What a complicated guy Czar Vlad has turned out to be. Bad to the bone for sure, his latest activities, aka The Invasion of the Ukraine, makes one wonder what makes this guy tick? How will that event unfold. Where will the war in Europe go? Nobody knows for sure.

As to the true identity and character of Vladimir Putin, that also is a mystery.

BCE (aka Buffalo Chip Express) has several theories:

The Reincarnation of Rasputin: this is a pretty good theory. Let’s start with the hard fact that the name Putin shares 5 letters with the name Rasputin – that cannot be a coincidence! And those 5 letters are in the exact same order. This theory becomes even stronger when you consider that Rasputin single handedly screwed up the 300 year rule of the Romanov Dynasty and helped bring on the Russian Revolution. It presently looks like Vlad the Bad is on a similar trajectory. This theory looses some of its momentum when you consider that Rasputin was a monk given to seducing Princesses in the Court of the Czar and drinking vodka until senseless. That part, however, does not seem to fit the MO (modus operandi) of Vlad the Bad.

Yes, Vlad the Bad is bad, but he is not known to have been a monk, to seduce Russian princesses or to drink himself senseless. So perhaps, this theory is not as solid as it might be. Of course, it could be that Vlad the Bad has a secret life of seducing the great grand daughters of former Russian princesses and is a closet drinker. If so, that is a well-kept secret within the high walls of the Kremlin.

So let’s move on to the next possible theory –

Ivan the Terrible Reborn: This theory has some legs. Vlad the Bad does share characteristics that might make Ivan the Terrible jealous. The Invasion of Ukraine is certainly something that Ivan the Terrible would do, although Ivan would no doubt go along to the Ukraine himself (and not sit back in Moscow like Vlad the Bad), bringing one or two of his sons that he had not yet killed. They would no doubt take part in torturing and raping as many citizens of the Ukraine as they could come across. And Czar Putin’s previous forays into Georgia and the Crimea would win high marks with Ivan because that the kind of guy he was – he liked land grabs. Still, this theory gets a little shaky when we study the portraits of Ivan the Terrible and Vlad the Bad.

Ivan the Terrible was probably pretty terrible when it came to grooming whereas Vlad the Bad is a neat, well-dressed and buttoned up autocrat. Appearances seem to be important for Vlad the Bad whereas not so much for Ivan the Terrible.

This brings us to last possible explanation –

Napoleon in Reverse: If the Ivan the Terrible comparison has some legs, BCE thinks Napoleon in Reverse is a wrap. Let’s start with the obvious – both guys are snappy dressers and both guys are short dudes – Bonaparte was 5’ 6”, Vlad was 5’ 7”. Both seemed to have a chip on their shoulder and both had a bent towards megalomania. Let’s bring the case home: Napoleon invaded Russia and had to retreat when things did not work out. Vlad the Bad invaded the Ukraine and may have to retreat if things do not work out.

That may not seem like a direct comparison but that depends on the outcome of The Invasion of Ukraine. If Vlad the Bad is forced to retreat and cut a less than perfect deal, as BCE suspects, then truly, Vlad the Bad will be Napoleon in Reverse.

Of course, quite the opposite could occur if Vlad the Bad decides to go West.