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This course aims to give the students conceptually informed and empirically-driven insight of key security issues facing Russia and post-Soviet region. The course discusses main priorities of the Russian security and economic policy in the region. With a focus on political violence as the common denominator of most of the security issues, the course is also focused on jihadist violence, secessionist conflicts and “hybrid” war. The course offers a balanced insight into the key regional security issues, that is not confined to the empirical complexity of the case studies, but allows students to analyse these phenomena with respect to the general literature. Poslední úprava: Laryš Martin, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2022)
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Poslední úprava: Erkomaishvili David, Ph.D. (05.02.2024)
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Russian and Post-Soviet Security (JPM711) Martin Laryš (martin.larys@fsv.cuni.cz) David Erkomaishvili (david.erkomashvili@fsv.cuni.cz)
Course description This course aims to give the students conceptually informed and empirically-driven insight of key security issues facing Russia and post-Soviet region. The course discusses main priorities of the Russian security and economic policy in the region. With a focus on political violence as the common denominator of most of the security issues, the course is also focused on jihadist violence, secessionist conflicts and “hybrid” war. The course offers a balanced insight into the key regional security issues, that is not confined to the empirical complexity of the case studies, but allows students to analyse these phenomena with respect to the general literature.
Aims of the course After completing the course, students shall be able to understand the concepts of Jihadist terrorism, ethnic separatism, and interstate war and apply them in the context of Russia and Eurasia. In addition to learning basic facts on the topic of the course, this rather seminar-style course is intended to contribute to developing methodological and analytical skills among the students. Students are strongly encouraged to attend all the classes; attendance, key to a successful complement of the course, is not a formal requirement, though.
Structure of the course:
Week 1: Introduction to the Course (ML + DE), 3 October
Week 2: Russia’s Security Policy in the Post-Soviet Region (DE), 10 October This lecture explores Russia's strategic approach to maintaining influence and control in the countries that once made up the Soviet Union. It examines Russia's military and political strategies, projecting power and countering Western influence in the region. It also examines key issues such as NATO enlargement, regional conflicts and Russia's use of its influence. Through case studies of countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, the lecture offers insights into Russia's evolving security priorities and tactics. Readings: King, Charles. “The Five-Day War: Managing Moscow after the Georgia Crisis.” Foreign Affairs 87 (2008), 2-11 (10 pages). Way, L. A. The limits of autocracy promotion: The case of Russia in the “near abroad.” European Journal of Political Research, 54(4), (2015), 691–706 (16 pages). Klein, Margarete. “Russia’s Military Policy in the Post-Soviet Space: Aims, Instruments and Perspectives”. German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin., (2019) 7-40 (33 pages). Hedenskog Jakob, Gudrun Persson and Carolina Vendil Pallin. “Russian Security Policy, In.: Persson Gudrun (ed.) Russian Military Capability in Ten-Year Perspective – 2016”, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), (2016) 97-133 (36 pages). 95 pages in total Presentations: The role of military interventions in Russia’s security strategy Why international opinion (doesn’t) matter: Understanding global attitudes to the Russian-Georgian August War
