Abstract
As I show in this chapter, the Russian military has historically played a complex role within the Russian political system, which not only extends the traditional role of defending the country or its political interests, but also defines the nature of relations between the military, civilian leadership, and general public. Unlike in the West where armed forces are mainly seen as “hard power” intended to achieve certain political aims and, thus, are built, maintained, and controlled as such, in Russia the military has traditionally had an additional role as an “internal soft power” player in domestic politics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Civil-Military Relations: Control and Effectiveness Across Regimes |
| Editors | Thomas Bruneau, Aurel Croissant |
| Publisher | Lynne Rienner Publishers |
| Chapter | 10 |
| Number of pages | 281 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781626378209 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781626378155 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |