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IDENTITY AND EMPIRE: RUSSIAN HISTORICAL PATTERNS. by Pal TAMAS [IS HAS, Budapest]. THE EASTERN BORDERS OF EUROPE. Antique interpretations- Tanais/Don 16.-17.c. ” -Don, Volga, Kama, Ob pieces 1720cca. Tatichev/Stalenberg- Urals Danzig-Triest line. EURASIA, 116 C.E.
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IDENTITY AND EMPIRE: RUSSIAN HISTORICAL PATTERNS by Pal TAMAS [IS HAS, Budapest]
THE EASTERN BORDERS OF EUROPE Antique interpretations- Tanais/Don 16.-17.c. ” -Don, Volga, Kama, Ob pieces 1720cca. Tatichev/Stalenberg- Urals Danzig-Triest line
BASIC GEOPOLITICAL UNITS OF RUSSIA COMPOSITE BLOCKS: 1.EURO-RUSSIA 2.FAR-EASTERN RUSSIA 3.URALO-SIBIR 1-2. N-S 3.W-E. EXTERNAL GATES: a.Nord-East- Murmansk-Kaliningrad b.South-West- Black Sea c.South-East- Pacific coast d.Nord-East-chukotka, Kamchatka, Behring tr.
RUSSIA, THE CONTINENTAL ISLAND The Baltic-Black sea continental trait and the „limitrof” [V.Cimburskij] After 1991: turninng back to Asia/Europe imperialistic view –no mans land? The real center?: Ekaterinburg- Orenburg-Kemerovo The II. Velikorossija [M.Iljin]
GEOPOLITICAL FRAMES Where does Europe stop? What is the scope of the Euro-Atlantic community? What is the present political meaning of Euroasia, if any? How relevant is the term „Post-Soviet” space at all?
„EASTERN” INTERPRETATIONS OF EXPANSION/INTEGRATION • The Collecting of Lands Model • The Moving of Borders [Colonization Model] • The Strategic Border Model • The Restoration Model • Le Monde Sans Frontiérs Model
Russia in the European Politics Bipolarity of Europe- division on the Rhein France/the Holy Empire… 18.c. weakening Austria. From 1726 Russia in the European big politics AU-SP-RU versus ENG-FR-PRUSS. 1945- elimination of the Austrian-German eastern core, Russia is the now the Eastern core- pushed out of the system, th west is unipolar from that time
THE NEW GAME VULNERABILITY OF THE NEW ELITES AND STATES AS A CENTRAL PROBLEM Primary factors: • External [„Western”] geopolitical interests • Programs of militant nation building and consolidation • Short term Russian geopolitical interests • Major socio-economic tensions in the new states
THE MAJOR „FRONTLINE” a.THE NEW MIDEAST – THE CAUCASUS as part of the region b. Central Asia- as a borderland between China and the Moslim world c. Vulnerability of energy supply lines for Europe Different Russian-Western interests in the 3 regions. In „c” stong co-operation is needed, but in A. and b. not.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS • Who does generate Post-Soviet underdevelopment? • What are the tools of a low cost „energy imperialism” in comparison with the classical „imperialism of free trade” [Ru-EU?] in this region? • How do networks, webs, or circuits of foreign origin divide the new political class? • Are members of the Post-Soviet intelligentsia still modernization zealots?
CONCLUSIONS • HOTSPOTS: • ZONES OF EASY COMPROMISES: • CONFLICT AVOIDING STRATEGIES for the local CIS elites: a. no, or very few symbolic actions b. selective decisions, networks with different vectors c. relative, or step-by-step „energy independence” d.readyness to compromises in local social conflicts
FUTURE ALTERNATIVE RU-EU SCENARIOS • Neo-Finlandization • „Baltization” • Mexicanization” • Selective-competitive co-operation