Table of Contents

1. Introduction: understanding conflict in the former USSR Matthew Sussex; 2. The return of imperial Russia Roger E. Kanet; 3. The shape of the security order in the former USSR Matthew Sussex; 4. Great powers and small wars in the Caucasus Richard Sakwa; 5. The Russo-Georgian war: identity, intervention and norm adaptation Beat Kernen and Matthew Sussex; 6. Why not more conflict in the former USSR? Russia and Central Asia as a zone of relative peace Neil Robinson; 7. Transnational crime, corruption and conflict in Russia and the former USSR Leslie Holmes; 8. The transformation of war? New and old conflicts in the former USSR Matt Killingsworth; 9. Conclusions: the future of conflict in the former USSR Matthew Sussex.

Promotional Information

This book examines a major concern in international security: the nature and causes of conflict in the former Soviet Union.

About the Author

Dr Matthew Sussex holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne (2001) and completed his undergraduate and Honours qualifications at the University of Queensland. He is currently Senior Lecturer in the School of Government, University of Tasmania, where he coordinates that institution's International Relations programme. His research interests include international security, Russian politics and foreign policy, strategic studies, European politics and international relations theory.

Reviews

'Those who foolishly proclaimed the end of history after 1989 should read this engaging and scholarly book on the former USSR with great care. Balanced, sober, and above all comprehensive, there is no better starting-point for reflecting in depth on the past, present and future of this most troubled of spaces at the heart of a once great superpower.' Michael Cox, Co-Director, IDEAS, London School of Economics and Political Science

'This is a fine, stimulating collection of essays. Theoretically nuanced and empirically grounded, these essays combine an exploration of major theoretical issues in international relations with deep insight into both the dynamics of conflict in the post-Soviet space and the very nature of the polities in this region. This collection will be of enduring value to everyone who wants to understand what has been going on in the former USSR.' Graeme Gill, University of Sydney

'Put together, this brilliant collection of essays is the most sophisticated and intelligent analysis yet to appear of the range of conflicts in the former Soviet space.' Anatol Lieven, King's College London, and author of Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power