Russia’s border with Europe is the bloodiest place in the world. Caught between the major powers of the West and the might of Russia, the region has seen some of the worst conflicts in history.

During World War II, roughly 17 million soldiers lost their lives in battles on the Eastern front. By way of comparison, in the West, fewer than four million soldiers died—including D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and all the other battles we hear about more often. And these figures don’t include the huge number of civilians who lost their lives in the Battle of Stalingrad or the Siege of Leningrad, and other horrific clashes.

The numbers for World War I are also appalling; rough estimates indicate that 5 million soldiers lost their lives fighting on the Eastern front.

Conflicts between Europe and Russia are bloody and frequent. This history gives the context necessary to appreciate what is happening in Ukraine, and how Europe will react.

Why Eastern Europe Is Shaken

The freedom Eastern Europe enjoys is unusual, even in terms of recent history. For most of the 20th century, the whole region was conquered by Russia. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland spent only 30 of those 100 years free and self-governing.

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe can exist only when the surrounding powers are weak. The last time this was the case for an extended period of time was in the region’s earlier history. In the 13th century, the Mongols conquered Russia from the East, keeping the country enthralled for over 200 years. Meanwhile Germany was yet to unite and become mainland Europe’s major power.

The vacuum allowed Poland to thrive in the form of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sweden was also a major power in the area, while German knights ruled the region that is now Estonia and Latvia. Without a threat from the East, Poland was able to hold its own. (click for the rest of the story)