within.
