Russia's Role and Drivers in the Syrian Conflict - An Analysis from a Classical Geopolitical Perspective
| Název práce v češtině: | Russia's Role and Drivers in the Syrian Conflict - An Analysis from a Classical Geopolitical Perspective |
|---|---|
| Název v anglickém jazyce: | Russia's Role and Drivers in the Syrian Conflict - An Analysis from a Classical Geopolitical Perspective |
| Klíčová slova: | The Middle East, Russia, geopolitics, Syria, Iraq. |
| Klíčová slova anglicky: | The Middle East, Russia, geopolitics, Syria, Iraq. |
| Akademický rok vypsání: | 2015/2016 |
| Typ práce: | diplomová práce |
| Jazyk práce: | angličtina |
| Ústav: | Katedra politologie (23-KP) |
| Vedoucí / školitel: | doc. Martin Riegl, Ph.D. |
| Řešitel: | skrytý - zadáno vedoucím/školitelem |
| Datum přihlášení: | 16.06.2016 |
| Datum zadání: | 16.06.2016 |
| Datum a čas obhajoby: | 12.09.2017 08:15 |
| Místo konání obhajoby: | Jinonice - U Kříže 8, J4019, Jinonice - místn. č. 4019 |
| Datum odevzdání elektronické podoby: | 31.07.2017 |
| Datum proběhlé obhajoby: | 12.09.2017 |
| Oponenti: | Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. |
| Kontrola URKUND: | |
| Zásady pro vypracování |
| The aim of my Master Thesis is to investigate Russia's strategies and influence in the Middle East.
In 2010, the Arab Spring started in Tunisia and expanded to further countries in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The consequences of these events are still prevailing with some countries having new governments now, other countries still struggling and suffering. The demonstrations and protests, targeting the – in most cases authoritarian – governments, lead to a remove or change of the political structures. However, not in all cases this lead to the desired outcome of democratic reforms. In some countries in the Middle East, this lead to a power vacuum, allowing rebels, anti-governmental groups, religious motivated groupings and even terrorists to take advantage of this political instability, aiming for power. The outcome is the questionable existence of Iraq, a quasi state Kurdistan, a proclaimed caliphate covering parts of Syria, Iraq and some parts in Libya and a Syria, characterized by civil war. Especially the current situation in Syria will be analysed by the present thesis, with an investigation of Russia's strategy in this region. While most countries consider Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, as part of the current issue and refuse to collaborate with him, Russia supports his regime. This hampers the possibilities of a solution found on the international level. To explore the reasons for this behavior, the present geopolitical analysis investigates different factors and motivations, why Russia is doing this. Besides political reasons, military and economic factors will be taken into account and evaluated. In order to investigate my hypotheses, I will first review the theoretical literature. Specifically, I will review geopolitical approaches and focus on Russia. This means the post-Soviet geopolitical approaches which consider the neo-Eurasianism (A. Dugin), building up on classical geopolitics (Mackinder, Haushofer). Furthermore, the theoretical framework will include the work of Tsymburski, Gadzhiyev, Kochetov, and Kolosov and Mironenko. Additionally, I will investigate some approaches of International Relations, specifically the realist approach which seems to have a big impact on Russian foreign policy. This theoretical background will then be connected with the current situation in the Middle East and Russia's foreign policies and the working hypotheses elaborated. Working hypotheses: Hypothesis #1: Russia exerts influence in the Middle East, motivated by political, economic and military reasons Hypothesis #2: Russia aims for utilizing her upper hand in the Middle East to increase her international power status Methodology: The research question and the elaborated hypotheses will be checked by qualitative means. Therefore I will use mainly primary and secondary literature. |
| Seznam odborné literatury |
| Bagdonas, A. (2012). Russia’s Interests in the Syrian Conflict: Power, Prestige, and Profit. European Journal of Economic and Political Studies, 5(2), 55-77
Bull, H. (2012). The anarchical society: a study of order in world politics. Palgrave Macmillan. Criekemann, D. (2009). Geopolitical Schools of Thought: a Concise Overview Since 1890 till 2015 and Beyond Csurgai, G. (2009). Constant and Variable Factors of Geopolitical Analysis. Geopolitics: Schools of Thought, Method of Analysis and Case Studies. Ed. Gyula Csurgai. Geneva: Editions de Penthes, 48-86. Donaldson R., Nogee J. (2005) The Foreign Policy in Russia: Chaning Systems, Enduring Interests. M. E. Sharpe Dussouy G. (2010) Systemic Geopolitics: A Global Interpretation Method of the World. Geopolitics Roundtable. Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group. Geopolitics, 15: 133-150 Gvosdev N., Marsh C. (2014) Russian Foreign Policy: Interests, Vectors and Sectors. Sage Publications, p.27-65 Havrylyshyn O. (2006) Divergent Paths in Post-Communist Transition: Capitalism for All or Capitalism for the Few? Palgrave Macmillan Kotkin S. (2016) Russia's Perpetual Geopolitics. Putin Returns to the Historical Pattern. Foreign Affairs. May/ June 2016 [online] accessed: 14/06/2016 https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2016-04-18/russias-perpetual-geopolitics Kumaraswamy P. R. (2006) Who Am I? The Identity Crisis in the Middle East. Meria. Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 10, No. 1: 63-73 Lebow, R. N. (2007). Classical realism. International relations theories: Discipline and Diversity, 52-70. Morgenthau, H. J. (1973). Politics among nations (Vol. 4). New York: Knopf. O'loughlin, J. (2001). Geopolitical fantasies, national strategies and ordinary Russians in the post‐ communist Era. Geopolitics, 6(3), 17-48. Robertson, J. M. (1996). Alfred Thayer Mahan and the geopolitics of Asia. Comparative Strategy, 15(4), 353-366. Sergunin A (2005) Discussions of International Relations in post-Communist Russia. In: New Directions in Russian International Studies, edited by Andrei P. Tsygankov and Pavel A. Tsygankov. Stuttgart: ibidem-Verlag, p. 37-60 Solovyev E. (2005) Geopolitics in Russia: Science or Vacation? In: New Directions in Russian International Studies, ed. Tsygankov A. and Tsygankov P. Stuttgart: Ibidem-Verlag, p. 127-142 Thorun C. (2009) Explainaing Change in Russian Foreign Policy: The Role of Ideas in Post-Soviet Russia's Conduct Towards the West. New York: Palgrave Macmillan The Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation (2008). Approved by Dimitry A. Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, on 12 July 2008 |
| Předběžná náplň práce |
| Introduction
Theoretical Background a) Geopolitical Approaches b) International Relations Approaches Current Situation in the Middle East a) Short historical overview/ background b) Arab Spring and following Developments c) Current Situation Hypotheses - building on part two and three of the thesis the hypotheses will be elaborated Testing of Hypotheses Conclusions and critical discussion References Appendix |
| Předběžná náplň práce v anglickém jazyce |
| Introduction
Theoretical Background a) Geopolitical Approaches b) International Relations Approaches Current Situation in the Middle East a) Short historical overview/ background b) Arab Spring and following Developments c) Current Situation Hypotheses - building on part two and three of the thesis the hypotheses will be elaborated Testing of Hypotheses Conclusions and critical discussion References Appendix |