Historian Neil Ferguson. Professor Kotkin is always right. That's rule number one. Rule number

two, see rule number one. Professor Kotkin, on Uncommon Knowledge Now.

Welcome to Uncommon Knowledge, I'm Peter Robinson. A fellow here at the Hoover

Institution, Stephen Kotkin is the author of nine big works of history, including the first two

volumes of his biography of Joseph Stalin, paradoxes of power 1878 to 1928, and waiting for Hitler

1929 to 1941. Professor Kotkin is now completing, you are aren't you, is now completing the third

and final volume, Stalin, totalitarian superpower. And because he has so much time on his hands,

he's amusing himself by writing a history of Siberia on the side. A believer in the application

of history to contemporary policy-making Stephen Kotkin consults widely and finds himself

inundated with requests for interviews. But he accepts very few.

Stephen, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Five questions for Stephen Kotkin. Here's the first one.

The coup attempt. June 24. Under the command of Yevgeny Pregozion, the Wagner Group, a private

Russian militia, occupies Russian military headquarters in Rostov. Thank you. Pregozion

uploads a video calling the Russian oligarchy crooked and corrupt and the war in Ukraine unnecessary.

Then he sends an armored column north toward Moscow. The column shoots down several Russian

aircraft as it advances. President Putin appears on television to denounce the men he calls

traders. Once the force gets about two-thirds of the way to Moscow, they turn around.

Pregozion disappears, reportedly leaving Russia for Bielo Russia. Putin reassures the country

that order has been restored. Stephen Kotkin, in foreign affairs, interviewed on June 24,

as the coup attempt was taking place, quote, after all the storm and drawn, we could be right back

where we started. Close quote. Stephen, what happened and are we right back where we started?

So Pregozion had a catering business. It was pretty successful because he got Kremlin contracts

...