The Development of Structure and Capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Baltic Republics

• Thesis title in Czech: Vývoj struktur a schopností ozbrojených sil pobaltských republik
• Thesis title in English: The Development of Structure and Capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Baltic Republics
• Key words: Ozbrojené síly, Vojenské schopnosti, Estonsko, Lotyšsko, Struktura ozbrojených sil, Strategické šoky
• English key words: Armed forces, Military capabilities, Estonia, Latvia, Military structure, Strategic shocks
• Academic year of topic announcement: 2023/2024
• Thesis type: diploma thesis
• Thesis language: angličtina
• Department: Department of International Relations (23-KMV)
• Supervisor: Mgr. Vojtěch Bahenský, Ph.D.
• Author: hidden - assigned by the advisor
• Date of registration: 03.01.2024
• Date of assignment: 03.01.2024
• Date and time of defence: 19.06.2024 09:00
• Venue of defence: Areál Jinonice, B330, 330, seminární místnost IPS
• Date of electronic submission: 29.04.2024
• Date of proceeded defence: 19.06.2024
• Opponents: Mgr. Jan Ludvík, Ph.D.

References

Baltiņa, Sarmīte. “Dawn of Restored Latvian National Armed Forces”, Eesti Sõjaajaloo Aastaraamat, Estonian Yearbook of Military History Vol.1, (2014), 62-79.
Bauwens, Werner, Armand Cleese, and Olav D. Knudsen. Small states and the security challenge in the new Europe. London: Brassey's, 1996.
Bērziņš, Janis. “Latvia - From Total Defense to Comprehensive Defense”. National Defence University Press Vol. 10, No. 2, (2023): 38-53.
Chipman, John and Bastian Giegerich. “Europe”. The Military Balance, Vol. 124, No. 1. (2024), 54-157.
Crowards, Tom. “Defining the Category of ‘Small’ States”. Journal of International Development, Vol. 14, No.1. (2002): 143-179.
Duling, Kaitlyn, Barlas, Robert, and Wong, Winnie. Latvia. New York, NY: Cavendish Square.
Edström. Håkan, Dennis Gyllensporre, Jacob Westberg. Military Strategy of Small States. London and New York: Routledge, 2019.
Gray, Colin. Strategy and Defence Planning: Meeting the Challenge of Uncertainty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Gray, Colin. Strategy and History. Essays on Theory and Practice. London: Routledge, 2006.
Ingebritsen, Christine. 2006. Small states in international relations. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006.
Jurgeláns, Valdis. “Latvian Armed Forces: Ground Forces Strategy Transformation”. Obrana a Strategie Vol. 3. no. 2 (2003): 93-103.
Keohane, Robert. “Lilliputians' Dilemmas: Small States in International Politics”. International Organization, Vol. 23, No 2, (1969): 291-310.
Männik, Erik. “Small states: invited to NATO — able to contribute?”, Defense & Security Analysis, Vol. 20, No. 1, (2010): 21-37.
Morgenthau, Hans. Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
Roosaare, Jüri. “Physical Geography in Estonia: Bridging Western and Eastern Schools of Landscape Synthesis”. GeoJournal Vol. 33, No. 1., (1994): 27-36.
Rostoks, Toms and Nora Vanaga. “Latvia’s Security and Defence Post-2014”. Journal on Baltic Security Vol. 2, No. 2, (2016): 71-108.
Rothstein, Robert. Alliances and Small Powers. New York: Columbia University Press, 1968.
Schwartz, Peter, and Doug Randall. “Ahead of the Curve: Anticipating Strategic Surprise.” In Blindside: How to Anticipate Forcing Events and Wild Cards in Global Politics, edited by Francis Fukuyama. Brookings Institution Press, 2007.
Skrastins, Indulis. “The armed forces of the Baltic states current status and problems of development”. The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. Vol. No. 1, (1995): 36-52.
Švec, Luboš, Vladimír Macura, and Pavel Štoll. Dějiny pobaltských zemí. Dotisk 2001. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 1996.
Trapans, Jan Arveds. “Democracy and Defence in Latvia: Thirteen Years of Development: 1991–2004”. European Security Vol. 14, No. 1, (2005), 51-70.

Preliminary scope of work

V současné době výrazně více států vzhledem ke zhoršené bezpečnostní situaci v Evropě klade důraz na rozvoj schopností a transformaci struktur ozbrojených sil. Účelem této práce je prozkoumat vývoj struktur a schopností ozbrojených sil Lotyšska a Estonska za poslední desetiletí. Hlavními vstupními faktory jsou teoretické předpoklady chování malých států a koncept externích strategických šoků ovlivňujících rozvoj schopností ozbrojených sil. V rámci výzkumu práce prokáže význam některých faktorů zmiňovaných v teoriích na podobu ozbrojených sil a zároveň práce předloží důkazy, že zejména druhý a třetí strategický otřes výrazně ovlivnily přístup k rozvoji struktur a schopností v obou pobaltských republikách.

Preliminary scope of work in English

Currently, due to the deteriorated security situation in Europe, significantly more states are emphasizing the development of capabilities and the transformation of the structures of the armed forces. The purpose of this work is to examine the development of structures and capabilities of the armed forces of Latvia and Estonia over the past decades. The main input factors are the theoretical assumptions of the behavior of small states and the concept of external strategic shocks influencing the development of the capabilities of the armed forces. As part of the research, the work will demonstrate the importance of some of the factors mentioned in the theories in the form of the armed forces, and at the same time it will present evidence that the second and third strategic shocks in particular greatly influenced the approach to the development of structures and capabilities in both Baltic republics.