Abstract This paper examines how the Soviet intervention of Czechoslovakia was a violation of rules shaping international relations. It looks at how the Russians had to invade, due to their geopolitical position within Europe and on account of a "counterrevolutionary" situation in Czechoslovakia. It argues that socialist countries cannot be indifferent to the erosion of one of the links in the world system of socialism and how alterations in one state immediately influences all. It also discusses how, in order to keep the balance of forces against NATO, the Soviets sustained that three USSR's nuclear weapons sites in Czechoslovakia were crucial. However, Czechoslovakia refused Soviet troops on its soil and the political and social unrest of Prague Spring disorganized the rigorous security system that was required.
From the Paper "Dubcek's liberalization of Czechoslovakia's socialist system alarmed Brezhnev and other Soviet leaders into reasoning that "revolutionary" elements in other Soviet-bloc nations would ensue the Prague Spring's pattern and shift away from their own form of socialism. The Soviets were also concerned that elements in their own country would emanate and oppose the Communist Party should they let the Czechoslovakian undertaking proceed. The modest liberalization was not limited to Prague. Soviet cinema and literature began to inspire "critical analysis of the system,'' Underground publications cropped up from Moscow to Berlin (Kundera). The KGB perceived the Prague Spring to be a threat to the external and internal security of the Soviet Union. Deliberations in Czechoslovakia about the past violations of the StB intensified apprehension that comparable debates would inevitably take place in Moscow about the Soviet security organs (Skoug 48)."
This paper is a dissertation proposal to study the economic and political factors contributing to the time path of unemployment in Russia as compared to former Eastern Block countries.
Abstract This paper explains that the Russian delay in achieving low unemployment can be directly attributed to reasons of education, specific human capital mismatch, low wages, tax schemes designed to punitively tax so-called excess profits, and other factors. The author points out that Russian unemployment figures have been difficult to come by in the past, due in part to the country's definition of unemployment, and the way employment and unemployment are measured by the government. The paper states that the dissertation will examine time points in the data of major market indicators, such as employment levels, wages, and availability of various factors of production of each of the countries to illuminate the causal effects of economic and political practices affecting rates of unemployment in Russia and selected former satellite countries.
Table of Contents
Dissertation Plan
Proposed Content Synopsis
Factors Effecting Unemployment and the Difference between General and Transitional Unemployment
Economic Determinants of Employment Levels
Expected Results of Transitional Economies
Looking at the Data
Conclusion
From the Paper "Current economic models attempt to explain the determinants that affect levels of employment. These include where the employment equilibrium sits, how short and long run economic factors affect the equilibrium, and what short and long run factors in Russia and the chosen former Soviet block countries are contributing to the overall unemployment levels of these countries. Aside from internal pressures, Russia's response to external factors, such as WTO accession on Russian economy have profound effects on Russia's overall economic health and of course on its rate of short and long-term unemployment."
Abstract This paper discusses the cultural, political, and social divisiveness that have resulted from a paucity of central governmental services in some of the new nations in Eastern Europe and provides an analysis of the causes for the violent confrontations that have taken place in the recent past.
From the Paper "The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a number of newly independent nations, whose borders were frequently based on old geopolitical lines without regard for the ethnically based demographics involved. Without a central government in place in many of these regions of Eastern Europe, basic public services have failed, economies have faltered or collapsed and wars have broken out between ethnic factions within these countries."
Abstract This paper provides a cultural report and analysis of the prominent characteristics of Russian culture. The paper is intended to help travelers or visitors to Russia better understand its culture. Included in the discussion is a description of interesting or important cultural characteristics, ideas that would help the reader adapt to the cultural differences one might experience in Russia, ideas to serve as guidelines for people wanting to succeed as communicators in the Russian environment, and the author's own reactions and impressions to various Russian cultural characteristics and practices.
