Russian Military Power

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

The Russian military has recently re-emerged on the global stage as an influential and formidable force that has challenged the existing world order and enabled a more muscular Russian foreign policy. This course explores a broad and inclusive study of the modern Russian military, drawing insights from military history, theory, doctrine, and politics. The course is advanced, but has no prerequisites and assumes no prior knowledge of Russian studies. The organization of the course is principally thematic, and will engage a discursive approach to draw out the political, economic, social, and technological developments of the current Russian military, with forays into the earlier Soviet era. First, we will consider Russia’s military past and how history shaped Russia’s military doctrine and thinking. Second, we will review patterns in Russian strategic thinking and recent efforts to update and reform Russian military doctrine for the 21st century. Third, we will evaluate Russia’s recent military transformation to contemplate the global dynamics of great power competition and its implications for Russia’s foreign policy. Finally, we will discuss recent battlefield operations and revelations about the strengths and weaknesses of Russia’s new military and what this means for Russia’s future status in the world.