Russia's Defense and Foregin Policy

podstawowy

SM2_W04, SM2_W10, SM2_W11, SM2_W12, SM2_U01, SM2_U15

This course is tought by Dr. Vakhtang Maisaia, Professor, Caucasus International University (Georgia).

To teach the student about the essence of Russia’s contemporary politics of domestic and foreign directions. The course also covers actual aspects of Russia’s national security, foreign policy and defense modernization at contemporary period of time.

• What is Russia’s role in Global Politics?

• What is essence of the Russia’s contemporary politics of defense and foreign directions?

• Who is a real decision-making in foreign policy, defense planning and strategy and national security issues?

• What are key prerequisites to Russia’s transformation from democracy into authoritarian leadership format with law enforcement agencies involvement?

• What should be the role of Russia in shaping up new World Order from national geostrategy consideration?

• What are main phases of modern Russia’s statehood development with clan distribution?

Overview of Course and

Requirements. Introduction to Course Details

• General introduction of the course syllabus

• Introduction to Russia’s Politics key aspects

• General discussion on topic issues

From Communist to post-Communist Rule –

The Russia’s Politics

• A changing policy agenda

• The Gorbachev Leadership

• The August coup and the end of one party

• Post-Coup Period and Last days of the SU

Russia’s Key Geopolitical Space - Eurasia

• The Eurasian Map

• Russia and the Independent Heartland

• The Rimland Thesis

• The Russia and Eurasian Rimland

The Influence of the Domestic Situation on Russia’s

Foreign Policy and Specifics of the Russia’s Political System

• Political parties, lobbyists and public

• The Clans inside of the Kremlin and Influence on

Foreign Policy

• From Yeltsin to Putin/Medvedev

• New Constitutional Amendments and Foreign Policy

implications

Russia’s Foreign Policy Missions: Hard Line Domination

• Dynamics of political processes of Russia’s foreign policy

• Russia’s foreign policy specifics

• Recent Historic Phases of Russia’s Foreign Policy

• Russia’s political system – politics vs. military power

• Russia’s foreign policy values, traditions and visions

Russia’s Foreign Policy Regional Aspects – EEU, SCO,

CSTO

• Some Aspects of Russia’s Foreign Policy

• Comparing the Eurasian Union to the Soviet Union

• Characteristics of the Eurasian Union

• Transformation of the Custom Union into Eurasian Union

• Regional Security Aspects of the Foreign Policy

• CSTO and SCO – new anti-NATO Alliances???

• China-Russia Strategic Partnership in Energy Policy

Russia’s Foreign Policy and International Military Conflicts:

Russia-Georgia 2008 August War and 2014 Crimea

Occupation in Ukraine and “Gerasimov” Military

Doctrine in Action

• How Russia increases its engagement into Regional levels

• Georgia-Russia war – geopolitical implications

• Russia’s potential “influence tools” in Georgia

• Impact of the crisis in Ukraine

• Russia’s geostrategic gambit in Crimea

Russia’s Military Strategy and Doctrine

• Russia’s Federation Military Doctrine Identification of Foes

• and Key Military Threats

• Main Principles of the Russian Federation Military-Strategic

• and Military-Political Management Princiles

• Creation of Operational-Strategic Command HQs as

• independent military entities

• General Bulow's Military-Strategic Modality

• Bullow’s Modality and Contemporary Russia’s Military

• Leadership Approaches

• Islamic JIhadims as a military threat to regional security and

• Syrian military campaign (2015-2019)

New Cold War: Russia vs. West???

• How Eastern Europe Sits on the Front Line of the New

• Cold War

• New “Rimland” – Baltic states+Ukraine+Georgia in Cold

• WarConfrontation Lines in 21st century

Presentation of Research Topics delivered by the pairs –

- 1.5 hours

Final Exam – 2 hours

Basic literature

1) Stephen White “Understanding Russian Politics”, Cambridge University Press, 2012

2) Eduard Lucas “The New Cold War – Putin’s Threat to Russia and the West”, Bloomsbury, Great Britain, 2014

3) Andrew Jack “Inside Putin’s Russia”, Granta Books, London, 2005

4) “Georgia 2014 – Anticipating Europeanisation” –Frederich Ebert Stiftung Foundation and Independent Expert’s Club of Georgia”, Publishing House “Universal”, Tbilisi, 2014 – in electronic version

5) Ernst M. Felberbauer and Frederic Labarre “From Self-Defence to Regional Disarmament – Reduction Tensions and Stabilizing the South Caucasus” – 9th Workshop of the Study Group Regional Stability in the South Caucasus, Vienna, December 2014 – Band 23

