This work focuses on the concept of revisionism and on its significance for explaining Russia’s current strategy towards Eastern Europe. It explores its evolution – or applicability – through theoretical debates. By suggesting a new perspective to the studies on revisionism, it highlights the impact of Russia’s foreign policy in Eastern Europe, by providing deductions on the Baltic and Moldova. How defensive-revision-prone are these contexts?
This work focuses on the concept of revisionism and on its significance for explaining Russia’s current strategy towards Eastern Europe. It explores its evolution – or applicability – through theoretical debates. The literature of international relations (IR) is diverse. Some theories such as Liberalism adopt this concept, others do not. Though, only Realism has examined it in depth, by questioning – for instance – what are its relevant causes. The realist theoretical framework maintains that the international system be anarchic and that, consequently, states fear each other and seek survival. It undoubtedly displays an internal tension between defensive and offensive views.
This distinction is reflected in the study of revisionism. Defensive realists argue that states tend to avoid interstate conflicts due to systemic conditions. Opposing Mearsheimer and the offensive assumption that states be belligerent, Schweller, Snyder, Zakaria – among other – develop the waltzian defensive perspective to explain such lack of incentives for expansionism. Consequently, they stress the importance of domestic variables and of the context.
This work identifies with the latter approach. It develops a theoretical model of revisionism. More specifically, a precise kind, centred on inner mechanisms and on defensive dimension of this concept. Yet, is there a possible defensive revisionism? Theory has still not well-developed such concept. Realism indeed, by debating on the issue of revisionist states only provides an interstate model which only explains the offensive dimension of this concept. Though, how to explain border modelling without such schema? Transborder issues, overall since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the bipolar phase, represent a major source of conflicts. Within the post-Soviet space, they acquire a central importance. Which mechanisms affect this area, and how a defensive revisionism may represent an impact for these countries?
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One. Evaluating Russia’s revisionism. The analytical debate.
1. Literature Review
How different IR theories evaluate revisionism
Realism and «explicit» studies on revisionism
The explicitly mentioned dichotomy between revisionist and status quo states
The defensive-offensive debate and revisionism
IR Theory and Russian foreign policy
Defensive revisionism as a possible argument of IR
Defensive revisionism and IR literature
2. The defensive model for Russia’s revisionism
3. The birth of a system
The implication of genetic features
The elaboration of an ideal system
Generated flaws
4. Conception of peaceful means
The peaceful applicability and its relevance for the defensive approach
The actors and the will to avoid/accomplish borders revision
The main peaceful means: ethnic dynamics and military strategy
The centrality of an empirical methodology
5. The ultimate objective. Reintegration
The effective reintegration
The difficulty of accomplishing this step
6. Methodology
Figures of Chapter 1
Chapter Two. Application and impact of a revisionist agenda: a methodological approach to Russia’s revisionism means
1. Peaceful means
The role of international laws
The role of media
The economic dynamics of Eurasia
2. The concept of Russkij Mir
The Russian-speaking minority, the context and its exposure
The lack of cohesion
The ethnic dynamics as envisaged by the Russian Federation: protecting the Russian minorities («C» and «D»)
3. The New Generation Warfare
Delineating the staple relation of warfare and territory («F»)
Situating the context and the level of exposure to Russian military strategies («C» and «D»)
The aspects of the New Generation Warfare and the obtained deductions («C» and «D»)
Figures of Chapter 2
Chapter Three. Case Studies.
Case One. The Baltic States. Ethnic discrimination and military axes
1. The ethnic minority between discrimination and protection
Establishing the Minority-Majority relation
The localized trajectory in the Baltic and research findings
2. The military context of the Baltic: the impact of Russia and NATO’s response
Russia’s capabilities in the Baltic and the first research findings
NATO’s response and weaknesses and the second research findings
Case Two. Moldova. The impact of Russia in a transitionary context
3. Russia’s impact on Moldova: the country and its future arrangement
Establishing the Minority-Majority relation
The localized trajectory in Moldova and research findings
4. The Russian military impact for the Moldovan political context
The security dilemma of Moldova and the potential impact of two alternatives
The internal propensity towards the dilemma’s alternatives
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines the concept of revisionism and its role in defining Russia's current foreign policy toward Eastern Europe. It seeks to answer whether a "defensive revisionism" exists and how it manifests through specific, non-military means that influence the geopolitical context and border dynamics, specifically focusing on the Baltic States and Moldova.
- The theoretical exploration of revisionism within international relations (IR) realism.
- The identification of peaceful means of revisionism: ethnic dynamics and military strategy.
