Discussion on the political use of nationalism in post-Soviet Russia and the consequences of this nationalism in Russia and its non-Russian providences.
2,400 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 11 sources, 2002, $ 89.95
Abstract This paper has two main objectives: first, to briefly sketch the impact of nationalism on the political system of post-Soviet Russia; and second, to describe how competing groups (vis-a-vis Russia) define themselves and use nationalism to legitimize their political aims, and sometimes also the crimes and brutalities that are spin-offs of the actualizing process.
Abstract This paper reviews Liah Greenfeld's 1992 book "Nationalism: Five Roads to Modernity". The paper looks at the book's concept of nationalism and its development and transformation in England, France, Russia, Germany and the United States. The paper explains Greenfield's idea that nationalism is a historical force that plays a significant role in shaping national identity.
From the Paper "Author Liah Greenfeld is an eminent authority on the subject of nationalism. After receiving her doctoral degree from the Hebrew University, specializing in sociology and social anthropology she became an instructor in the United States and currently is a professor at Boston University in sociology and political science. In tracing the rise of nationalism, Greenfeld employs an interdisciplinary approach that combines political science with sociology, mainly the theories of Max Weber. Using Weber's idea, Greenfeld views modernity..."
Tags:Nationalism, Modernity, Greenfeld, England, France, Russia, Germany, USA, Book, Historical
Abstract This essay examines the processes by which Putin and contemporary Russian leaders are attempting to forge a new relationship between the nationalities of the former Soviet Union. The paper begins with a brief background on the complexity of the nationality question in the former Soviet Union and discusses the processes that led to the collapse of the Soviet state. The paper then moves to a more detailed analysis of centre periphery relations in the new Russia.
From the Paper "The collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s transformed political, social and economic relations across a large portion of the Eurasian land mass. In this process, a massive multi-ethnic state dissolved into a range of successor states - based more or less on a variety of regional ethnic and/or national identities - as the ideological bonds of communism and the exercise of raw military power proved insufficient to deal with the centrifugal forces that began to tear the fabric of the Soviet state apart."
Abstract The nations of Russia and France have experienced particularly turbulent episodes in the evolution of their respective constitutions and constitutional courts. This paper examines the constitutional courts in these countries to determine how their respective roles have evolved, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "The current Russian constitution was adopted on December 12, 1993. Russia has a Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Superior Court of Arbitration; judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the president (Russia, 2002). The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is the first judicial body of constitutional review in the history of Russia. The Court was created by the Fifth (extraordinary) Congress of Peoples' Deputies of the RSFSR on 30 October, 1991. The Court comprising 15 justices had been anticipated by the amendments to the 1978 Constitution and the Law "On the RSFSR Constitutional Court" adopted on the basis of the amendments to the Constitution. The Constitutional Court commenced its activities in December 1991. At that time the Congress had selected 13 justices leaving two vacancies."
Abstract This paper presents a discussion of economic reform in post-Soviet Russia and the prevalence and impact or organized crime that has continued to grow with the market economy there. Billions of dollars have left the former USSR; criminals have infiltrated most institutions and control approximately half of the national economy.
From the Paper "Organized crime thrives in particular environments, as in post-Soviet Russia's capitalist economy of administrative ineffectiveness and inefficiency. For example, Russian businesses have required operation licenses from the state, as opposed to just registration, as in Western Europe. Bottlenecks have promoted bribery with officials refusing to process licenses, on demand, in danger. In much greater ways, full-fledged crime involves a large sector of the Russian economy, and its capital. A weaker central government and adjustment to a market economy promote increased criminal activity. One sees remarks on Soviet conditions having made a Russian culture of 'cheating' as the only way to advance, or obtain housing, goods."
Abstract In this essay the writer compares and contrasts the role of the state in economic development in Germany and Russia in the 19th century. As is demonstrated, these two countries represent particularly valuable subjects for study as the differences between the two reflect the wide range of Continental European political and economic systems. The writer shows that while the states of Germany differed dramatically from each other in general, they possessed complex bureaucracies and a progressive approach to industrialization using German resources.
From the Paper "One of the most common subjects of critical controversy in the field of European economic history concerns the different development paths taken by Great Britain and its Continental counterparts during the 19th century. While there exists a consensus that British industrialization was primarily entrepreneurial while that on the Continent was driven more by State activity, there is little agreement beyond this as to the details of these differences."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the nationalist movement, a movement that has its roots in isolation. This paper discusses how both the city of Northeim and the agrarian Russian culture were breeding grounds for suspicion for those who were different from the close-knit families that populated the areas. It further discusses how Marx's writings did provide the legitimacy necessary for the socialist movement to take place. These factors, combined with the charisma of leaders like Hitler and Stalin, formed the impetus necessary for the rise of socialism as a national force.
