A Difficult Neighbourhood: Essays on Russia and East-Central Europe since World War II

Description

Through a series of essays on key events in recent years in Russia, the western ex-republics of the USSR and the countries of the one-time Warsaw Pact, John Besemeres seeks to illuminate the domestic politics of the most important states, as well as Moscow’s relations with all of them. At the outset, he takes some backward glances at the violent suppression of national life in the ‘bloodlands’ of Europe during World War II by the Stalinist and Nazi regimes, which helps to explain much about the region’s dynamics since. His concern throughout is that a large area of Europe with a combined population well in excess of Russia’s could again be consigned by the West to Moscow’s care, not this time by more and less malign forms of collusion, but by distracted negligence or incomprehension. ‘This is a wonderful collection of essays from a leading Eastern Europe specialist. John Besemeres brings a lifetime of experience, profound insights, and an incisive style to subjects ranging from wartime and post-war Poland through contemporary Ukraine to Putin’s Russia. At a time when doublespeak has become the new normal, his refreshing honesty has never been in greater need.’ — Bobo Lo List of maps Acknowledgements Introduction: Reclaiming the Empire Part 1. Twentieth-century Poland: War and Cold War Seven days that shook the world A difficult neighbourhood Jan Karski’s valiant failures The worst of both worlds: Captain Witold Pilecki between Hitler and Stalin Speaking truth to power and prejudice Part 2. Poland and Russia since the fall of communism: Drawing apart Poland/Russia: Peace or ceasefire? Heading west, heading east: Impressions from Warsaw and Moscow Poland at the polls: A win for pragmatism Poland’s EU presidency: Drawing the short straw Part 3. Turning points in Ukraine and Belarus Ukraine: A sharp turn eastwards? In Belarus, the leopard flaunts his spots Part 4. Russia and the former Soviet republics: Putinisation at home and abroad Russia and its western neighbours: A watershed moment Russia’s elections: Leaving little to chance Putin’s Ceauşescu moment Setbacks at home, successes abroad: The mixed fortunes of Vladimir Putin Putin’s phoney war Re-enter Putin, weakened and resentful The real Mr Putin stands up Towards a greater Putistan? Part 1 Towards a greater Putistan? Part 2 Will Putin survive until 2018? Putin’s re-Sovietisation project and the Ukrainian jewel Vladimir Putin: Geopolitical wrecking ball Putin’s annus mirabilis Part 5. Putin reverts to cold war: Changing the shape of Eurasia Putin’s last territorial demand Ukraine: Time to cut a deal? Russian disinformation and Western misconceptions Putin’s parallel universe Putin’s Westpolitik: Back to the USSR Peace in our time Ukraine conflict exposes Western weakness on Russia Bling and propaganda in an ethics-free zone Making nice and making enemies Ukraine, out of sight Select bibliography Further reading Index Map 1: Russia and its western neighbours. Map 2: Ethno-linguistic map of Ukraine. Map 3: The South Caucasian states: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.