Week 3: Russia’s Economic Statecraft after Re-invasion of Ukraine (ML), 17 October The seminar will explore Russia's potential for economic statecraft following the sanctions imposed after 2022, examining the opportunities this situation has created for neighboring countries. It will also cover related topics, such as Russia’s use of economic pressures and incentives, economic integration as one of the driving forces of Russian foreign policy in the post-Soviet space—particularly through the Eurasian Economic Union—and the role of Russian energy policy as a tool for weaponization and political influence. Readings: Laryš, Martin (2023). Incentive-oriented economic statecraft by Russia in the nuclear energy sector of democratic countries, Eurasian Geography and Economics (16 pages). Laryš, Martin and Svoboda, Karel (2024). Delegation of economic statecraft to private enterprises: Russia, China, and Turkey in Africa, International Studies Review (21 pages). Laryš, Martin (2024). Russia’s potential for weaponization of gas supplies after the re-invasion of Ukraine, Energy Policy (8 pages). Roberts, Sean P. and Arkady Moshes (2016). The Eurasian Economic Union: a case of reproductive integration? Post-Soviet Affairs (24 pages). Newnham Randall (2011). Oil, carrots, and sticks: Russia’s energy resources as a foreign policy tool, Journal of Eurasian Studies (10 pages). 84 pages in total. Presentations: Potential for Russian economic statecraft against Armenia after the lost war for Karabakh in 2023 Success story? How Moldova got rid of dependence on Russia’s energy sources after 2022
Week 4: Russia’s Foreign Policy: Autocracy Promotion and Democracy Subversion (DE), 24 October This session will focus on Russian support of authoritarian regimes in the post-Soviet space and in the world as a “conservative super-power.” It explores Russia’s strategies to support autocratic regimes and undermine democratic institutions globally. It examines how Russia uses a combination of diplomatic, economic, and covert methods to promote authoritarian governance. The lecture also delves into Russia’s motivations, including securing geopolitical influence, countering the West, and maintaining internal regime stability. Readings: Issaev Leonid and Alisa Shishkina. “Russia in the Middle East: In Search of Its Place,” In.: Muhlberger Wolfgang and Toni Alaranta, Political Narratives in the Middle East and North Africa, Springer, (2020) 95-115 (20 pages). Michael McFaul; Putin, Putinism, and the Domestic Determinants of Russian Foreign Policy. International Security 2020; 45 (2): 95–139 (44 pages). Gorenburg Dmitry. “Russian Foreign Policy Narratives,” Security Insights (2019), (10 pages). Matusevich Maxim. “Russia in Africa: A Search for Continuity in a Post-Cold War Era,” Insight Turkey (2019), (15 pages). 86 pages in total Presentations: Tell me who your friends are: Russian support of the authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and Latin America (choose and present one case). Empire of Fakes: Disseminating disinformation and conspiracy theories as the Russian subversive tactics in West.
Week 5: Secessionist Conflicts in the Post-Soviet Region: Case of South Caucasus (DE), 31 October This seminar examines the roots and dynamics of secessionist movements in the South Caucasus, focusing on conflicts in Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. It explores the historical, ethnic, and geopolitical factors driving these conflicts, as well as the role of external powers, particularly Russia, in influencing the outcomes. The lecture also discusses the impact of these conflicts on regional stability, and international relations. Readings: Welt, Cory. Explaining Ethnic Conflict in the South Caucasus: Mountainous Karabagh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. Diss. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (2004). - Chapters 1 and 2 (48 pages). 86 pages in total Presentations: Secessionist conflicts in the South Caucasus: A comparative analysis of their causes Russia, Turkey, and Iran: On the external factors of the South Caucasian ethnic wars
Week 6: Consequences of Secessionist Conflicts in the Post-Soviet Region: The Emergence and Survival of Para-States under Russian Patronage (DE), 7 November This seminar will provide students with an understanding of how para-states emerged as a result of secessionist conflicts in the post-Soviet region during the 1990s. It will examine how these entities function as tools of Moscow's policy within what the Kremlin considers its exclusive “sphere of influence.” The seminar will also discuss the internal functioning of these para-states, their economies and the role played by other external actors. Readings: Riegl, Martin, and Bohumil Doboš. "Post-Soviet De Facto States and Russian Geopolitical Strategy." Central European Journal of International & Security Studies 12, no. 1 (2018). 31 pages Blakkisrud, Helge, and Pål Kolstø. “From Secessionist Conflict Toward a Functioning State: Processes of State- and Nation-Building in Transnistria,” Post-Soviet Affairs, 2:27, (2011)178-210 (32 pages). Relitz, Sebastian. “De facto states and the international system,” Conflict Resolution in de Facto States. Taylor and Francis, 2022. Hoch, Tomáš, and Vincent Kopeček (eds.), “De Facto States in Eurasia,” Routledge, (2018) 208-225, 247-262 (32 pages). 95 pages in total. Presentations: Transnistria as an outpost of Russian influence in Moldova and Ukraine Price of recognition: Policy of the Kremlin in recognising (non-recognising) independence of para-states in the post-Soviet space