From the Paper "Most countries have undergone periods of nationalism at some time in history. For many, if not most, this nationalism is a positive event, allowing them to grow the wealth of their populace and to improve national services. However, a period of nationalism can also be a negative event. Nations' leaders--and, to a certain extent, their people--can become blind, greedy, and ambitious. What is the motivating factor in these extreme cases? Is it pride? Fear? Desperation? Or are all these things motivating factors? Looking at the origins of nationalism in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia may provide some clues. Nationalism in Nazi Germany The rise of nationalism in Germany was gradual. Allen (1984) uses the town of Northeim to explain this process. The city was one of 1000 with similar characteristics."
Abstract This paper defines communism and nationalism in diverse terms, resulting in the truthful understanding of these complex political ideals. The paper is divided into sections, with the overall analysis of the paper reaming true to the issue of conflict communism was often seen in combination with nationalism, as seen in the form of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
Table of Contents:
Communism
Origins of Communism
Monarchy
Serfdom & Official Brutality
Communist Revolutions
Communism: Post World War 1 and 2 Revolutions
Decline of Communism
Nationalism Nationalism in India
South Africa and Nelson Mandela
From the Paper "Communism is a society without money (For Communism)1, without a state, without property and without social classes. People come together to carry out a project or to respond to some need of the human community but without the possibility of their collective activity taking the form of an enterprise that involves wages and the exchange of its products. The circulation of goods is not accomplished by means of exchange: quite the contrary, the by-word for this society is "from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs."
Tags: society, money, lenin, india, south, africa, russia, soviet, union, world, war, i, ii, wealth, class, money, sovereignty, peoples, globalists, globalism
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 gives a historical overview of the events that led up to the abolition of serfdom in Russia in 1861. It details the historical process before and after this period, giving the reader an overview of the situation at the time. It evaluates important historical events such as the unsettled economical conditions, agriculture, peasant revolts, and the Crimean War that led to the emancipation of the serfs. It details the social, political and economical state the Russia was in during this period.
From the Paper "In the first half of the nineteenth century, Russian society was founded on the nobility, the privileged landowners who were supported by the serfs. As the nineteenth century progressed, serfdom as an economic system was less able to satisfy the needs of the Russian Empire, and during this period, the country's economy and agriculture was in crisis, serfs frequently rose up against their masters that eventually led to the war. In order to understand the abolition of serfdom in Russia it is necessary to evaluate important historical events such as the unsettled economical conditions, agriculture, peasant revolts, and the Crimean War that led to the emancipation of the serfs."
Tags: 1861, abolition, peasant, Russia, serfdom, emancipation, Crimean, war, 19th, century, economy
Examining the reasons for one party being in power in Russia for several terms, despite the economic depression that has existed since the fall of Communism and the installment of democracy.
Abstract This paper examines the factors that have contributed to the election of the same political party in Russia since the fall of Communism. Russia has been in an economic depression since the fall of the Soviet Union, yet the same party is re-elected through democratic vote. The reasons for this puzzling outcome are discussed in this paper and identified as using democracy to purge the conservative communists of their rank, old elites regaining state control and loyalty of those counting the votes. Each factor is discussed in great detail along with its contribution and impact on the electoral outcome. This paper is ideal for anyone, from a Russian politics expert to a curious novice.
From the Paper "Mikhail Gorbachev, along with the Soviet leaders was the first to introduce semi competitive elections into the USSR and then later Russia. Although elections are a focal point of a democracy, they were not initiated by Gorbachev for this use. "The goal of these elections was to purge the conservative ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from their positions of power within state structures as a way to liberate these state institutions and thereby make them available as instruments by executing Gorbachev's economic reforms" (McFaul and Petrov, 24). The existing powers of the Soviet Union at the time of the introduction of democracy were all communists, who held high political ranks. In order for Gorbachev to implement his reformation of the economy, these political figures needed to be removed from their ranks, otherwise there would be great opposition to the changes planned. When these leaders were removed, the state organizations were free from communist control and could be used in any way that Gorbachev desired."
Abstract This paper discusses the importance of the WTO in globalization and free trade and focuses on its benefits to Russia. It also examines Russia's position on the Ukraine and the Ukrainian government. Includes outline.
Abstract This paper uses the DemocraticAudit.com website in order to to audit democracy in Russia. The paper assesses whether the principles of democracy outlined by the site are being honored and administered in Russia as it emerges from its totalitarian past. These principles are identified in four blocks: Citizenship, Law and Rights; Representative and Accountable Government; Civil Society and Popular Participation; and Democracy beyond the State.
Abstract This paper examines what life is like for the average person in Russia from a social, economic and cultural point of view since the collapse of the Communist rule. It shows how the potential small business market has been booming due to holes left in the economy. The paper also discusses health care and education and moves on to the state of the government and their move to democracy.
From the Paper "What kind of life you have in present day Russia will depend on your source of income. Since Glasnost (which means "openness"), one is reminded of the Chinese character for ?crisis,? which consists of the characters for "danger" and ?opportunity.? Russia has experienced both positives and negatives since Glasnost that have impacted on the everyday life of Russian citizens. How Glasnost affects any one citizen, however, depends on how he or she fits into the new economy. Those who are tied to the Russian government, such as military people, have suffered under Glasnost. The government does not have enough money to pay military salaries, and both officers and enlisted men have gone without salaries for months at a time."
