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The notorious Wagner group of mercenaries marched for Moscow after calls from its leader to 'end this disgrace鈥. Yevgeny Prigozhin insisted it was a 鈥榤arch for justice鈥 and not a coup, but for 24 hours Russia鈥檚 future seemed uncertain and the political impact of the brief uprising remains to be seen. The Roman general, Sulla, was the first leader of the Republic to seize power by force, marching twice on Rome 鈥 first in 88 BC, and the Streltsy uprising of Russian soldiers in 1698 proved a decisive moment in the rule of Peter the Great. Jonathan Freedland takes the long view of marches of mutiny. Contributors: Catherine Steel, Professor of Classics, University of Glasgow Simon Sebag Montefiore, historian and writer Readings: Gerard McDermott Samuel James Producer: Joel Moors
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