Incredibly backwards compared to what? To France, sure. To the USA, probably. But if you will take Ottoman Empire or China, Russian Empire doesn't look that backwards.
Could certainly expect better outcome than the ragged, crumbling nation we have today. If not for communism which was a deeply unnatural state for a human being to live in.
You know, "national dignity" is often looked for by people when their regular dignity (family, job and standing in society) fails.
And then people can't really use it in healthy way. "They had fear of us", they say nostalgically. What's good in that? What about money, quality of life, freedom of movement for god's sake? What of that did Soviet Russia have? Even Warsaw Pact countries, even Soviet republic on outskirts (think Georgia) enjoyed more freedom, better quality of life and longer life expectancy.
Could certainly expect better outcome than the ragged, crumbling nation we have today. If not for communism which was a deeply unnatural state for a human being to live in.
You know, "national dignity" is often looked for by people when their regular dignity (family, job and standing in society) fails.
And then people can't really use it in healthy way. "They had fear of us", they say nostalgically. What's good in that? What about money, quality of life, freedom of movement for god's sake? What of that did Soviet Russia have? Even Warsaw Pact countries, even Soviet republic on outskirts (think Georgia) enjoyed more freedom, better quality of life and longer life expectancy.