“It is my pleasure to recommend this book by Thomas Gomart to all those who are interested in the transformation of Russia and which remains an important factor not only for Russia’s direct neighbors, but to the international system more broadly. The Russian army, which for decades opposed the West, merits sustained attention. As the old saying goes, it is never as strong as it wants to look, but is never as feeble as it at times appears.”
Dmitri Trenin, deputy director of the Carnegie Moscow Center
and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

As Russia reasserts itself on the international stage, the relationship between its civilian and military spheres remains one of the determining factors in the organization of political power. Thomas Gomart’s Russian Civil-Military Relations: Putin’s Legacy looks beyond traditional dualism between the Kremlin and the military, introducing the role of the security services in Russian power distribution. With the support of the siloviki and justification through the fight against “international terrorism,” Putin worked throughout his administration to reestablish presidential control over the military. As Russia transitions to Dmitry Medvedev’s presidency, it is important to review the Putin presidency, which has given many of the country’s institutions their shape, but also reach back further into postcommunist and Soviet history for an understanding of the realities of today.