Civil-Military Relations in Russia

Authors

Jeremy Lennon, University of Puget SoundFollow

Abstract

This policy-oriented work evaluates Russian civil-military relations with a focus on their development under Vladimir Putin. This essay examines how key events and actors have shaped civil-military relations in the context of overarching structural limitations on reform related to economic performance, institutionalized knowledge and geopolitical competition. The disparity between the military’s preferred anti-Western security policy, Russia’s economic state, and the goals of civil politicians led to the dereliction of the Russian military throughout the 1990s and early-2000s. Only with Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of political power, were these three factors slowly brought into greater alignment, thus allowing for meaningful reform of the military and the streamlining of civil-military relations. Now, given increased economic and political hardships for Russia, Putin will once again need to decide on the future direction of military reform.

Recommended Citation

Lennon, Jeremy (2020) "Civil-Military Relations in Russia," The Commons: Puget Sound Journal of Politics: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/thecommons/vol1/iss1/4