Book Review: Lawrence Harrison and Evgeny Yasin (eds), Culture Matters in Russia – and Everywhere: Backdrop for the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929917719405 |
| Date | 01 November 2017 |
| Published date | 01 November 2017 |
| Author | Vladimir Rauta |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsInternational Relations |
635
diluting the centrality of the study of the use of
states into close political-economic accords and
force as its primary motivation.
military alliances’ (p. 83).
As employed, the concept barely features in
Chris Rahman
the analysis, other than presenting contempo-
(ANCORS, University of Wollongong)
rary international politics as a series of games
© The Author(s) 2017
of strategic leveraging against rivals. But how
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does Russia get to pick its rivals? On what
DOI: 10.1177/1478929917712904
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
grounds? With what options? Why now? And,
what does history tell us?
The book partly answers these questions.
Crimea, Global Rivalry, and the Vengeance
It explains Russia’s position today as the
of History by Hall Gardner. Basingstoke:
result of post-Cold War isolation and being
Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. 184pp., £65.00 (h/b),
ignored by other great powers. It posits
ISBN 9781137546760
Russia’s recent Ukrainian adventurism as
historically immanent and enforced by a
Hall Gardner’s book, Crimea, Global Rivalry,
strong programme of military transforma-
and the Vengeance of History, deserves merit
tion. And it clarifies ongoing debates on his-
for its ability to ask the most important ques-
torical similarities and dissimilarities by
tions today concerning the future of European
showing how the situation today and the dec-
security in particular and of world security in
ades immediately preceding it are more simi-
general: Will the annexation of Crimea and the
lar to the plight of Germany and its collapse
subsequent civil war in South-East Ukraine
after the First World War.
inaugurate a new era in international relations?
Taken together, the book’s arguments offer
Are we witnessing a Russian revanchist return?
a walk down the historical lane in the hope of
And, most importantly, will this lead to a major
casting light on future...
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