Chernobyl & the Fall of the USSR

[DGuller]

The war helped erase the biggest advantage the Soviet Union had, population.

Lots of Russians died, but there were plenty more left.  Losing 1/8th of the population isn't really something that's good for the country, but it's not going to depopulate it.  It's also not like the young men were the only ones dying;  thanks to hunger and genocidal policies by Germans, every age group pitched in.

[CountDeMoney]

For most conventional fields 1920s technology is still used today and is more than good enough.

Not when it was managed by Soviet Russians it wasn't.

[jimmy olsen]

For most conventional fields 1920s technology is still used today and is more than good enough.

I find this a dubious proposition.

[Razgovory]

The war helped erase the biggest advantage the Soviet Union had, population.

Lots of Russians died, but there were plenty more left.  Losing 1/8th of the population isn't really something that's good for the country, but it's not going to depopulate it.  It's also not like the young men were the only ones dying;  thanks to hunger and genocidal policies by Germans, every age group pitched in.

Yeah, but like half the deaths were military age so that had to hurt.  And there also deaths from the famines, forced relocation, purges etc.  The "echo" of the war could be seen the population of the Soviet Union for the rest of its' existence.  It hit ethnic Russians especially hard, which were the only ones the Soviet government really trusted.  A firm majority of Ethnic Russians were required to keep the country together, if the hold of Russia on the other republics weakened they risked the possibility of the individual republics just leaving (which eventually happened).

[mongers]

For most conventional fields 1920s technology is still used today and is more than good enough.

I find this a dubious proposition.

How much time have you spent in close proximity to oil field equipment ?


Hint:
a lot of it ain't that hight tech, think more along the lines of tried and tested.

[jimmy olsen]

The war helped erase the biggest advantage the Soviet Union had, population.

Lots of Russians died, but there were plenty more left.  Losing 1/8th of the population isn't really something that's good for the country, but it's not going to depopulate it.  It's also not like the young men were the only ones dying;  thanks to hunger and genocidal policies by Germans, every age group pitched in.

Yeah, but like half the deaths were military age so that had to hurt.  And there also deaths from the famines, forced relocation, purges etc.  The "echo" of the war could be seen the population of the Soviet Union for the rest of its' existence.  It hit ethnic Russians especially hard, which were the only ones the Soviet government really trusted.  A firm majority of Ethnic Russians were required to keep the country together, if the hold of Russia on the other republics weakened they risked the possibility of the individual republics just leaving (which eventually happened).

Didn't the war and Stalin's hijinks hit the Ukranians even harder? They were the second largest ethnic group and the ones most likely to make trouble.

[jimmy olsen]

For most conventional fields 1920s technology is still used today and is more than good enough.

I find this a dubious proposition.

How much time have you spent in close proximity to oil field equipment ?


Hint:
a lot of it ain't that hight tech, think more along the lines of tried and tested.

I wasn't think oil fields when I read that statement, I was thinking of all fields of endeavors.

[DGuller]

The war helped erase the biggest advantage the Soviet Union had, population.

Lots of Russians died, but there were plenty more left.  Losing 1/8th of the population isn't really something that's good for the country, but it's not going to depopulate it.  It's also not like the young men were the only ones dying;  thanks to hunger and genocidal policies by Germans, every age group pitched in.

Yeah, but like half the deaths were military age so that had to hurt.  And there also deaths from the famines, forced relocation, purges etc.  The "echo" of the war could be seen the population of the Soviet Union for the rest of its' existence.  It hit ethnic Russians especially hard, which were the only ones the Soviet government really trusted.  A firm majority of Ethnic Russians were required to keep the country together, if the hold of Russia on the other republics weakened they risked the possibility of the individual republics just leaving (which eventually happened).

WWII casualties weren't disproportionally Russian.  A lot of it had to do with the fact that the western-most republics were the ones most heavily occupied for the longest period.  As for age groups, while military age casualties were disproportionate, older groups were running at the overall overage, and the youngest ones were running below average.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties_of_the_Soviet_Union

[Razgovory]

   Did you read the link you provided?  Soviet military dead by nationality is 66% Russian, the second higher is Ukrainian with 15%.  The Soviet Union preferred ethnic Russians to make the majority of most of it's military units.

[citizen k]

There should have been one more Georgian casualty.

[Eddie Teach]

There should have been one more Georgian casualty.

I don't think Jonas is that old.

[mongers]

There should have been one more Georgian casualty.

Yeah Saakashvili 2008

[citizen k]

I don't think Jonas is that old.

Yeah Saakashvili 2008

[jimmy olsen]

  Did you read the link you provided?  Soviet military dead by nationality is 66% Russian, the second higher is Ukrainian with 15%.  The Soviet Union preferred ethnic Russians to make the majority of most of it's military units.

The more important stat is the % of casualties in each Soviet Republic. Several republics suffered more than Russia.

Moreover a quick look at the math shows that Russians were 56.7% of the population of the USSR, and according to that chart they made up 52.4% of the casualties.

[Razgovory]

  Did you read the link you provided?  Soviet military dead by nationality is 66% Russian, the second higher is Ukrainian with 15%.  The Soviet Union preferred ethnic Russians to make the majority of most of it's military units.

The more important stat is the % of casualties in each Soviet Republic. Several republics suffered more than Russia.

Moreover a quick look at the math shows that Russians were 56.7% of the population of the USSR, and according to that chart they made up 52.4% of the casualties.

Yeah, but those Soviet Republics were not homogenous, they all had ethnic Russians in them.