Is anybody else out there? Are they friendly or hostile? Will we find them or have they already found us? These are the questions we have all pondered as we gaze into the endless expanse of the night sky. Sixteen established and up-coming authors explore these questions and more in this collection of science fiction. Let's venture together into the unknown as we search for FIRST CONTACT.
The North Caucasus region has been a source of instability for the past several centuries. Most recently, Chechen aspirations to achieve full independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union led to two disastrous wars. While the active phase of the Chechen conflict ended in 2000 -- more than a decade ago -- the underlying social, economic, and political issues of the region remain. A low-level insurgency continues to persist in the North Caucasus region, with occasional terrorist attacks in the Russian heartland. There are few reasons to expect any substantial improvement in the situation for years to come. Chechnya functions as a de facto independent entity; Islamist influence in Dagestan is growing, terror attacks continue, and the rest of the North Caucasus requires massive presence of Russian security services to keep the situation under control. Preventing the North Caucasus from slipping back into greater instability requires tackling corruption, cronyism, discrimination, and unemployment -- something the Kremlin has so far not been very willing to do. "Small wars" in the Caucasus resonated as far away as Boston, MA, and more international attention and cooperation is necessary to prevent the region from blowing up.
The book explores the surprising collapse of the Soviet Union, highlighting the disconnect between theoretical evidence of its imperial status and the lack of consensus among Soviet experts. It examines how this oversight contributed to the shock experienced by Americans as the USSR began to disintegrate under Mikhail Gorbachev. By analyzing the writings on empires and the situation on the ground, the author sheds light on the complexities and misjudgments surrounding one of the century's most significant political events.
Der Band analysiert die ukrainische Revolution 3.0, die zwischen 2013 und 2014 stattfand, und beleuchtet die Herausforderungen, die der Euromaidan und die anschließende russische Annexion der Krim mit sich brachten. Renommierte Experten untersuchen geopolitische Aspekte sowie die politischen und wirtschaftlichen Perspektiven der Ukraine.