Zum Hauptinhalt springen Zur Suche springen Zur Hauptnavigation springen
Beschreibung

Why has Russia's military struggled to adapt to the challenges of contemporary warfare?

Despite years of attempts to improve its military capabilities, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 revealed a crippling lack of skill, discipline and equipment. Non-material factors, in particular the power struggle between military and civilian leaderships, have hindered reform of its armed forces: with officers dominating defense policy, the Kremlin has struggled to implement the necessary changes.

Kirill Shamiev explores the political reasons behind Russia's poor military preparedness for the war in Ukraine. He demonstrates how a seemingly obedient military has frequently blocked civilian reforms, taking advantage of weak oversight mechanisms. The Kremlin's efforts to centralise control and make the armed forces personally accountable to President Vladimir Putin harmed institutional learning, cementing a conservative civil-military status quo. While this protected the military from civil society interference and ensured Putin's autocratic rule, it ultimately limited the pace and scope of change.

Analysing three cases of reform between 2000 and 2021, Imperfect Equilibrium offers critical insights into the relationship between civilian control and military effectiveness in Russia. Drawing on extensive qualitative and quantitative evidence-including interviews, parliamentary speeches, media reports and surveys-it shows how unchecked autonomy can undermine military development, even in authoritarian contexts.

Why has Russia's military struggled to adapt to the challenges of contemporary warfare?

Despite years of attempts to improve its military capabilities, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 revealed a crippling lack of skill, discipline and equipment. Non-material factors, in particular the power struggle between military and civilian leaderships, have hindered reform of its armed forces: with officers dominating defense policy, the Kremlin has struggled to implement the necessary changes.

Kirill Shamiev explores the political reasons behind Russia's poor military preparedness for the war in Ukraine. He demonstrates how a seemingly obedient military has frequently blocked civilian reforms, taking advantage of weak oversight mechanisms. The Kremlin's efforts to centralise control and make the armed forces personally accountable to President Vladimir Putin harmed institutional learning, cementing a conservative civil-military status quo. While this protected the military from civil society interference and ensured Putin's autocratic rule, it ultimately limited the pace and scope of change.

Analysing three cases of reform between 2000 and 2021, Imperfect Equilibrium offers critical insights into the relationship between civilian control and military effectiveness in Russia. Drawing on extensive qualitative and quantitative evidence-including interviews, parliamentary speeches, media reports and surveys-it shows how unchecked autonomy can undermine military development, even in authoritarian contexts.

Details
Erscheinungsjahr: 2026
Genre: Importe, Politikwissenschaften
Rubrik: Wissenschaften
Medium: Taschenbuch
ISBN-13: 9781805264279
ISBN-10: 1805264273
Sprache: Englisch
Einband: Kartoniert / Broschiert
Autor: Shamiev, Kirill
Hersteller: C Hurst & Co Publishers
Verantwortliche Person für die EU: Libri GmbH, Europaallee 1, D-36244 Bad Hersfeld, gpsr@libri.de
Maße: 213 x 136 x 29 mm
Von/Mit: Kirill Shamiev
Erscheinungsdatum: 19.02.2026
Gewicht: 0,332 kg
Artikel-ID: 138269844

Ähnliche Produkte