Week 7: Jihadist Threats as Security Challenges in the Post-Soviet Region and the Middle East (DE), 14 November The lecture examines the rise of jihadist movements and their impact on the security landscape of Central Asia and Northern Caucasus. It explores the historical roots of jihadism in the region, the influence of Middle Eastern conflicts, and the spillover effects into post-Soviet states. The lecture also discusses the responses of post-Soviet governments and regional powers to these threats. The lecture provides insights into the complex dynamics of jihadist activities and their implications for regional and global security. Readings: Danis Garaev. Jihadism in the Russian-Speaking World. Taylor & Francis, 29 Aug. 2022. Souleimanov, Emil Aslan, and Huseyn Aliyev. “Blood Revenge and Violent Mobilization: Evidence from the Chechen Wars.” International Security 40.2 (2015): 158–180. (23 pages). Sanderson, Tom et al. “Russian-Speaking Foreign Fighters in Iraq and Syria,” Center for Strategic and International Studies (2017), (28 pages). 102 pages in total Presentations: From Chechnya with jihad: How a local insurgency shaped the North Caucasus Joining a Holy War: Why North Caucasians and Central Asians Joined the Syrian Civil War
Week 8: Organized Crime: The Cases of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (ML), 21 November This seminar will be driven by a discussion on the pervasiveness of organized crime and its links to ethnic violence, religious extremism, and inter-state disputes with a focus on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Readings: Marat, E. and Botoeva, G. (2022). Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Corruption in Central Asia, SOCACE Research Program, University of Birmingham (48 pages). De Danieli, Filippo (2014). “Beyond the drug-terror nexus: Drug trafficking and state-crime relations in Central Asia,” International Journal of Drug Policy (6 pages). Bakiev, Erlan. (2013). “The Power Shift from Government to Organized Crime in Kyrgyzstan,” In.: Mirh Anja (ed.), Between Peace and Conflict in the East and the West, OSCE, 139-158 (19 pages). ACLED (2020). “Everlasting of Ever-Changing? Violence Along the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Border” (7 pages). 80 pages in total Presentation: Drug Trafficking and Rakhmon’s regime: Tajikistan as a narco-state? On the borderline: Violence, inter-state disputes and organized crime surrounding exclaves in Central Asia
Week 9: Mid-term test, 28 November
Week 10: Multiple Faces of Militant Ultra-Nationalism in Putin’s Russia (ML), 5 December This session will focus on the role of militant ultra-nationalism in contemporary Russia under Putin, examining various strands of ultra-nationalist beliefs that either support or oppose the authoritarian regime. It will discuss their role in legitimizing current Putin’s regime and its war against Ukraine, as well as the anti-Putin nationalist movements that aim to delegitimize the regime as a direct continuation of Soviet rule over Russia. Readings: Holzer, Jan, Laryš, Martin, and Mareš, Miroslav (2018). Militant Right-Wing Extremism in Putin’s Russia – Legacies, Forms and Threats, London: Routledge: Chapters 3 and 6 (61 pages). Laryš, Martin (2023). ‘We Will Conquer the Motherland’: How Russian Nationalists in Exile Legitimise Their Fight Against Putin’s Regime, Europe-Asia Studies, 76:3 (25 pages) Kolesnikov, Andrei (2023). Blood and Iron: How Nationalist Imperialism Became Russia’s State Ideology, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (7 pages) Yudina Natalia and Alexander Verkhovsky (2019). Russian Nationalist Veterans of the Donbas War, Nationalities Papers 47(5), 734-749 (16 pages). 109 pages in total Presentation: Pro-war ultra-nationalist hardliners in post-2022 Putin’s Russia: Threat or loyal servants? The origins of Russia's current anti-Western nationalist messianism and imperialism: same old, same old
