Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 5, Number 1, Spring / Summer 2020 | Page 71

A New Russian Realpolitik: Putin’s Operationalization of Psychology and Propaganda
Introduction and Background
Despite efforts of select analysts,
policymakers, and academics
to force a deliberate
iconoclasm and properly jettison the
rudimentary assumptions and oversimplified
conclusions drawn from conventional
thinking and residual Cold War
framing, two former superpowers, the
United States and Russia, do their part
to live up to old expectations. Instead
of attempting to go beyond “the orthodoxy
of assumed animosity that keeps
Russia and the United States from finding
negotiated common ground,” the
two countries remain locked in a dynamic
geopolitical chess match involving
nuclear weapons, military forces,
geographic proxies, and varying ideologies
(Crosston 2018). Just like during
the Cold War, heightened discourse,
diplomatic action, and military posturing
from both sides reinforce and amplify
power politics and different forms
of propaganda. The populations of both
nation-states seem not only proud of
their ideological entrenchment but also
willing and determined to enshrine the
amplification of their long-held identity
and reinforced convictions.
The crumbling of the Soviet
Union and the Berlin Wall brought
with it an unfamiliar and uneasy unilateral
power structure. The world, as
everyone knew it, along with the many
neat political theories and institutions,
turned on its head. America, perceiving
itself as an undisputable superpower,
quickly claimed victory at the end
of the Cold War, championing both
its model republic and spirited liberal
institutions. For over a decade, the US
confidently showcased to a global audience
its accomplishments and effectiveness
against its former Soviet foe. Out
of the shadows of the Soviet Union, a
new modern Russia realized its loss of
legitimacy, respect, and relevance. Almost
overnight, the vast preponderance
of laypeople and analysts perceived the
Iron Curtain and all its unifying features
to be exposed and erased. Notwithstanding
this humiliating descent,
the Russian identity and its entrenched
political institutions seemed determined
to prevent the quick and dramatic
transition to some form of liberal
democracy and free-market society.
Despite the West’s dramatic and
impactful victory during the Cold War,
Russian society staggered forward with
only its perceptions, identities, values,
and images. One man, a former Soviet
intelligence officer named Vladimir Putin,
was able to rise from the ashes to
consolidate and capitalize on the tightly
held Russian identity. The President of
Russia and his cadre of loyal oligarchs
undoubtedly hold power and influence
Russian society and politics. By skillfully
and practically directing the complex
Russian political system and exploiting
various weaknesses and divisions in
the international arena, Putin has been
able to unify the once directionless and
fragmented Russian society and expand
its sphere of influence. He has methodically
challenged and chipped away at
the West’s post-World War II standing
throughout the world. This success is
not brought about by chance or luck
but by a systematic understanding and
deliberate management of the unique
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