Novel insights into Russian military thought—from the Crimean War to the war in Ukraine
The development of the Russian military's strategic thought is an understudied and thus misunderstood subject in the West. Strategy in Russia encompasses the broader context of foreign and domestic policy as well as the military's ties to the country's leadership. The military's strategic thought is closely linked to Russia's existence as a state and explains patterns of Russian confrontation.
In Russian Military Thought, the renowned scholar Gudrun Persson offers novel insights into Russian military thought on doctrine and strategy, from the Crimean War to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Persson dismantles the simplistic notion that Russian military thought is "backward," instead presenting a deeper analysis of the drivers that influence the changes in Russian military strategy. Through archival research based on Russian language sources, Persson offers a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing on theoretical insights from history and political science that enable her to make a nuanced, qualitative analysis.
This book will be essential reading for practitioners, scholars, and students who seek to understand the mind-set of the current Russian leadership and the constraints that shape Russia's future possibilities.
Reviews
"Persson provides an authoritative and systematic analysis of all dimensions of the Russian political and military leadership's thinking about the world. Once you grasp their logic, the continuities are astonishing. This will be the standard work of reference as long as this generation of Russian leaders is in power"—Beatrice Heuser, distinguished professor, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, Brussels School of Governance, VUB
"Based on decades of research and expertise, Gudrun Persson's accessible and engaging monograph traces the history of Russian strategic thought within the context of wider political, economic, and international developments. This comprehensive work is essential reading for anybody seeking to gain a systematic understanding of continuity and change in Russian military thinking from the Crimean War until today."—Bettina Renz, professor of international security, University of Nottingham
About the Author
Gudrun Persson is an associate professor of Slavic studies at Stockholm University. She is the author of Learning from Foreign Wars: Russian Military Thinking 1859–1873 and a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of War Sciences, Chatham House, and the Swedish Writers' Union.
