Russia, the Baltic States and the CIS Since 1991
Every businessman is a roving bandit. He is always on the lookout for something to steal. Seize everything which is not nailed down and why not try to take that as well? With apologies to Marx, he engages in primitive theft accumulation. Interviewee!
Wide ranging coverage of government, the economy, the military, the security services, intelligence, society and foreign policy.
Explains the reasons Russia took the course it did and examines Yeltsin's legacy and puts Putin's impact under the microscope.
Covers all 15 former Soviet republics, is accessible and illustrated with cartoons and photos.
During the 1990s, with the shift from Communism to capitalism, the "roving bandits", big business or the oligarchs, stole Russia. They gained influence over President Yeltsin and his government and gradually shaped policy in their own interests. In the first comprehensive attempt to explain why Russia took the course it did, Martin McCauley names names. He examines the period through the prism of government, including Yeltsin's shadow government, the military, police, security and intelligence services. Relations between Moscow and the regions, industry, agriculture, social policy and foreign policy are also explored.