6) Ernst M. Felberbauer and Frederic Labarre “From Self-Defence to Regional Disarmament – Reduction Tensions and Stabilizing the South Caucasus” – 9th Workshop of the Study Group Regional Stability in the South Caucasus, Vienna, October 2014 – Band 18

7) Robert D. Kaplan “The Revenge of Geography”, Random House Trade Paperbacks, New York, 2013

Auxiliary literature 1. Eldar Ismailov and Vladimer Papava “The Central Caucasus: Essays on Geopolitical Economy”, CA and CC AB, Stockholm, 2006

2. Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun “Merchant of Death”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., London, 2007

3. Peter Baker and Susan Glasser “Kremlin Rising”, A Lisa Drew Book, New York, 2005

4. John O’Loughlin and Paul F. Talbot “Where in the World is Russia? Geopolitical Perceptions and Preferences of Ordinary Russians”, electronic version, 2004

5. Turkey and Russia conclude energy deals”, by Sebnem Arsu, 07.08.2009

6. Barrington, Lowell W., Erik S. Herron, and Brian D. Silver, “The Motherland Is Calling: Views of Homeland among Russians in the Near Abroad,” World Politics, 55, 290-313, 2003.

7. Cohen, Saul B., “The Eurasian Convergence Zone: Gateway or Shatterbelt?” Eurasian Geography and Economics, 46, 1:1-22, 2005.

8. Russia’s National Security Strategy adopted in 2015 – original version

9. John O’Loughlin and Paul F. Talbot “Where in the World is Russia? Geopolitical Perceptions and Preferences of Ordinary Russians”, electronic versionThe Security of the Caspian Sea Region. Edited by Gennady Chufrin.

Oxford University Press. 2001

10. Panorama of Global Security Environment. Centre for European and North Atlantic Affaits. 2014.

11. Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis “International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues”, eighth edition, Pearson International Edition, New York, 2007

12. Foreign Affairs: “Putin’s Russia – Down But Not Out” Volume 95, Number 3, May/June 2016

13. Stephen McGlinnchey “International Relations”, E-International Relations Publishing, Bristol, England, 2017 – elctronic version

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, student will have the following skills:

Knowledge and understanding

- Broad knowledge of the field;

- Critical analyzing of theories and principles. Analyzing of comples issues of the given field.

- Broad and complex knowledge, which encompasses critical comprehension of theories and principles;

- Skills necessary for professional worker

Applying knowledge

- Ability to prepare papers with the view to present at the local and international conferences etc.;

- Ability to conduct research on concrete state case-study political development;

- Ability to critically compare different political analytical methods on the issues such as political systems, foreign policy analyses, economic system and etc.

Making judgments

- Collection data related to the field and its explanation;

- Analysis of used data and /or situation using standard or special methods; drawing grounded conclusion.

- Ability to gather and define specific data, also analyze abstract data and/or situations with standard and some specific methods, to form a reasoned conclusion;

- Ability to formulate reasoned conclusion on the topics included in his/her sphere of competency.

Communication skills

Verbal communication:

- Ability to present his/her position clearly and precisely;

- Ability to orally present the information contained in written documents;

- Ability to single out necessary parts out of the information heard and to present them orally in a processed manner;

- Ability to conduct business discussion, participate in discussion with the specialists of the field;

Written communication:

- Ability to prepare detailed written reports and materials of analytical kind regarding various issues;

- Ability to use academic standards of writing;

- Ability to formulate reasoned opinion in written way;

- Ability to extract important parts out of large amount of information and present it in writing

Learning skills

- Ability to search for the information necessary for understanding the variety of political opinions and ideas of different theorists;

- Ability to determine priorities for further study on the new problems and solutions related to the political processes in Russia’s case;

- Ability to select and collect data related to the political regime and system architecture;

- Ability to evaluate own learning process in a coherent and comprehensive manner.

In order to promulgate teaching capability feedbacking, in aegis of the evaluation provision is foreseen arranging 20 points in total during the course delivery and only 70% of 20 points who has passed the course is to be considered as "passed" according to the academic procedure. As for 20 points are to be dispersed like in that manner:

5 points - Final Exam –divided into 2 points for critical essay (at least one page), 2 points for mini-simulation scenario dealing with concrete problems of international security and 1 point – definition;

10 points - seminar activities, based on student's engagement and based on the Professor’s assessment criteria;

5 points - simulation exercise and game in proper manner

The Evaluation procedure will be engaged into the system of lectures deliver procedural format – 4 hours per day – 2 hours theory+2 hours seminar.