Mike Bowker - Böcker

The 1980s was a decade of upheaval unprecedented since the conclusion of World War Two. In 1980 superpower détente had been abandoned and there was no sign of an end to the competition and conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. By the end of the decade, however, the Cold War was officially declared to have ended. The suddeness and rapidity of change took most observers by surprise, and led many to reassess their assumptions about global politics. This volume brings together a number of scholars who review their own ideas alongside the writing of others to discuss how well their International Relations theories have survived the collapse of the Cold War. It asks a number of questions about how the Cold War should be conceptualised: why theorists overlooked the potential for change in Eastern Europe; why the Soviet Union shifted its foreign policy; the contribution of radical and feminist theory; and the future of International Relations theory itself.

This text examines Russia at the end of the 20th century, as it seeks to come to terms with its new status within the world community. It looks at the pressures and tensions arising from economic and social change, and the problems of securing a democratic future.

During the Soviet period, Islam was largely ignored in Moscow and viewed as a bourgeois phenomenon which would fade over time. Nowadays, from the ongoing conflict in Chechnya to recent upheavals in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Islamic militancy has become a major security threat to Russia. Mike Bowker examines the newly emerging relationship between Russia and the United States and their struggle against the common threat of international terrorism. He looks at the difficulties of such a relationship by analyzing the lingering mutual suspicion, differing views on the nature of the global terrorist threat and how each side has continued to pursue their own national interests. Students and scholars of international relations and Russian foreign policy will find this book particularly useful.