Week 11: Russia’s Delegated Rebellion to Eastern Ukraine in 2014-2022 (ML), 12 December This seminar explores the concept of delegated rebellion, a specific form of external state support for rebellion, focusing on the causes and dynamics of such conflicts, as exemplified by the Russia-backed rebellion in Eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2022. The seminar will also examine rebel governance as a crucial aspect of insurgencies, focusing on the strategies used to maintain control over civilians in territories held by rebels. Readings: Laryš, Martin and Souleimanov, Emil A. (2022). Delegated Rebellions as an Unwanted Byproduct of Subnational Elites’ Miscalculation: A Case Study of the Donbas, Problems of Post-Communism, 69:2 (12 pages). Laryš, Martin (2023). Pre-War Government and Party Networks in the Rebel Political Institutions: Individual Co-Optation in Eastern Ukraine, East European Politics and Societies, and Cultures, 37:3 (25 pages) Laryš, Martin (2024). Failing to Fight for the “Russian World”: Pre-War Social Origins of the Pro-Russian Secessionist Organizations in Ukraine. Nationalities Papers, 52 (20 pages). Kuromiya Hiroaki (2019). The War in Donbas in Historical Perspective, The Soviet and post-Soviet Review 46, 245-262 (17 pages). Fischer, Sabine (2019). “The Donbas Conflict: Opposing Interests and Narratives, Difficult Peace Process,” German Institute for International and Security Affairs (28 pages). 102 pages in total. Presentations: Ukrainians as ‘significant other’: Why is Putin’s regime so obsessed with Ukraine? Rebel governance in so-called “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics” in 2014-2022: Neo-Stalinist puppet regimes?
Week 12: Russia’s Re-Invasion of Ukraine since 2022 – Reasons and Consequences (ML), 19 Decembe The seminar examines the causes and impacts of Russia's unprecedented full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, focusing on the consequences for both Russia and Ukraine. It will also explore Russia's objectives in this re-invasion, how the invasion is instrumentalized in the regime's propaganda, the academic discourse surrounding the nature of Russia's actions, and the role of the West in supporting Ukraine's defense. Readings: Oksamytna, Kseniya (2023). Imperialism, supremacy, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Contemporary Security Policy, 44:4 (17 pages). Komin, Mikhail (2024). Late-Stage Putinism: The War in Ukraine and Russia’s shifting ideology, European Council on Foreign Relations (35 pages). Snegovaya, Maria, Michael Kimmage, and Jade McGlynn (2023). The Ideology of Putinism: Is it sustainable? Center for Strategic and International Studies (22 pages). Mälksoo Maria (2023). The Postcolonial Moment in Russia’s War Against Ukraine, Journal of Genocide Research, 25:3-4 (12 pages). Garner, Ian (2023). “We’ve Got to Kill Them”: Responses to Bucha on Russian Social Media Groups, Journal of Genocide Research, 25:3-4 (9 pages). 95 pages in total Presentations: From 'denazification' to a global crusade against the 'collective West': How have propaganda narratives evolved under Putin's regime since 2022? Cultural genocide as 'liberation': Russia's policy in Ukraine's occupied territories
Requirements Students are expected to attend all classes, read all reading assignments before each class, and actively participate in discussions. This course is reading-intensive (approx. 80-100pp per week), which makes a daily reading routine a necessity. Students are encouraged to follow the topics covered throughout the course in the media. The students’ performance in the course will be assessed based on the following criteria: · One in-class mid-term test (20%). Test questions will be related to the first section of the course, will mostly draw from the weekly readings, and will test the students’ factual knowledge. No notes, electronic devices or literature may be used during the test. The duration of the open-answer test is 60 min. Students are expected to attend the test. Only those in serious and duly documented circumstances may be excused from the test and are to take the test a week later. Those failing to take the test whatsoever may continue attending the course, but will not acquire up to 20% ascribed to the mid-term test. · One 10min brief and highly analytical presentation on a chosen topic (30%) either individually or in pairs (due to recent high numbers of enrolled students). Power points are not formally required, but are welcomed and may be emailed to the lecturer and/or fellow students before class. Formally structured (introduction-main theses-core-conclusion-bibliography + three topic-related questions for class discussion) one-page handouts should be distributed to fellow students and the lecturer at the beginning of each presentation. Note