Vodka, is wine is more political

From an incision that can easily be taken as a joke, look at the secrets of Russia's state process and political evolution.

---------------

When you think of that northern neighbor, Russia, what reflexively comes to mind? AK47, Fighting Nation, Polar Bear, Red Square "Onion Head", or "Night outside Moscow"? A Russian survey shows that in the minds of Russians, the main symbol that best represents Russia is vodka.

Russian booze is indeed famous. But why they only have a fondness for vodka, the average person knows in addition to knowing the reason for the cold. It wasn't until I saw Vodka Politics: Alcohol, Despotism, and the Secret History of the Russian State that I realized that this was the case.

The book's author, Hillard, argues that Russians have not always been fond of vodka. Like the rest of the world, they began drinking wine, beer, and their traditional drink, kvass. There have been many crazy and boozy monarchs in Russian history, but they drank not vodka but wine. Vodka is a distilled spirit that does not have a long history in Russia, and it was not until the 16th century that it took root in Russia. The problem is that vodka, once taken root, profoundly changed Russian society. The book quotes one historian: "If beer and wine are bows and arrows, then vodka is a cannon – it has an energy unimaginable in traditional societies, and it will eventually bring revolutionary innovation to the economy and culture." ”

What is revolutionary innovation? On the surface, vodka has left Russians deeply addicted to alcohol, and even formed the so-called "vodka culture", but the author has a sharp eye, he believes that the emergence of vodka has provided a more effective tool for Russian autocrats to rule. Russians indulged in vodka as a result of centuries of deliberate advocacy by rulers.

Vodka is more alcoholic and easier to get drunk. When people are drunk, it is not only easy to talk nonsense, but also easy to tell the truth. When drinking wine mainly, Ivan the Terrible often asked people to write down the words of the drunken nobles. The next day he would take those words to question the ass elves who had just woken up from a hangover. His practice was perfectly inherited. Many people know that Stalin's wine banquet is not a good drink, not only to drink desperately to win the hearts of the leaders and create an atmosphere of unity and peace, but also to be careful not to drink too much and slip up. For the ordinary people, often drunk makes people more atomized, divided, divided, depressed and docile, such a society is obviously easier to rule.

Vodka is cheap, simple to produce, and more profitable, making it the perfect tool for fiscal revenue. At the height of Tsarist Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries, revenue from the liquor trade accounted for one-third of the state budget. Even at the end of the 20th century, vodka contributed more than a quarter of the country's entire revenue.

Generally speaking, the function of State institutions has three aspects: to prevent rebellion, to defend the country, and to develop social resources. In Russia, the realization of these three functions is completely inseparable from the participation of alcohol.

It sounds bizarre, but there are some examples in the book that make people think deeply. For example, Napoleon's capture of Moscow. When the Russians withdrew, they set fire to Moscow and burned Moscow to the ground, leaving Napoleon's army with no food or place to fend off the cold. And the fire burned so loudly because the Russians set fire to taverns and vodka warehouses. Therefore, whether Kutuzov or Vodka defeated Napoleon is really difficult to say.

For example, in July 1942, when Stalingrad was at its most dangerous moment, Stalin issued Order No. 227: "Never take a step back!" This blood-boiling slogan was soon used to name one of the best-selling vodkas in the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, the tradition of rationing vodka within the army was revived. Over a four-year period, 28 million people each received a cup of vodka a day. In order to supply up to 1 billion liters of vodka per year, vodka plants in the Soviet Union operated at full capacity day and night, just like those that produced weapons.

If it is not the main factor, it is undeniable that vodka did help the Russians win the war. The opposite example is that during World War I, while Russia was struggling on the battlefield, Tsar Nikolai issued prohibition. In 1916, the Russian Duma passed a bill that made Prohibition a permanent and absolute ban. By the time the bill could be turned over for approval by the Tsar, however, the Tsar no longer existed.

Similar examples abound in the book, and one can't help but think of it as a subset of the passages about drinking. But this book is clearly a serious academic work. It examines the influence and role of alcohol, especially vodka, in Russia, and from an incision that is easily taken as a joke, it sees the secrets of Russia's state process and political evolution.

The cup is big. People always think that when making big decisions, they must be fully awake. The truth is that many thrilling moments in history are often drunk. During the darkest and most difficult years of World War II, Churchill visited the Soviet Union and cemented a great alliance with Stalin after a night of binge drinking, eventually knocking out the mighty Nazi army.

There is no doubt that this "night feast" is the highlight of vodka, but in "vodka politics", such highlight moments are everywhere. For example, thanks to the firing of the first cannon of the October Revolution, the Aurora shone brightly. The book reveals that after the firing of the cannon, some crew members joined the team to capture the Winter Palace, and most of the crew captured a nearby tavern.

Xu Bing Source: China Youth Daily

Source: China Youth Daily client