Baltic-Russian security in practice and theory : before and after enlargement

In 1991, the Baltic states re-gained independence from the Soviet Union after roughly 50 years of Soviet domination.  The primary benefit of this change was renewed sovereignty.  The primary challenge was how to retain that sovereignty. This thesis offers a comparative analysis of the Baltic-Russian security relationship focusing on three aspects: the extent of the Russian threat, the extent of security from the West, and whether small state theory can account for the actions of the Baltic states vis-à-vis both Russia and the West.  The thesis compares security issues in the Baltic-Russian relationship with the similar issues in other former-Soviet states.  It also compares security provided by the West with security from the Nordic states.  Finally, the thesis tests the main expectations of small state theory through Baltic-Russian and Baltic-West relations.  The conclusion argues that though Russia did (and does) pose a threat to Baltic sovereignty, it is significantly less than the threat to other former Soviet states.  Furthermore, the security provided by the West is less than expected when compared to security from the Nordic states.  Finally, while small state theory is capable of accounting for most Baltic actions vis-à-vis Russia and the West, there are some shortcomings in the theory as regards this case study.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Does Latvia Matter in Regional Geopolitics?

As early as 1994, scholars, analysts and policymakers began to wonder the extent to which the Baltic States mattered in the relationship between Russia and the West. The general consensus for the following 20 years was that the Baltic States matter considerably, especially following their inclusion in both the EU and NATO in 2004. However, in the past few years two trends have emerged which begin to call this accepted knowledge into question. First, the relationship between Russia and the West has turned more hostile following nearly 20 years of detente. The West insists (especially NATO) insists that it is within its right to protect states that were formerly part of the Soviet Union/Russia’s “near abroad”. Russia, on the other hand, insists that NATO incursion into the “shared neighborhood” is a violation of trust and overstepping normal geopolitical bounds

Ellipsometry in the Study of Dynamic Material Properties

Measurements of the time-dependent absolute temperature of surfaces shocked using high explosives (HE) provide valuable constraints on the equations-of-state (EOS) of materials and on the state of ejecta from those surfaces. In support of these dynamic surface temperature measurements, techniques for measuring the dynamic surface emissivity of shocked metals in the near infrared (IR) are being developed. These consist of time-dependent laser ellipsometric measurements, using several approaches. A discussion of these ellipsometric techniques is included here. Ellipsometry permits an accurate determination of the dynamic emissivity at a given wavelength, and may also provide a signature of melt in shocked metals

Russian Strategic Intentions

A Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) White PaperThis white paper was prepared as part of the Strategic Multilayer Assessment, entitled The Future of Global Competition and Conflict, in direct response to a series of questions posed by the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Twenty-three experts contributed to this white paper and provided wide-ranging assessments of Russia’s global interests and objectives, as well as the activities—gray or otherwise—that it conducts to achieve them. This white paper is divided into five sections and twenty-five chapters, as described below. This summary reports some of the white paper’s high-level findings, but it is no substitute for a careful read of the individual contributions