Impact of Zyuganov winning in 1996

samcster94

Banned
That is probably how it would play out. Lebed had a chance to really take the reins, but it all went sideways for him.


I think he would have been a nationalist strongman, with scarier short-term implications, but he would have been more straightforward in his tyranny than Putin. Lebed would have made no effort to legitimize himself via any trappings of democracy.

He would have no problem being called a strongman and we would not be seeing the bending of the English language to include such awkward phrases as "Presidential republic" to describe tinpot dictators that do not wish to be called as such. Lebed would have take the title as tinpot dictator without any qualms.

His political schooling would have been Communist based on his rank and experience in the Soviet army, but I doubt he would have taken anything away from it as by that point the commissars are where you sent people who could not get things done on the battlefield but had a connected family member and no one believed in anything. His chief takeaway would have been knee-jerk anti-democratic and pro-law-and-order. He would have used some of the Communist rhetoric against the West and would have zero problems using the word "fascist" to describe any foe of Russia, past, present or future. But in his heart of hearts he would have been a fascist - a nationalist with a questionable world view of ethnicities and nationalities other than Russians, who would have no respect for the rule of law unless he was the one making the rules and decreeing laws.

The difference from Putin would have been all lack of pretense. There would be no cloying attempts at portraying himself in double-speak. If asked if he was a dictator, Lebed probably would have shrugged and said, "eh, you can call me what you want, the people in the street and in their homes know I bring law and order, and that's what matters." And the folks in the countryside would have loved him for it, and the intellectuals in St. Pete and Moscow would have been horrified.

Lukashenko would have been embraced, and Belarus would have been integrated into some kind of alliance even closer than what Russia and Belarus have now. While Ukraine would have been given carrot and stick to get it in line. There would be no hybrid war there, Lebed would have just backed to the hilt his preferred candidate and then if he did not get his way - send in tanks. There would have been no little-green-men or cloak-and-dagger bullshit. There would be Russian soldiers in Russian uniforms marching down Donbass as Lebed would have thundered about liberation at hand.


Oh Lebed was of the old school, he'd probably think using helicopters on dissidents would be a horrendous misuse of fuel. "Boys, boys, that Chilean shit might have worked in them South American countries, but this is here is Birth Mother Russia. Just put up against a wall, will you. All right, what's next on the agenda?"


In this universe, Putin is head of security for a St. Petersburg governor, with dreams one day of hopefully getting that job, or being sent off to be the satrap of Kaliningrad.
Well, in OTL, Lebed died in a helicopter crash which makes your alt-Lebed extra ironic(I love your picture and how he makes Putin look nice). Absorbing Belarus completely seems like something someone in 90's Russia might have thought of.
 

Deleted member 14881

Well, in OTL, Lebed died in a helicopter crash which makes your alt-Lebed extra ironic(I love your picture and how he makes Putin look nice). Absorbing Belarus completely seems like something someone in 90's Russia might have thought of.

IIRC, the Union State was a vehicle to make Lukashenko President of Russia and Belarus perhaps more of a EU-esque relationship? i.e. a common currency and defense pact. Perhaps, if something like Euromaidan or the Orange Revolution happens, Lebed would send the tanks to Kiev and put his boy on top. Since he believed in the triune Russian nation after all. I can see an Eurasian alliance with Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan happening. Maybe an earlier new cold war.
 
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samcster94

Banned
IIRC, the Union State was a vehicle to make Lukashenko President of Russia and Belarus perhaps more of a EU-esque relationship? i.e. a common currency and defense pact. Perhaps, if something like Euromaidan or the Orange Revolution happens, Lebed would send the tanks to Kiev and put his boy on top. Since he believed in the triune Russian nation after all. I can see an Eurasian allanice with Belarus, Ukranine, and Kazakhstan happening. Maybe an earlier new cold war.
An anti-EU run by Russia that isn't the Warsaw Pact(which was too lopsided and had people who didn't think like Russians in it).
 

Deleted member 14881

I wonder how the modern alt-right would react to Lebed given their love of Putin and Pinochet.
 

samcster94

Banned
I wonder how the modern alt-right would react to Lebed given their love of Putin and Pinochet.
I think they'd love him even more. Putin is a bit soft by their(and Russian ultranationalists standards), as rigging a referendum in Crimea rather than conquering Ukraine and pretending to be democratic in the 2000's are mild in comparison to what Lebed would do.
 
I think they'd love him even more. Putin is a bit soft by their(and Russian ultranationalists standards), as rigging a referendum in Crimea rather than conquering Ukraine and pretending to be democratic in the 2000's are mild in comparison to what Lebed would do.
I highly doubt that he rigged the elections in Crimea.
 

samcster94

Banned
I highly doubt that he rigged the elections in Crimea.
They weren't truly free even if that is what they wanted given there were Russian soldiers there. Let's avoid current politics, but my point was Putin is moderate compared to some of the more insane, angry voices in Russia. Zyuganov is a guy with a big ego and the Communists salute him almost as a cult leader.
 

Deleted member 14881

I could see a Lebed coalition when he becomes President ranging from Market Liberals to hardline nationalists.
 
I could see a Lebed coalition when he becomes President ranging from Market Liberals to hardline nationalists.
Would Lebed act with the same indiference to drug addiction, alcholism, low life expectancy, high abortion rates and low birth rates as Yeltsin and Putin? Or is Lebed more a "gamer" type, one who wants mostly to realise himself. Also what would bind market liberals to Lebed, would they support the oligarchy? What would Lebed give nationalists?
 
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