Over the last hundred years, Russia has undergone a succession of failed projects of state construction - from Tzarist modernisation to Soviet state socialism to liberal democratic market capitalism. This new book introduces these vastly different projects and explains their failure in order to illuminate the common problems of balancing social and economic transformation with political stability that Russia's rulers have faced during the twentieth century.
Russia: A State of Uncertainty traces Russia's complex historical development in the last century, as well as its recent...

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has remained on the brink of on the brink of becoming an economic crossroads or an isolated backwater, a democratic or authoritarian state, a peaceful and prosperous country or a nation on the brink of conflict. Armenia's difficult independence is intricately linked with her transcaucasian neighbours, and whichever path she follows, they will undoubtedly be affected. Armenia: At the Crossroads considers Armenia as a nationa and as a state, and puts her tragic history into the context of current events since independence.

This volume provides an introduction to Kyrgyzstan exploring its history, politics, economic development and place in the international community.

An overview of the social and cultural issues faced by the new state in Ukraine. These are placed in their historical, regional and global framework. Contrasting the generally bleak picture that media reports present, it shows that Ukraine has accomplished a lot in a short time.