| Description |
In connection with the negotiations on German reunification in 1989 and 1990, did the Americans or Germans promise the Soviet Union that NATO would not expand eastwards? In Russia, as the successor state to the Soviet Union and also heir to the Soviet army, the narrative has persisted since the 1990s that the West betrayed Russia by breaking its promise not to expand NATO eastwards. Today, Putin views NATO and the West as enemies against whom he must protect himself militarily. In this exercise, the relationship between NATO and Russia since 1989 will be examined on the basis of current research literature and selected sources. Where were the windows of opportunity for new structures? From today's perspective, which events were tipping points, such as the war against Georgia in 2008? The focus is on how European security policy was structured during the Cold War, what changes occurred as a result of the collapse of communism in 1989/1991, what new concepts emerged from both NATO and Russia, and how specific new conflicts such as Yugoslavia, the Chechen wars, etc. influenced political plans and negotiations.
It is also important to take a thorough look at Russian military policy in terms of military and security doctrines, as well as the balance of power between the political leadership, the general staff and the military-industrial complex in Russia.
In today's highly polarised debate, cooperation between NATO and Russia, which existed for at least short periods of time through a corresponding committee, is strongly marginalised, but it seems important to take as many perspectives as possible into account for analysis. Methodologically, the topic is strongly influenced by contingencies, as the new states in Central and Eastern Europe also pursued their own agendas as sovereign actors after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, whereas for many years – including in Eastern European studies – Russia's neo-imperial claim to power over its ‘near abroad’ was not sufficiently problematised.
Overall, the exercise combines the highly topical subject of European and international contemporary history with approaches from political science research and conflict studies.
Einführende Literatur:
Sarotte, Mary: Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate. New Haven 2021. |
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