Comments by "David Himmelsbach" (@davidhimmelsbach557) on "Is this Russia’s Smartest Idea in History?" video.

The tremendous expense virtually bankrupted the Tsar. Many economists consider this burden to a Big Factor in the Russian Revolution -- the first one -- in 1917. Moscow not only had to run up the tab for WWI, it was still carrying the debt for this railroad -- which was more expensive than NASA's trips to the Moon, relative to the GDP of Tsarist Russia at the time. What is never said is that the expenses of the railroad to the Pacific never let up. Many miles were actually relaid all over again, as the first attempt was an engineering failure. This was especially expensive in and around Lake Baikal -- which sits astride a huge ultra-ancient fault. The route east of it was brutally difficult and expensive -- only solved years after the original build. Even operating it was at a dead loss. It was built for IMPERIAL reasons... not economic reasons. This logic has now been repeated in Red Chine with astounding outlays for high speed rail to Western Red China that carry no riders. (!) That's what the original railroad experienced, too, for the Tsar. It did look pretty on the map, though. Plenty of reasons to brag. But it never turned out anything like the success of the American continental railroad - which started bringing gold out of California right from the start.
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Putin invaded Ukraine even though he knew for a fact that Ukraine could never join NATO. So, your entire thesis is pure BS from Moscow State TV. To enter NATO a nation needs 100% agreement from the existing membership. Berlin and Paris would NEVER permit Kiyv to join. Why? Because they preferred to do business with Putin, that's why. He asked, and they said, "Okay."
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@СергейКомисаров-т4ц Neither player were fools... primitive. The Chinese invented guns and gunpowder. The were vulnerable to horse based armies. Horses were EXPENSIVE in China -- so many citizens to feed.
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Wrong. The railroad was an IMPERIAL project and totally un-economic from the start. It stayed that way -- until the present day.
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Incorrect. Ambassador Adams threatened Britain with an American invasion of Canada -- of which the British knew they'd be crushed. The population imbalance was that severe, AND, the French-Canadians were NOT on board with London -- not at all. The only population favorable to London was logistically isolated up the river in Ontario. With the Eire Canal, the Americans could out supply, out march, out fight anything the British might do to save their Empire up north.
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You're confused. The rivers into the Artic rage once the ice at their mouths melts each Summer. Until then, they are frustrated, corked up, if you will. They turn in to ultra-long lakes... then, bam!
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The Russians could not travel in all seasons via the railroad. In the original version, track was laid over Lake Baikal every Winter. So... There was always a time, twice-a-year when the link was broken. In the original scheme, the lake was crossed by BOAT. That didn't really work out. The boat was destroyed in a storm, to boot. So, at fantastic expense, the railroad had to be routed the HARD way -- exactly the way the original engineers wanted to stay away from because of $$$$.
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The gauge change had NO real affect on the German armies -- something that eludes civilians. Shrinking the gauge from 5' down to 4' 8.5" is a BREEZE even with unskilled labor. You only have to move one-rail! It's idiot simple to supply a gauging tool so that the boys get things right. The only situation requiring skill were the points/ switches/ turn-outs. Russia didn't have many of those. The Big Headache was Sovet destruction of the cross-ties/ sleepers. The Nazis simply did not lay in anywhere near enough of them to replace those so easily destroyed by the retreating Soviets. The solution? Steal from the French, the Belgians, the Dutch on a wholesale basis. Their railroads supplied the missing equipment and track. The other item that really screwed up the German advance: destruction of the water towers. THAT was a show-stopper. Yet more wood and skilled labor required. Oops! The Nazis totally dropped the ball on logistics -- and it cost them their war against Stalin, no doubt.
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Moscow built its Empire by constant warfare across centuries. Read its history. Even Wiki has a snapshot of its wars. It's a long read.
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In the 19th Century the King of England lost his role. (George III was clinically insane.) Parliament took over everything. The American Revolution changed the politics of Europe. France kicked out the Bourbons, and the British demoted their king. They were democracies when Russia was a severe monarchy.
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