that presentations are to be delivered in due time; they cannot be rescheduled. Failure to deliver an assigned presentation in due time or to provide a good reason for absence from the day of presentation may result in one’s disqualification from the course. Should the students have any doubts about the structure or scope of their presentation, they are encouraged to consult the issues with the lecturer beforehand to ensure they score well on the presentation. · Research papers (40%), of around 2500 words, in Word files, to be emailed to the lecturer (martin.larys@fsv.cuni.cz) due December/May 15th (depending on the semester) noon Central European Time. Penalties for late submission are as follows: within 24 hours: 5%; within 48 hours: 10%; 48+ hours: not accepted. Research papers have to be original pieces of research, based on the knowledge of the related scholarly literature and centered on preferably innovative research questions. Research papers are to be written by two authors, one in charge of the non-empirical sections (theoretical and conceptual introduction, literature review) and one in charge of the empirical sections. The names of both authors and their respective share (i.e. authorship of non-empirical vs. empirical sections) should be clearly stated on the front page with each author given mark individually on his or her part of the paper. Research papers have to be in-depth and highly analytical rather than superficial and descriptive. They should contain references (in Chicago or Harvard Manual of Style; students should make sure that all references are quoted accurately as the papers might be run on plagiarism software), be formally organized, and have both general (conceptual and theoretical) and empirical parts. Particular attention should be paid to the interconnectedness of the theoretical and empirical sections, with empirical sections illustrating the theoretical argument. Research papers shall have the following structure: Introduction, Conceptualizing (a brief definition of the studied concept or phenomenon), General (sorting out related theories/literature review/presenting one’s research questions), Empirical (providing empirical evidence), Conclusion. More specifically, the theoretical part must draw on the conceptual and theoretical perspectives covered throughout the course; in the empirical part the students are encouraged to select and analyze comparatively two case studies. Single case studies may be accepted only in exceptional cases upon prior approval from the lecturer. Students are encouraged to discuss with the lecturer their preferred topics in advance (at least 4 weeks). The lecturer may assign topics as well. Note that the research papers cannot be written on the same topic as the presentations. · Active class participation (10%) based primarily on the discussion of the weekly readings; failure to demonstrate the familiarity with the assigned texts will prevent the students from scoring. Evaluation A - Excellent 91%-100% B - Very good 81%-90% C - Fairly good 71%-80% D – Poor 61%-70% E – Very poor 51%-60% F - Fail 0-50% Note that the acquired scores for the presentations, research papers, mid-term test, and research papers are not negotiable, either individually or as a total. Nor may they be improved through additional performance unless specifically suggested by the lecturers. Only those acquiring up to 5 points below the minimum threshold for passing the course (45%) may go through extra re-examination to attain an E. Course rules The Code of Study and Examination of Charles University in Prague provides the general framework of study rules at the university. According to art. 6, par. 17 of this Code, “a student may not take any examination in any subject entered in his study plan more than three times, i.e. he shall have the right to two resit dates; no extraordinary resit date shall be permitted. (…) If a student fails to appear for an examination on the date for which he has enrolled without duly excusing himself, he shall not be marked; the provision of neither this nor of the first sentence shall constitute the right to arrange for a special examination date.” Any written assignment composed by the student shall be an original piece. The practices of plagiarism, defined by the Dean’s Provision no. 18/2015, are seen as “a major violation of the rules of academic ethics” and “will be penalized in accordance with Disciplinarian Regulations of the faculty.” Poslední úprava: Laryš Martin, Mgr., Ph.D. (03.09.2024)
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