From the Paper "Culture is defined as the combination of various patterns, which are practiced by individuals of a country. Culture is the identification of the people of a particular country. Culture includes actions, behavior and practices along with food, clothes and traditions, which are followed by the people of a particular country. Cultural characteristics are not formed in one day, but these characteristics and practices are defined gradually and thus it is the duty of a citizen to adopt these cultural practices and characteristics so that other people who belong to other countries can identify the people as to which culture they belong to. Behavior patterns, norms, language and skills are the essential characteristics, which combinely form CULTURE."
This paper discusses the question of the degree of potential migration of workers from the newly-joined states to the original fifteen European Union (EU) countries.
Abstract This paper explains that no one knows for sure what kind of impact the enlargement of the EU will have on labor movement; some believe that large numbers of individuals will be heading west to look for jobs, but others say that history has shown that war devastation is the primary reason why people leave their homeland. The author points out that part of the concern about workers stems from the differences in economies between the two areas of Europe; lower paid or unemployed workers from the ten new members will follow the money trail to the existing 15 EU countries. The paper relates that, under the terms of accession, existing EU countries have the right to block free movement of labor from the new joiners for up to seven years.
From the Paper "Time Europe magazine reports sarcastically on the effect such headlines have on those who have already migrated: ?That image must come as cold, ironic comfort to 54 Greeks who did not exactly find Britain an employment paradise.? Although they had already been entitled to work with full legal protection anyplace in the E.U., these Greek workers were hired as temps to pick flowers in Southwest England. In rain and snow they labored for nine hours a day and lived in a tent without any heat or plumbing, which local officials declared ?totally unfit for human habitation.? In addition, the hiring employers had told the men that they would not be paid until they came up with E1500 for transportation and lodging. After two weeks, the Greek migrants were saved by their embassy."
Abstract This essay concentrates on the U.S. involvement in the Kosovo crisis, especially in the aftermath. The focus lies in the new elections, the position of Congress and the President, and the situation between the U.S. and the European Union and NATO in this matter.
1. Introduction
2. Brief Summary of Events
3. Current Developments
4. Momentary Situation in Kosovo
a. Local Elections
b. Problems overshadowing the Elections
5. The Issue of Kosovo's Final Status
6. The International Administrations
a. UNMIK
b. KFOR
7. Institution-building
8. The Economy
9. The Policy of the United States
a. The Administration
b. The United States Congress
10. Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "The Kosovo Conflict has been an issue for the International Community for more than five years. The European Union, the United Nations and the United States have worked hard together to end the conflict, manage the aftermath and establish a new functioning and democratic government with a stable infrastructure. This has been a very difficult task, since the United States felt that Europe did not put enough effort into the reconstruction of Kosovo and 'wrong calls' have been made . This research paper will not deal with the issue of equal distribution of efforts between Europe and the United States, rather will it examine the developments since the end of the conflict and the United States involvement. The main question here is whether Kosovo should become an independent country or have some form of autonomy within Serbia. Further will be examined, if the efforts are successful and whether or not the United States should pursue these efforts. This will occur through an evaluation of the current development and the momentary situation in Kosovo, such as elections and the establishment of government branches. Also, a look will be taken at KFOR and UNMIK operations and their susses on the infrastructure and the economy. Last, but not least, will the policy of the United States be examined, more precisely of the Administrations and Congress. This examination of events will demonstrate the involvement of the United States and its effects. 2. Brief Summary of Events The Kosovo Conflict shocked the whole word. Pictures of violence, genocide and ethnic atrocities circled the globe. Between the years 1998 and 1999, the United States and its NATO allies attempted to put an end to escalating violence between ethnic Albanians guerrillas and Yugoslav / Serb forces in Yugoslavia's Kosovo Region. This resulted in a 78-day NATO bombing campaign against Serbia from March to June of 1999. Nevertheless with success, Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic withdrew his forces from the province in June of 1999. Since that time, the Kosovo has been governed by a U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), under the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 . A NATO-lead peacekeeping force, KFOR, is charged with providing a