The Soviet Union: large territory Marchland geoposition to “interior” geoposition Theories of failure

o Comunist systemWhat about China?o Great man of History: Gorbachev reforms (perestroika & Glasnot)

anyone would have done the same Process of failure

o Expansion: west-ward turned the Soviet Union into an “interior” positioncame face to face with NATO

o mid-1960s: hostile military forces with Chinao 1979: war in Afghanistano 1980`s: resources needed to sustain political and economic stability

were depleted to such extent that social unrest became common.o 45% non-russians

tension between the central state and ethnoregions (particularly econ developed west periphery)

conter to periphery migrationso Geopolitical strain

1. military apparatus loss in Afghanistan 2. Weakening territorial authority

Soviets failed to respond to the rise of Solidarity movement (Poland)

Refused to send military forces to other Eastern Europe satellite nations to help put down dissident movements

3. Decline of Coercive organization revival on long-suppressed nationalist identity and separatist

aspirations (Ukraine, Moldavia) national identity > economic self-interest

Intra-elite conflict: Yeltsin-led Russian Republic vs. Soviet Uniono West were the first to seek independenceo Central Asian periphery demanded more autonomy, but not full separation

due to econ dependence on centerbut they were “forced independence”

Yugoslavia small territory Marchland geoposition to “interior” geoposition Failed theories:

o Unbalanced state-society relation: too much decentralization of the center-regional relations generated destabilizing effects

o World econ recession 1980s Marchland

o Unique geoposition: buffer between Western Power and Soviet-led eastern powers

o Tito`s nonalliance policy: Third Road between communism and capitalism

Helped form a unified national identification Gain access to extra resources such as foreign aid and loans

Process to interioro Power shifted in favor of the West when the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact

disbanded Yugoslavia less strategically significant to the Westno need to

contain URSS Western powers stepped in openly to support the idenoendence

of Slovenia and Croatia without fear of Russian military intervention

o 1989: the two resource-rich republics of Yugoslavia on the periphery (Slovenia and Croatia) joined waves of nationalism in other East European countries

Western intervention (European Community) helped independence

Germany links with Croatia and Slovenia US and EC freese arms sales and financial aid, suspend

trade and cooperation agreements Financial crisis

o 1. Collapse of central banking systemo 2. Federal government`s costly military campaigns in Slovenia and

Croatiao 3. Western econ sanctions

Iran: state breakdown without fragmentation Territorial power remained stable in spite of the radical political change that

took place through the process of revolution