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Eesti kaitsepoliitika dilemmad muutuvas maailmakorralduses
No full textJärjest kasvav rahvaarv ja eluks vajalike varude vähenemine seab riigid eluliselt oluliste valikute ette. Oma rahva elustandardi säilitamise nimel tuleb järjest jõulisemalt hankida vahendeid nõrgematest riikidest. Olukorras, kus rahumeelse kaubavahetuse raames ei saa või ei ole ratsionaalne omale vajalikku tooret saada, lähevad tugevamad jõu, ehk sõjaga neid omastama. Riigid, kes aduvad ohte oma varadele, valmistuvad neid tõrjuma nii reaalselt kui heidutusega. Eesti teadvustab seonduvaid sõjalisi ohte idanaabri suunalt ja valmistub riiki kaitsma. Siiski on Eesti iseseisvaks vastupanuks suuteline sõjapidamisfilosoofia veel väljaarenemata. Liigselt suur on lootus liitlaste kiirele imelisele appitulekule ja vähene tähelepanu oma enda nutikatele võimalustele ka ise ülekaaluka vastasega toime tulla kui abi peaks viibima. Mõeldes avatumalt riigikaitse võimaluste üle, oleks täiesti reaalne luua tunduvalt võimekam vägi olemasolevate varude baasil, mis suudaks tagada nii piisava heidutuse kui ka tegeliku kaitsevõime olukorras, kus liitlased on kas takistatud või muul moel võimetud meile füüsiliselt appi tulema. Selliseks võimetõstmiseks ei ole tegelikult vaja rohkem soomukeid ega tanke, vaid rohkem avatud riigikaitselist mõtlemist ja isetut koostööd inimeste vahel, nii horisontaalselt kui vertikaalselt, ühiselt defineeritud eesmärgi suunas
Toetavad müüdid ja enesejutustamine Nora Ikstena romaanides „Elu pühitsus” ja „Neitsi õpetus” [The supportive role of myths and the practices of telling the Self in Nora Ikstena’s novels Celebration of Life and The Teaching of a Virgin]
No full textThis article focuses on the role of myths and storytelling in people’s self-narrating process. The analysis is based on the Latvian writer Nora Ikstena’s two novels Celebration of Life (1998, translated into Estonian in 2003 by Ita Saks) and The Teaching of a Virgin (2001, translated into Estonian in 2011 by Kalev Kalkun). Nora Ikstena (b. 1969) is one of the most famous contemporary Latvian writers, and her enchanting metaphorical prose has gained a lot of att ention in Latvia and abroad. Among Ikstena’s main interests are life stories, and (re)constructing lives through storytelling is one of the main themes in both of the novels analysed in the current article. Celebration of Life and The Teaching of the Virgin are highly metaphorical and insightful novels; the stories they tell are played out mostly in the characters’ inner landscapes, refl ecting their memories, emotions, dreams, associations etc. In addition, the life stories of the novels’ protagonists are interlaced with different myths and fragments of mythical substance. The aim of the current article is to give an analytical overview of the role of myth in Ikstena’s characters’ life stories and of its function in dealing with life crises. The female protagonists of both novels are young women who do not really know their mothers (or fathers) and therefore deal with several complex emotional and psychological issues. Both leading characters – Helena in Celebration of Life and Asnate in The Teaching of a Virgin – have reached the point where in order to move on with their lives, they need to rethink, retell and (re)construct some aspects of their lives fi rst. Accomplishing this dif- fi cult task successfully defi nitely requires support. Both women are looking for something to believe in, a greater story to lean on, to help them find their own places in the world and to make them feel that they belong. In these processes, different myths start to play a significant role. Fragments, motifs and symbols from ancient Livonian mythology and Christian mythology help the protagonists to form their stories, and the protagonists themselves start to re-shape the myths. This particularly involves the female aspect of Christian mythology, which is enriched with the knowledge of the ancient Livonians, whose religion focussed primarily on the worship of the feminine substance of the universe
Russian Liberalism in Crisis? Khodorkovsky Revisited
No full textThe electoral decline of liberal parties has been a key feature of post-Soviet politics in Russia. Using Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s critique of Russian liberalism as a starting point for analysis, it is argued that a lack of cohesion and unity has undermined support for liberal-democratic forces. Ultimately, however, exogenous factors over which the liberal parties have had no control (the marginalisation of opposition, the restriction of media access and the huge imbalance of resources available to political parties in Russia) have played the major determining role in the liberals’ decline. It is argued that Russia’s two main liberal parties during the Putin years were targeted by the regime because they were opposition parties. In Russia’s electoral authoritarian system, political opposition has been systematically excluded and fragmented, the aim being not just to restrict but to close off any potential opportunities
Napoleoni 1812. aasta sõjakäigu logistilised aspektid Baltimaade perspektiivis [The Logistical Aspects of Napoleon’s 1812 Russian Campaign with a Focus on the Baltic Region]
No full textThis article explores the logistical aspects of the Grande Armée’s campaign into Russia in 1812. The questions discussed include how logistics affected the planning and execution of the campaign. Logistic considerations might well explain why French forces went eastward through Lithuania to Moscow towards the centre of the Russian Empire rather than northward (through Latvia, Estonia and Ingermanland) to capture the capital Saint Petersburg. Difficulties faced by the French included physical challenges that had an impact on logistics, such as climate, the vast distances involved and the lack of adequate roads in the Russian Empire.
(Longer version of the current abstract is included in the article, starting from p 106.
