A Brief History of Putin, Vol. 1

"It is remarkable—almost hard to believe—that for 15 years there has not been a single substantive biography published in Russian, by a Russian, of President Putin… 

…By contrast, there have been a number of serious biographies of Putin in English. The West, particularly the United States, is used to a steady flow of memoirs, and tell-alls, from former associates of our leaders. There has been nothing like that in Russia.

Rather than the flow of information about the man who has led the country for a decade and a half growing stronger, it has actually declined over time. Above all, the information that does emerge has been increasingly controlled and manipulated. Instead of independently verifiable new facts from identified sources, there are only 'stories' about Putin from unidentified sources, sources who are—we are invariably assured by those who tell the stories—'close to the Kremlin.'"

An excerpt from Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy

Despite being one of the most powerful public figures on the global stage, details of Vladimir Putin's history remain elusive. In this edition, we attempt to frame Putin's public life in the context of what was happening in Russia vs. what was happening in the global theater. This volume covers his career from 1975 to 1999. 

1975 - 1990: KGB Agent

What Putin was doing:

• Working primarily as an interpreter in East Germany.

• Obtained intelligence on foreign consular officials.

• As very little of this work was done in the public sphere, the least is known about this stage of his life.

What was happening in the USSR:

• Cold War with the USA was in full bloom.

• The period began with economic growth but ended in political and economic collapse.

• Multiple transitions in leadership from Nikita Khrushchev to eventually Mikhail Gorbachev.

What was happening in America:

• USA backs militant groups in Afghanistan to stop Soviet forces from expanding.

• USA arms guerilla fighters in the Lebanese Civil War and multiple Central American areas backed by Soviet forces (i.e. Nicaragua, Guatemala).

1990 - 1996: State Government

What Putin was doing:

• Moves to Leningrad and befriends an old professor who would later become Mayor of the city.

• Became head of the Committee for External Relations of the Leningrad Mayoral office.

• Worked his way up the political sphere and became Chairman of the St. Petersburg government.

What was happening in Russia:

• USSR collapses and Boris Yeltsin takes over as President of the Russian Federation.

• Yeltsin aims to undo Gorbachev's socialist reforms and establish capitalism.

• Russian GDP continues to collapse with rampant hyperinflation.

• Russia invades Chechnya and reinstates control over the region.

• Increased privatization of state-owned companies gave rise to the first wave of Russian Oligarchs.

What was happening in America:

• American involvement in the Gulf War results in Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait.

• Transition in power from George H. W. Bush to Bill Clinton.

• Economic growth accelerates under the Clinton administration.

• NAFTA goes into effect.

1996 - 1999: Presidential Deputy

What Putin was doing:

• Putin moves to Moscow and serves in the Presidential Property Management Department.

• President Boris Yeltsin personally appoints Putin as Chief of Presidential Staff.

• Yeltsin appoints Putin director of the Federal Security Service, paving the way for his eventual succession in the Presidential Office.

• Putin briefly serves as Prime Minister before being confirmed as the next President; Yeltsin abruptly resigns.

What was happening in Russia:

• Russian government defaults on its debt in 1998, causing the Rouble to collapse.

• Yeltsin harshly criticizes NATO for its military involvement in the Yugoslav Wars, bringing instability close to the Russian border.

What was happening in America:

• Bill Clinton is accused of and impeached for sexual impropriety with Monica Lewinsky.

• USA and NATO back Kosovo in the Yugoslav Wars, resulting in Yugoslav forces withdrawing from Kosovo.

• Columbine High School shooting launches a major debate on gun control.

Thank you for reading this edition of The Radar Pulse. The next volume will cover the subsequent chapter in Vladimir Putin's career.

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