- An empirical analysis of Russia's influence in the Baltic and Moldovan contexts.
- The development of the "FCD" (Founding-Categorizing-Deducing) methodology.
- The comparison of security dilemmas and political transitions in the study regions.
Book Excerpt
Defensive revisionism as a possible argument of IR
The course of events following the collapse of the Soviet Union knew a major change. The end of the bipolar phase is associated with the emergence of nationalism, a major source of tensions and conflicts. Particularly the post-soviet space currently suffers from geopolitical tensions related to nationality. The new phase is hence more chaotic. Interstate relations may become associated with interethnic relations. Transborder issues hence acquire a central importance in the new era. The fact that nationality may be spread across big areas, also outside its homeland means that transborder nationalisms be plausible. The consequence of transborder issues is visible. Borders constitute the object of a plausible modelling, which is not directly implemented by a state. It is the result of an existing inner mechanism. A state subject to transborder issues might hence see its borders re-corrected because of such mechanism. Is theory able to explain this post-bipolar dimension? How to define the homeland state? Is it possible to define it a revisionist actor related to a specific context? Such state does not directly correct borders. Yet, it is engaged on a mechanism which may generate a border modelling. Therefore, it does not recur to external offense. It only turns to its defensive capabilities by enhancing them. Hence is it possible to talk about defensive revisionism?
It appears that IR did not spend a lot on the defensive dimension of revisionism. Theory has indeed payed attention on revisionism mostly by defining it by general terms. Realist authors have concentrated their attention on state attitudes without deepening the implications of this concept. They concentrated their attention on several categorizations: status quo versus revisionist states, satisfied versus unsatisfied states, and so forth. IR has widely focused on offensive revisionism, by mostly studying its interstate characterizations. Even to explain regional conflicts, theory adopts an interstate schema. Yet, theory does not explain how a state might influence territorial revision without using an offensive attitude. Which schema? Which underlying mechanism?
Summary of Chapters
Chapter One. Evaluating Russia’s revisionism. The analytical debate.: This chapter reviews the literature on revisionism, establishing a realist theoretical framework and arguing for the existence of a distinct "defensive revisionism" that operates through inner mechanisms rather than overt offensive aggression.
Chapter Two. Application and impact of a revisionist agenda: a methodological approach to Russia’s revisionism means: This chapter introduces the "FCD" methodology and categorizes Russia's peaceful revisionist means, specifically focusing on ethnic dynamics ("Russkij Mir") and new generation warfare, to assess their impact on the Baltic and Moldova.
Chapter Three. Case Studies.: This chapter applies the established theoretical model to the Baltic States and Moldova, examining how ethnic and military variables influence the security arrangements and national political trajectories of these specific contexts.
Keywords
Revisionism, Defensive Realism, Russia, Eastern Europe, Baltic States, Moldova, Foreign Policy, Ethnic Dynamics, Security Dilemma, Geopolitics, Transnistria, Border Modelling, New Generation Warfare, Empiricism, Nation-Building
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the concept of "defensive revisionism" and how it explains Russia's contemporary strategy toward Eastern Europe, particularly how it influences border dynamics through non-offensive, peaceful means.
What are the primary themes addressed?
Key themes include the realist theoretical debate on revisionism, the role of ethnic minorities as an "inner variable," the influence of military strategies, and the security dilemmas facing the Baltic States and Moldova.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The primary aim is to construct a theoretical model of defensive revisionism that explains how Russia indirectly influences border modeling in its "Near Abroad" using a strictly empirical methodology.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a positivist methodology termed "FCD" (Founding-Categorizing-Deducing), which utilizes extensive data collection to establish causal relationships regarding regional vulnerabilities.
What does the main body analyze?
The body analyzes the theoretical underpinnings of revisionism, the methodological tools of Russia's foreign policy (ethnic and military strategies), and provides detailed case studies on the Baltic States and Moldova.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Revisionism, Defensive Realism, Russia, Eastern Europe, Baltic States, Moldova, Ethnic Dynamics, and Security Dilemma.
How is the "Russkij Mir" concept used in this study?
It is used to describe the supranational concept of the "Russian World" which serves as a justification for Russia's protectionist policies toward ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers outside its borders.
Why is Moldova considered a "binary context"?
Moldova is labeled a binary context because it is divided between the Chisinau-controlled Bessarabia and the Russian-influenced separatist region of Transnistria, each necessitating distinct policy-trajectories for the Russian Federation.
- Citation du texte
- Alessandro Vitiello (Auteur), 2018, Russia's Defensive Revisionism in the Baltic and Moldova. Bluff Charge or Prelude to the Storm?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/520679
