Description
Book SynopsisThe Financial Times Best books of 2022: Politics
''The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time.'' The Times
A new history of how Putin and his conflicts have inexorably reshaped Russia, including his devastating invasion of Ukraine.
Written by one of the world's leading experts on modern Russia, Putin's Wars is a timely overview of the conflicts into which Russia has plunged since Vladimir Putin became prime minister and then president. From the First and Second Chechen Wars to the military incursion into Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and the eventual full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mark Galeotti has created a vivid insight into the inner workings of the Kremlin.
Updated for this paperback edition to include both the aborted coup of June 2023 and a clear overview of how and why the Russian military has struggled in Ukraine, this is a
Trade Review
The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time. * The Times *
Galeotti’s work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand current events in Ukraine. -- Gillian Tett * The Financial Times *
Putin’s Wars is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Russia’s military. * Literary Review *
The definitive work on this subject to date. * History of War *
Mark Galeotti is one of the most insightful and incisive analysts on Russia’s past, present, and future. Russia’s February 2022 expanded invasion of Ukraine tragically highlights the critical importance of understanding the connection between politics and war. Galeotti vividly shows how Russia has waged its wars... [and] how those wars shaped the country’s politics and, in turn, how politics shaped Moscow’s military campaigns. * Joshua C. Huminski, Director, Mike Rogers Center for Intelligence and Global Affairs, Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress *
This is a vivid account of how Putin has used armed force during his time in power, culminating in the deadly war in Ukraine. * Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London *
An accessible, lucid and vivid comprehensive contemporary account of the inner workings, logic and rationales of the central military pillar of Putinism. I unreservedly recommend this gem. * Dr Graeme P. Herd, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies *
Putin’s Wars is Galeotti at his finest: writing that moves like a spy novel and enough information for the student or professional reader … An excellent and accessible contribution to the field for seasoned Russian observers and those interested in the larger sweep of how it all transpired. * Dr Yuval Weber, Bren Chair of Russian Military and Political Strategy at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at the US Marine Corps University *
Table of Contents
Author’s Note List of Illustrations List of Maps and Diagrams Abbreviations Cast of Characters Chronology 1. Introduction PART ONE: BEFORE PUTIN 2. Born in Chaos 3. A Military in Crisis 4. The First Chechen War 5. The Wars of Russian Assertion PART TWO: ENTER PUTIN 6. Putin’s Priorities 7. The Second Chechen War 8. Ivanov, the Initiator 9. Serdyukov, the Enforcer 10. Georgia, 2008 (1): Tbilisi’s Move … 11. Georgia, 2008 (2): … Moscow’s Counter 12. ‘New Look’ Army PART THREE: THE NEW COLD WAR 13. Shoigu, the Rebuilder 14. Crimea, 2014 15. Donbas, 2014– 16. Lessons of the Donbas War 17. Syria, 2015– (1): The Unexpected Intervention 18. Syria, 2015– (2): Lessons of the Syrian Campaign PART FOUR: REARMING RUSSIA 19. Rumble for Ruble 20. Armiya Rossii 21. The Sky is Russia’s! 22. Contesting the Sea 23. Power Projection: Blue and Black Berets 24. The Spetsnaz 25. The Nuclear Backstop PART FIVE: THE FUTURE 26. Political Warfare 27. New Generation Warfare 28. The Challenges of the Future 29. Ukraine 2022: Putin’s Last War? 30. Conclusions: The Eurasian Sparta? 31. Ukraine: A Dispatch on a War in Progress Notes Selected English-language Bibliography Index
