The broken sword of the Empire
Encyclopedia
The Broken Sword of the Empire is a novel by Russian author Maxim Kalashnikov
, first published in 1998 by the Great Resistance publisher. It is the first part of Kalashnikov’s historical, geopolitical and economical series of novels.
The Broken Sword of the Empire is a historical/geopolitical analysis of Russia
in the period from the 1930s to the 1990s. The whole book is constructed as an answer to the question “Who was winning the Third World Cold War
?”
is the fact that the Russian people have lost sight of their heroes and achievements. That is why the author decided to tell about these achievements himself with the main goal of inspiring his compatriots with pride and honour. That is why his books have become popular, especially among the Russian youth.
It is true that the elements exposed in the book are very hard to find anywhere else. Such things as the AYaKS
aerospaceship program, the Soviet plasma anti-friction generator, the Ekranoplan program, and most importantly the names of the unknown heroes that fought in Korea
, Cuba
, Algeria
, Viet-Nam, Egypt
, Somalia
, Syria
, Afghanistan
but also on the territory of the Soviet Union
. To Kalashnikov, those people were the "Hammer and Sword "of the Soviet nation. They were unknown in the Soviet era because of the secrecy policy. That is the main reason for the respect and popularity of Maxim Kalashnikov in modern Russia
."
Maxim Kalashnikov
Vladimir Alexandrovich Kucherenko , better known by the pen name Maxim Kalashnikov , is a Russian patriotic writer, publicist, and political activist....
, first published in 1998 by the Great Resistance publisher. It is the first part of Kalashnikov’s historical, geopolitical and economical series of novels.
The Broken Sword of the Empire is a historical/geopolitical analysis of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the period from the 1930s to the 1990s. The whole book is constructed as an answer to the question “Who was winning the Third World Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
?”
Structure
The 560 pages of the book are divided in 26 chapters, and are organized as follows:- First part : the author exposes the problematic and central theme by a modern example (e.g.: the role of AviationAviationAviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
in the 1991 Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
) - Second part : Kalashnikov then shows how the technology/field evolved through the Arms RaceArms raceThe term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...
, comparing the East, West and sometimes Axis developments. - Third part : He then compares the different technical achievements. Usually, Kalashnikov shows the potential that a particular technology had before the collapse of the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. - Fourth part : the author then criticises the post-soviet government for disregarding that technology or field (e.g.: Modern Russia and the First Chechen WarFirst Chechen WarThe First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
)
Criticism
Maxim Kalashnikov is often criticised for not being objective in his books. The Broken Sword of the Empire, for example, contains a lot of insults and many radical-ultranationalistic arguments. Nevertheless, Kalashnikov uses a very well structured argumentation based on true facts but often makes subjective conclusions. This is why he has often been seen as а manipulator.Achievements
One of the key accusations Kalashnikov makes against the Soviet government and the modern mediaNews media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
is the fact that the Russian people have lost sight of their heroes and achievements. That is why the author decided to tell about these achievements himself with the main goal of inspiring his compatriots with pride and honour. That is why his books have become popular, especially among the Russian youth.
It is true that the elements exposed in the book are very hard to find anywhere else. Such things as the AYaKS
Ayaks
The Ayaks |Ajax]]) is a hypersonic aircraft program started in the Soviet Union and currently under development in the Russian Federation by the Saint Petersburg Institute for the Hypersonic Systems of Leninets Holding Company...
aerospaceship program, the Soviet plasma anti-friction generator, the Ekranoplan program, and most importantly the names of the unknown heroes that fought in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Viet-Nam, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
but also on the territory of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. To Kalashnikov, those people were the "Hammer and Sword "of the Soviet nation. They were unknown in the Soviet era because of the secrecy policy. That is the main reason for the respect and popularity of Maxim Kalashnikov in modern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
."