Book Series "Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society"

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

Every few years, a new corruption scandal in the oil industry draws worldwide attention as journalists describe complex schemes of shell companies and hidden tax havens that the political elites of resource-rich countries exploit to embezzle the wealth of the land they should be protecting. This is what we know, but how do the actors of the oil sector shape their relationships through informality?

Using Kazakhstan as a case study, Gian Marco Moisé explores the various ways in which corruption and informal governance converged and were shaped by the everchanging power dynamics between the different actors participating in the oil industry. Complemented by discussions on other rentier economies, each practice of the taxonomy is presented as a specific strategy employed by the predatory elite to achieve different governance objectives.

Order your copy here: https://shorturl.at/zW45u

NEW TITLE IN SPPS SERIES

In 'Who Are the Fighters?", Prof Dr Andreas Heinemann-Grüder of the University of Bonn put together a meticulously researched volume on the various groups - "volunteers, paramilitaries, and mercenaries" - who fought and are fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukranie. It is well known that both sides routinely employ 'irregular armed battalions ' - but who is organizing these fighters, what drives them to be there, and what are the micro-dynamics between these groups?

This latest title in our renowned SPPS book series is available here:

https://www.ibidem.eu/en/Series/Society-Politics/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/Who-Are-the-Fighters.html

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

The post-Soviet period (1989–2022) was, in its own way, an unprecedented era in human history. Its uniqueness lay not only in the fact that the USSR’s dissolution had opened opportunities for the people and nations of Eastern Europe and northern Eurasia to experience freedom and test their creative powers, but also in the fact that these opportunities did not extract a price comparable to the cost in human lives and suffering during the Russian Revolution and Civil War of 1917–24. The post-Soviet Human attempted to establish free politics and economy, as well as to gain collective emancipation and personal freedom during this era. Even though these attempts failed in most cases, the post-Soviet Human’s political creativity—with its democratic and autocratic achievements—was an intriguing phenomenon worth deeper study and understanding. Without learning the lessons of post-Soviet history, the East European and north Eurasian peoples are doomed to perpetually repeat its vicious cycles of tragedy and destruction.

https://www.ibidem.eu/en/Series/Society-Politics/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/The-Post-Soviet-Human.html

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-post-soviet-human/9783838219431

JUST RELEASED

Mykhailo Minakov, The Post-Soviet Human: Philosophical Reflections on Social History after the End of Communism (=SPPS 278)

ibidem-Verlag 2024. Distributed by Columbia University Press & Gazelle Book Services.

https://www.ibidem.eu/en/Series/Society-Politics/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/The-Post-Soviet-Human.html

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-post-soviet-human/9783838219431

The post-Soviet period (1989–2022) was, in its own way, an unprecedented era in human history. Its uniqueness lied not only in the fact that the USSR’s dissolution had opened opportunities for the people and nations of Eastern Europe and northern Eurasia to experience freedom and test their creative powers, but also in the fact that these opportunities did not extract a price comparable to the cost in human lives and suffering during the Russian Revolution and Civil War of 1917–24. The post-Soviet Human attempted to establish free politics and economy, as well as to gain collective emancipation and personal freedom during this era. Even though these attempts failed in most cases, the post-Soviet Human’s political creativity—with its democratic and autocratic achievements—was an intriguing phenomenon worth deeper study and understanding. Without learning the lessons of post-Soviet history, the East European and north Eurasian peoples are doomed to perpetually repeat its vicious cycles of tragedy and destruction.

Vladimir Sabourín on Anton Shekhovtsov: Най-интересното и поучително лично за мен в книгата на Шеховцов е тъкмо детайлната реконструкция на един свят с тенденциозно неограничен брой оттенъци на сивото, довел в крайна сметка до политически неизбежното и етически необходимо теглене на черта между бялото и черното. След две години и половина военновременна пропаганда и контрапропаганда Руската политическа война е глътка свеж анализ и плътно описание на оттенъците на сивата зона, в която сме пребивавали поне от 2014-а насетне. И към която отново неусетно се приплъзваме след успешното рутинизиране на крещящите цветове на същинската руска война и мир.

Marginalia

Руската политическа война: сивата зона на руската война и мир | Акцент, Анализ | Marginalia Споделете статията:    Книгата на украинския политолог Антон Шеховцов Руската политическа война: есета върху Кремълската пропаганда в Европа и по

NEUERSCHEINUNG

Jakob Hauter: Russlands unbemerkte Invasion. Die Ursachen des Kriegsausbruchs im ukrainischen Donbas im Jahr 2014.