secure environment. The purpose of the U.N. resolution is to consider Kosovo's final status at an undetermined time after an autonomous government is in place. It seems that almost all ethnic Albanians want independence for Kosovo; nevertheless, the Serb community want it to remain within Serbia. In late 2003, the international community agreed to review progress in Kosovo and consider next steps in determining Kosovo's future status by mid 2005. In May of 2001, UNMIK issued a 'Constitutional Framework' for Kosovo. This framework provides for an elected legislature and an autonomous government with limited powers, but does not deal with Kosovo's final status. Elections for the Kosovo assembly were held on November 17, 2001. About half of eligible Serb voters participated in the election, after being urged to do so by the Yugoslav and Serbian governments. Political wrangling delayed the formation of a government for months, but one was finally approved by the parliament in March 2002. It consists of members of the three leading ethnic Albanian parties, as well as a Serb minister and one from the Serb minority. In 2003, UNMIK completed the process of transferring designated powers to the Kosovo provisional government. The current Bush Administration stated that they support autonomy for Kosovo within Serbia or the Serb-Montenegro union, but do not think independence is a good idea. President Bush has stated that, while the United States is looking to reduce its forces in the Balkans, the United States would only do so in conjunction with its NATO allies. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Administration officials said that U.S. forces in the Balkans could be withdrawn if they were needed for the war on terrorism. The war in Iraq has also stretched the U.S. military's deployment capabilities. The United States has not unilaterally withdrawn its troops, but cuts in KFOR troops strength in the past year have halved U.S. troops levels from about 5,500 to about 2,000 today. In 1999, The United States Congress neither explicitly approved not blocked U.S. participation in NATO air strikes against Serbia, but appropriated funds for the air campaign and the U.S. peacekeeping deployment in Kosovo. In 2000, several Members unsuccessfully attempted to condition the U.S: military deployment in Kosovo on congressional approval and on the implementation of aid pledges made by European countries. Since 1999, Congress has provided funding for reconstruction in Kosovo, but limited U.S. aid to 15% of the total amount pledged by all countries. In 2003 several resolutions were introduced that supported independence for Kosovo."
Tags: Balkan crisis, foreign politics, former Yugoslavia, international policy, Slobodan Milosevic
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the topic of Chechnya. Specifically, it discusses the Chechen conflict with Russia, including how it started and when, along with the causes, effects, main events and attacks, and a current perspective on events in Chechnya today. It discusses how Chechnya has always desired independence from Russia and continues to fight for its freedom today. The tiny country has not been able to shed Russian influence and government, but it has evolved into a world political crisis that has affected thousands of Chechen civilians and continues to cause strife and violence today.
From the Paper "Chechnya is a Soviet Republic that declared independence from Russia in 1991. However, Russia's leaders refused to acknowledge Chechnya's independence, and instead sent in troops to subdue the Chechens. They withdrew when they met armed Chechens ready to defend their country, but the current conflict had its beginnings in these events in 1991, which escalated to full-scale war by 1994. However, the roots of the problems between Chechnya and Russia go much, much deeper than the current crisis."
This paper discusses the Russian film, "Mother", released in 1926, directed by Vesvolod Pudovkin, and based on a book by Maxim Gorki, written twenty years earlier.
Abstract This paper explains that the film, "Mother?, depicts a tough era in the working communist culture of Russia when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and attempt to drink away their sorrows. The author points out that this film showed that the people were hard-working and made do with what they had. The paper reveals that, in the film, the family did make the ultimate sacrifice, but the viewer gets the impression that it was worthwhile because future generations could live more freely and more equally with the owners and government officials.
From the Paper "At the bar, the father approaches the bartender and shows him the household iron. He wants to trade this for a glass of vodka. The bartender refuses, and the father is seen raising the iron as if he is going to hit the bartender with it. Meanwhile, there are numerous scenes of the local town people that notice what is going on. A table full of men, obviously planning something sees that the father is a strong man, and entice him not to hit the bartender, rather to come help them with their plans. In the next few scenes, we learn that the next day there will be a major strike. It seems that half of the workers agree with the strike, and half would rather do without it. The father is bribed, with countless drinks of vodka into joining the group of men that are going to keep the strikers from striking."
