Böcker av Alexander J. Motyl

With the breakup of the Soviet Union and the subsequent creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the nationality question has assumed central importance. In this collection of essays, twelve leading specialists analyze the current situation.

An examination of the conceptual underpinnings of revolutions, nations and empires and the conditions that make them possible. The text argues that how concepts are defined and delimited strongly influences the theoretical claims that can be made about them.

The Putin and Bush presidencies, the 9/11 attack, and the war in Iraq have changed the dynamics of Russian-European-US relations and strained the Western alliance. Divided into two parts and featuring contributions by experts in the field, this work is a systematic effort to reassess the status of Russia's modernization efforts in this context.

Despite their historical importance, empires have received scant attention from social scientists. Now, Alexander J. Motyl examines the structure, dynamics, and continuing relevance of empire. Rejecting choice-centered theories of imperial decline, Motyl maintains that the very structure of empires promotes decay and that decay in turn facilitates the progressive loss of territory.