Mit einem Vorwort von Hiroaki Kuromiya

https://www.ibidem.eu/Reihen/Gesellschaft-Politik/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/Russlands-unbemerkte-Invasion-Paperback.html

Book Series "Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society", Bd. 283
ibidem-Verlag

Der Krieg in der Ukraine begann nicht am 24. Februar 2022. Er begann acht Jahre zuvor in der ostukrainischen Donbas-Region. In seiner vielbeachteten Dissertation eingereicht beim UCL SSEES untersucht Jakob Hauter die Eskalation der Gewalt im Frühjahr und Sommer 2014. Er zeigt, dass es sich bei dem Konflikt auch bereits vor 2022, entgegen der landläufigen Meinung, nicht um einen Bürgerkrieg handelte. Die Ukraine kämpft seit Beginn des bewaffneten Konflikts gegen eine russische Invasion. Zu diesem Schluss gelangt Hauter nach einer gründlichen Auswertung öffentlich verfügbarer digitaler Quellen. Er argumentiert, dass das Internet nicht bloß ein Ort für Propaganda und Desinformation, sondern ebenfalls eine Fundgrube für wertvolle Originalquellen ist. Mit der richtigen Herangehensweise kann sich die Wissenschaft diese Fundgrube zunutze machen. Als theoretische Grundlage entwickelt Hauter ein Modell, dass die Eskalation des Donbas-Krieges im Jahr 2014 in sechs Wendepunkte unterteilt. Anschließend untersucht er die Ursachen jedes einzelnen Wendepunkts im Hinblick auf die involvierten Akteure und ihre Handlungen. Dabei wägt er die verfügbaren Beweise für lokalen Separatismus und die Beweise für russische Intervention gegeneinander ab. Er kommt zu dem Schluss, dass es in den meisten Fällen überzeugende Belege dafür gibt, dass das Handeln des russischen Staates der Hauptgrund für die Eskalation der Gewalt war. Hauters Buch ist wichtige Lektüre für alle, die der Frage, was 2014 in der Ostukraine geschehen ist, auf den Grund gehen wollen. Er bringt uns darin zudem vielversprechende neue Herangehensweisen für die Konfliktforschung im Zeitalter der sozialen Medien nahe. Dieses Buch ist die vom Autor selbst angefertigte Übersetzung der englischen Originalausgabe "Russia’s Overlooked Invasion: The Causes of the 2014 Outbreak of War in Ukraine’s Donbas."

STIMMEN ZUM BUCH

„Dieses exzellente, akribisch recherchierte Buch hat Gewicht. Es liefert nicht nur neue, auf forensischer Analyse basierende Erkenntnisse über die Eskalation der Gewalt in der ukrainischen Donbas-Region im Jahr 2014, sondern betritt auch methodisches Neuland: Es zeigt, wie Prozessanalyse und die Nutzung digitaler Informationen aus öffentlichen Quellen in konsequenter Weise kombiniert werden können, um die mit der Recherche von Informationen im Umfeld bewaffneter Konflikte verbundenen Herausforderungen zu bewältigen. Russlands unbemerkte Invasion bringt dringend benötigte Transparenz in ein undurchsichtiges, aber wichtiges Thema.“
—Ben Noble, Associate Professor für russische Politik, UCL SSEES

„Die meisten bisherigen Arbeiten zum Krieg in der Ostukraine sind nicht über Allgemeinplätze hinausgekommen. Hauter nutzt digitale Informationen aus öffentlichen Quellen für eine forensische Analyse, in der er die Ereignisse, die zum Krieg führten, in sechs kritische Wendepunkte aufgliedert, von denen Russland in vier Fällen als Hauptakteur identifiziert wird. Ohne Russland hätte es außerdem keine zwingende Entwicklung durch die sechs Phasen gegeben, und ein eindämmbarer Konflikt wäre nicht zu einem heißen Krieg geworden.“
—Andrew Wilson, Professor für Ukrainestudien, UCL SSEES

FRESH OFF THE PRESS

Олексій Кресін, The General Assembly Resolutions: Their Nature and Significance in the Context of the Russian War Against Ukraine.

Ed. by William E. Butler.

Book Series "Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society", vol. 282

https://www.ibidem.eu/en/Series/Society-Politics/Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/United-Nations-General-Assembly-Resolutions.html

ibidem-Verlag

NEW RELEASE

The war in Ukraine did not start on 24 February 2022. It began eight years earlier, in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. In his new book, Jakob Hauter investigates the escalation of violence in the spring of 2014. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a civil war - Ukraine had been fighting off a Russian invasion since the very beginning. Using a sophisticated new methodology based on digital open source information (DOSI) analysis, Hauter argues that, in most cases, there is convincing evidence that Russian involvement was the primary cause of armed escalation.

You can order the book here:

https://www.ibidem.eu/en/Topics/Social-Sciences/Russia-s-Overlooked-Invasion-Paperback.html?listtype=search&searchparam=hauter