This paper discusses the geography and political history of Lithuania, which changed from being a part of the Soviet Union to being a member of the European Union and NATO.
Abstract This paper explains that, because of its geographical position between East and West, Lithuania has been destroyed many times by being caught between the Swedes, the French, and the Germans on the one side, and the Russians on the other side. The author points out that, in the 1990s, Lithuania went through a dynamic transition from a centralized economy into a market-driven economy. The goal was to orient the economy towards trade with Western Europe and North America. The paper relates that, in relations with Western Europe and the United States, Lithuania has two main objectives: economic cooperation and attracting Western capital and security guarantees against any threat from Russia.
Table of Contents
Geopolitical Position
General Statistics
Political Culture
Political System
Domestic Policy
Economy
Foreign Relations
From the Paper "Lithuania is an independent republic. It is a multi-party, parliamentary democracy. The president, who is the head of the state, is elected directly for 5 years. He is also commander in chief overseeing foreign and security policy. The president nominates the prime minister and his cabinet and a number of other top civil servants. The Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) has 141 members that are elected for a 4-year term. 71 of the members are elected in single constituencies, and the other half (70) are elected in the nationwide vote by party lists. To be represented in the Seimas a party must receive at least 5% of the national vote."
Abstract This paper explains that Operation Barbarossa was largely the brainchild of Hitler himself; his general staff advised against fighting a war on two fronts, but Hitler, considering himself a political and military genius, did not fear fighting Britain, possibly America, and now Russia, all at the same time. The author points out that, to make it more palatable to both the German population and the rest of the world, Nazi leaders painted Operation Barbarossa as a defensive attack by stating that the Red Army was preparing to attack Germany, thus Germany needed to strike first before the Russians were fully prepared. The paper concludes that the operation failed miserably because of Germany's logistical problems, an underestimation of the Soviet Army's abilities, and the onset of the harsh Russian winter.
From the Paper "Before initiating Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were diplomatically on friendly terms, having signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact a short time before the German and Soviet invasion of Poland. While appearing on the surface to be a simple treaty of non-aggression, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact also contained secret protocols for the dividing up of the border-states between the two nations. The pact surprised the world because of Germany and the USSR's opposing ideologies and mutual hostility. But Hitler had long wanted to conquer western Russia to fulfill his goal of eastern expansion. So the pact was simply one of short-term convenience, which the Nazis thought little of breaking."
Abstract The paper explains that the greatest efforts of the country are now concentrated on adapting to the European Union through legislation, adopting changes in standards and procedures, and increasing transparency, which also should increase outside investments. The author points out that the Czechs have a distinct climate of corruption, especially in clerical and administrative services, and it is a method of negotiation with the administrators who are operating at higher levels. The paper relates that the area of radiology is well developed, the number of radiological treatments has increased 30 percent over the last ten years, and there are already quite a few suppliers of items like MRI in the country.
From the Paper "The country and its government had gone through an extremely difficult period of two years after the revolution in the country took place. They had a distinct aim when the revolution occurred and to support these aims they also passed a large number of new laws. The study of the laws shows them to be very modern and useful to the society. The passing of these laws also show that the government in power distinctly has a desire to follow the laws and work in a manner similar to the governments that operate in the Western countries. The only problem that when these laws were passed, the nation was in a euphoria and this led to the whole process being completed done at a very high speed. This has left its mark in the inconsistencies and oversight in these laws. One of these laws has the name of Waste Act (No. 238/1991). The whole law is only to deal with efforts for the restriction of certain business activities like the import and export of waste."
Provides a discussion of the current situation in Kosovo, regarding the political, social, economic and human rights issues in the area, as well as the European Union and United Nations' policies and actions to address these issues.
