Public Control of Armed Forces in the Russian Federation

Description

The volume deals with the fundamentals of the contemporary relations between civic actors and state power structures. The main focus lies on public control of armed forces and the question of why civilians should have a vigilant eye on the military institution as well as the civilian authority that legitimizes the use of force. Based on the example of conscription and recruitment as an intersection between the military and society, this study engages in an analysis of institutional change in the politico-military field in post-Soviet Russia. Taking a critical stance on conventional military sociology, the book shifts the focus away from the exclusive power relationship between political and military elites in the context of national security. Instead, it takes into consideration human and societal security, i.e. the needs and demands of individuals and groups at the grassroots level, affected by the military and the prevailing security situation in Russia. The book addresses readers with an interest in civil-military relations, contemporary Russian affairs, and social movement theories. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Introduction (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 1-19 Front Matter ....Pages 21-21 Looking at the “Bigger Picture” (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 23-49 Different Understandings of Civilian Control (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 51-61 Revising the Framework of Civilian Control (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 63-104 Front Matter ....Pages 105-105 Institutionalised Forms of Civilian Control (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 107-169 Heterogeneous Landscape of Grassroots Initiatives (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 171-207 Public Control of Armed Forces as Social Practice (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 209-279 Tracing the Impact of Civic Activism on Military Legislation (AGS Law) (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 281-321 Conclusion (Nadja Douglas)....Pages 323-342 Back Matter ....Pages 343-361