Glenn Beck

TIMELINE: Glenn Beck takes an in-depth look into Vladimir Putin's dubious rise to power

On Glenn Beck TV this week, Glenn took his audience back to Christmas day, 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed and the West reacted with a sigh of relief. What we didn't realize was that after the Cold War a new hostile takeover had emerged in Russia. So, what really happened to the former leaders of the Soviet Union?

“The Soviets never faced charges, they never faced a trial, they just disappeared. What happened? Opportunistic oligarchs and agents from the former Soviet Union intelligence services agency seemingly disappeared, but not really," Glenn said.

“They just changed their uniforms and together they would successfully hijack the entire country and run it using the tactics employed during the Cold War," Glenn said. “Former KGB and Russian oligarchs would successfully steal the entire country."

After a brief history lesson, Glenn began piecing together the crime-ridden timeline that ultimately led to Vladimir Putin's rise to power.

“Russian Oligarchs began buying up all of the newly privatized businesses that the state used to own, including oil, steel, aluminum," Glenn said.

“The early 1990s became a smorgasbord for shady businessmen and a battleground between the oligarchs," Glenn explained. He lamented that violence was on a constant uphill tick because the more violent you were willing to get, the greater chance you had of scoring political influence.

“Boris Yeltsin, one of the oligarchs fighting during this time, would be unseated by a man who would usher in the rise of Vladimir Putin," Glenn said. “Simultaneously, the KGB was now entering uncharted territory, there were now 500,000 displaced KGB operatives that were suddenly out of a job."

Glenn detailed how things turned around for one former KGB operative who we've all come to know as Vladimir Putin, and explained how Putin went from a spy to the president of Russia.

“You have to start with Roman Abramovich, the man who unseated Boris Berezovsky in a very 'Russian' way," Glenn said.

“Abramovich was worth over $1.8 billion, making him one of the most powerful oligarchs in all of Russia," he continued. "But during the Cold War, Abramovich was not a rich man. He was actually a street vendor who had a pushcart and would sell toys and trinkets to tourists.

“And then, after the fall of the Soviet Union, he took his street vendor cart and he made it into a doll company. He made rubber duckies and sold them from his apartment," Glenn added. “Only in Russia."

Watch the video clip above to hear Glenn's timeline of Vladimir Putin's rise to power.

To see the full episode, visit Glenn's channel on TheBlaze or watch full episodes of “Glenn" live weekdays 5–6 p.m. ET or anytime on-demand at TheBlaze TV.


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