Abstract The political fate of Kosovo is still unclear. Since June 1999 Kosovo is under the supervision of the international community. The Serbian state refuses to grant independence to Kosovo while the ethnic Albanians in the area are either pro-independence or pro-union with Albania oriented. This paper aims at estimating the current political and economic situation in this region and at evaluating the EU involvement in Kosovo as a stabilization tool and trigger of reforms.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
The Political Situation in Kosovo
Human Rights Issues and Social Situation
What was the EU Financial Assistance to Foster these Ongoing Changes in Kosovo?
Overview of Economic Stability
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "There are still a lot of legislative gaps in Kosovo's Civil Servant Law, such as the lack of a unified salary system. The maximum period of an employment contract, according to its regulations is three years, without any specifications for further extension(Stabilization and Association Report, p.54). A trend towards politicization of the civil servants can be observed. Structures such as the Independent Oversight Board and the joint UNMIK-PISG Steering Board on Public Administration were established to act against and prevent such kinds of corruption".
Abstract This paper explains that, since its inception, several events have conspired to push the European Union (EU) towards implementing foreign and security policies and military intervention; the ethnic conflicts on the doorstep of Europe in the Balkans and specifically the failures in Bosnia and Kosovo have prompted EU leaders to consider the role of the EU in military and humanitarian concerns. The author points out that, in the war on terror, the American response was 'shock and awe'; whereas, the 'European way of war' includes not only the Petersberg Tasks of peacekeeping and humanitarian aid but also trying to deal with the congeries of economic, political, social and human factors, which, if left unaddressed, can contribute to conflict and to support for terrorism. The paper concludes that the EU's identity as an actor on the world stage, as it has developed over the years, has proven it to be a successful economic and political participant in world affairs and, therefore, has been obliged the EU to take responsibility for international conflict and humanitarian crises in its capacity as a major world actor.
Table of Contents
Bosnia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Congo
The End of the Cold War
The 'War on Terror'
Conclusion
From the Paper "The massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia, July 1995 was called 'the worst mass murder in Europe since 1945'. The massacre was the culmination of civil war between Serbs and Muslims, brought about through ethnic rivalries. At the time, the United Nations (UN) was in official command of troops in Bosnia and had designated Srebrenica a safe zone for Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), but the UN troops (under a Dutch commander) found themselves unable to intervene. The troops, called in for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, were not authorised to engage with the Serbs. While the EU with its newly formed Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) attempted negotiations, it was a case of too little, too late."
Abstract This paper details the historical events of the World War II Battle of Stalingrad, fought between the Russians and Germans. The Battle of Stalingrad was an influential battle which allowed the allied nations of the world to regroup. Without this defeat, the German army would have been able to continue aggressively pushing both east and west for quite some time. The paper shows that thanks to the valiant efforts of the Russians defending their homeland, the German army was held at bay long enough for the United States and other Allied nations to send enough support to truly defend the Western front.
From the Paper "After attacking the Russians in the summer of 1941, the Germans found themselves up against a tougher enemy then expected. They were forced to pursue the Soviet people deeper into the interior of the Russia. The winter of 1941-1942 proved to be a very long, cold, and difficult one for the Germans, offering very little hope for a successful campaign so far from home. As the spring of 1942 began, the Germans developed a new battle plan to ensure they would not meet anymore setbacks. This new aggressive offensive, known as Operation Blau was ordered on April 15th 1942, by Hitler himself in Fuehrer directive no. 41, which outlined a detailed 4 phase plan for brining the country of Russia to its knees (Seaton, 256)."
Abstract This paper examines the factors affecting globalization in China, and compares and contrasts the cellular phone market in China with that of Russia. The paper discusses the effect of the economic disparity between urban and rural Chinese.
From the Paper "China has had a relatively stable political system in place since the Second World War but upheaval in the political environment has occurred now and again ..."
