Historical Memory's Influence on Russian Policy

Abstract

Russia's aggressive policies have increasingly drawn greater focus on the part of the United States and other Western states. Putin's aggressive behavior does not occur in a vacuum but has a multitude of catalysts. One of the factors shaping his decision-making is historical memory, or the narratives a society tells itself. This thesis analyzes how historical memory influences Russian nationalist narrative and impacts the choices of the Putin regime. My research contributes to our understanding of what guides the internal decision-making of the Putin regime by exploring how narrative and ideology have shaped how Putin's regime sees Russia's place in the world. Through case studies of the Russian invasion of Georgia and Ukraine, this paper proposes that historical memory has had an influence on the choices and outlook of the Kremlin.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2023
Accession Number
AD1224701

Entities

People

  • Dane J. Hurley

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Educational Psychology