Lessons from Russian History for the Prepper Community (Part 3-of-3)
June 16, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
Guest Post: by Brad
Scenario #3: The Kosovo War (1998 – 1999)
As many readers will recall (because you are not among the Sheeple who pay no attention to important events), in the mid-1990′s there was escalating violence and tension between the ethnicities and religions in Yugoslavia (for you younger readers, Yugoslavia used to be a country in Eastern Europe). During 1997 and 1998 there was a full blown war between different groups vying for power. During this conflict there were reports of genocide. Due to various reasons, NATO refused to sit by and let this fighting and slaughter continue, and NATO began a sustained bombing campaign in spring and summer of 1999. As a combination of the ground war between the various ethnicities and the bombing campaign of NATO, over 1 million souls were displaced and fled the region, becoming migrant refugees.
During that time period I was living in a Russian city that was close to the border. Literally tens of thousands of refugees from Yugoslavia found their way into the city and the outlying region. As you might expect, they were not welcomed with entirely open arms. As you will recall, Russia was still recovering from the financial crisis. It did not have money to spare. These refugees took up shelter in apartment buildings and other edifices that had been abandoned and condemned. I saw families living in concrete blocks where the foundation had sunk into the earth, resulting in the concrete floor having a strange tilt to it such that a marble would roll from one side of the room to another. There was no running water or plumbing or heat in these edifices. The families huddled under blankets to keep warm, and cooked over open fires, often made with discarded tires. Deplorable living conditions. And yet, they had shelter. There were many more who bedded down in the fields around the cities. As these refugees would wander the city looking for food and work, they were turned away on more than one occasion by the force of fist or boot. The refugees would then return the fist or boot with their own fist or boot. Violence often ensued.
So, again you ask, what’s the point? Well, here it is.
The mass of humanity that will roam the earth in search of shelter and food—like a giant cloud of locusts and which is sometimes referred to as “The Golden Horde”—is golden horde is a reality. The particular horde from Yugoslavia was unarmed, but I do not imagine that that would be the case in the USA. The golden horde in the USA would –I imagine–also take up residence in any edifice they could. Look for whatever food they could. Fight for whatever food they could. In short, it would look like one army of refugees against another army of refugees or an army defending its home turf. But the conflicts will be there.
So, the practical lesson here is, I believe, the golden horde will come, and it is to be avoided. It will be massive. They will work together as they are in the same boat. They will be after resources such as shelter, food and fuel.
In conclusion, these are three modern lessons of SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenarios that actually happened. They all actually happened in a First World country. They are all things that could easily be repeated. Practical lesson: prepare accordingly.
The Siege of Leningrad
The Russian Financial Crisis of 1998
At the risk of being on the side of genocide; what happened in the Balkans was a more open part of the conflict that had been going on for centuries. Neither side was “pure” and both sides practised genocide. But in 1997 one side was winning. It happened to be the side that was trying to throw out those who had invaded all those centuries ago. Popular opinion was easily manuvered to side with the descendants of the invaders and NATO went in and destroyed the army of the descendants of those who were invaded. Who was right? Who was wrong? Do you think it’s all over?
This is exactly what happens when a country such as Yugoslavia is broken into many republics, it is a fragmented and a much lesser stable area of its former self. This could very well happen in the United States because there is such a polar divide between certain sections of the country. This can be demostrated by the past few elections and the various laws and beliefs of each state being so vastly different.
People do not call themselves Americans often anymore, they are more gravitized towards calling themselves a Texan, a Californian, a New Englander, etc. This is very bad, it shows just how they have lost the feeling of nationalism and loss of the loyalty to the betterment and what is good for the country and your countrymen. Just look at these miserable parasites that have sold off good American jobs to slave labor overseas all for profit. Those elected have allowed this to happen.
All it is going to take is a nationwide disaster or something in another country that deeply affects the United States for something that happened like in Yugoslavia to happen in the U.S. I could definitely see a ‘Jericho” TV series type of fall of the U.S. in which the country is broken into 3 or more loosely controlled republics after whatever. The country has already battled through a civil war 150 years ago and the opinions and differences in so many aspects of life has not changed much since then between the southern parts and northern parts of country. Lessons from history all right.
All three lessons on Russian History are right on the money. Lesson 2 was of most interest to me because “We are at that gate” so to speak. It is almost a duplicate of what happened there as happening here. Our fiat currency although right now carries alot of world weight as the main world currency, soon as the world sees we cannot pay our bills, the money will loose its power, and we are in for hard times. I am a Historian and there are thousands of lessons to learn from, but I like these best. My biggest concern is how many people “choose” to keep thinking all is well and will not even listen. Its very frustrating, mainly because I figure they will know I took the time to prepare when they didn’t, and then, when the Horde comes as I am sure they will, I will need to make some tough decisions. Wish someone would come up with an article on that also. Thanks for this. It re-enforced what I already knew. Thanks again!