Putin and Russia - What Are the Key Parallels?

From the 1820s onwards, particularly after the arrival of Nicholas I as in 1825, Russia is more aggressive. Putin knows and admires Nicholas I, he is one of his great heroes. So Nicholas is looking to expand Russian power in the way that Putin looks at it. If we expand our strength and influence, we're more secure. We need buffer zones against an aggressive west which is coming at us not just with new weapons but with new ideologies. What he's really frightened of is radical, republican, political organisations. He sees the British as a bit of a stoking horse for radical political politics. His regime is dominated by the secret police and mass censorship. The parallels are