Vene teenetemärgid ja 1812.–1814. aasta kampaania [Russian Imperial Decorations and the 1812–1814 Campaign]
No full textThe article provides an overview of the Russian imperial decorations and their investiture from the Patriotic War of 1812 to the Allies capturing Paris in 1814. Additionally, the influence of the Napoleonic Wars on the systems of honorary decorations of the key participating countries is discussed. It can be claimed that the Napoleonic Wars efected a certain democratisation on the national systems of decoration. First and foremost, this applies to Napoleon’s France. The Legion of Honour (Légion d’ honneur) established in 1804 can be regarded as the first modern decoration ever. It was an order not awarded on the basis of descent or estate but according to speciic merits and courage on the battlefield.
(Longer version of this abstract is included in the article, starting from p 150.
Theories of Postcommunist Transformation. Approaches, Debates, and Problems of Theory Building in the Second Decade of Research
No full textThe article explores the current theoretical debates on postcommunist transformations. After identifying important novel or reinvigorated approaches, three of them are critically discussed: the postcommunism approach, the governance approach, and the Europeanisation approach. The examination leads to the result that, indeed, a ‘second generation’ has emerged. It has largely overcome universalistic assumptions and gained explanatory power by more complex theoretical architectures as well as systematic time-space-embeddings or contextualisations. A final consideration makes the case for interdisciplinary and general theories of societal transformations as a necessary step in the advancement of the debate
Eesti välispoliitika sõltuvus eesmärkidest ja kujunemine nende realiseerivuse alusel
No full textEesti Vabariigis on taasiseseisvumise ajal olnud välispoliitika väga erineva tähtsusega, kui seda mõõta sektorpoliitikana. Antud artikkel keskendub ajalooliste nüansside väljatoomisele, et näidata, milline on Eesti välispoliitika iseloom ja mis on aidanud selle mõjutamisele kaasa. Artikkel keskendub põhiliselt suurimale eesmärgile, mida Eesti on omanud välispoliitiliselt taasiseseisvumise ajal ja selleks oli ja nüüdseks on see saavutatud – Euroopa Liiduga liitumine. Selle kõrval keskendun ka muude rahvusvaheliste organisatsioonidega liitumisele, kuid suurima tähelepanu all on integreerumine läänega ja selle kaudu ka Eesti identiteedi loomine ja igavese kaitse tagamine. Kuna mitmed suurkujud taasiseseisvumise ajal omasid väga tugevat visiooni, siis antud artikkel keskendub ka paljudele erinevatele teemadele, kuid mis kokku annavad terviku. Kontseptuaalselt toob artikkel esile kaks alateemat. Esimene nendest keskendub püstitatud eesmärkide realiseerimisele ja teine pool saavutatud eesmärkide hoidmisele ja maine kujundamisele. Täiendavalt pakub see artikkel ka ideid, mis võiksid olla uued sihid, sest välispoliitilisest vaatenurgast lähtudes on Eesti riik saavutanud kõige tugevamaid edusamme just siis, kui eksisteerib kõrgemasse kategooriasse kuuluv eesmärk. Välispoliitika ja diplomaatiline võrgustik on Eesti jaoks maine kujundamisel olulised instrumendid ning seda ajalugu on võimalik mõista ainult ühtemoodi ning samamoodi on võimalik teha ka muudatusi selles võrgustikus ainult sellisel viisil, et see tooks kasu, mitte ei mõjutaks riiki negatiivselt
Keiser Aleksander ja Soome suurvürstiriigi asutamine 1812. aastal [Emperor Alexander I and the Establishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland]
No full textEstablishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland by the Russian Emperor Alexander I was a decisive moment in Finnish history and is an exciting research subject for historians. However, the events are often presented as if Finland and Russia were the only two countries in the world. This article once again explores the issue of why Alexander I chose a solution that seemed beneficial even to the contemporary Finnish people, yet, differently from preceding historiography, the creation of the Grand Duchy of Finland is discussed in the context of Napoleonic Wars and the internal power strife in Russia. For this purpose, one must view Alexander’s position and the development of his views in relation to the circumstances of his accession to the throne and throughout the War of Wars. What becomes evident is that creating the Grand Duchy of Finland allowed Alexander to transform a series of defeats to Napoleon into a necessary victory in the Russo-Swedish war of 1808, which in turn secured his position on the throne of Russia.
(Longer version of the current abstract is included in the article, starting from p 85.
Designing Social Inquiry in Central Asia – A Case Study of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
No full textCentral Asia offers a potential smorgasbord for researchers engaged in comparative analysis. Common shared characteristics of these states have provided and continue to provide opportunities for advances in our understanding of political and social phenomena of global importance, including state building, democratisation, nationalism and economic development. However, in conducting comparative case study research in Central Asia, researchers should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of different comparative approaches. This article reviews and critiques one approach to comparative analysis that has become increasingly dominant in social science research, particularly in the US. Comparing events in two Central Asian countries during 2005, a period of heightened risk of colour revolution, the article highlights both strengths and weaknesses of this increasingly dominant approach, arguing instead for a more inclusive and pragmatic approach to comparative analysis both in Central Asia and to case study comparisons more generally as the best way to advance our understanding of important social and political phenomena
Post-Socialist Dynamics of Value Patterns in Estonia
No full textThe article focuses on the dynamics of value patterns in Estonia over a period spanning late socialism to liberal market capitalism. The research data is derived from five population surveys ‘Work, family and leisure’ (WFL), in which value orientations were measured on the basis of Clyde Kluckhohn’s conception. The same instrument of life values was used in 1985 (just before the perestroika of Soviet socialist system), in 1993, 1998 and 2003 (during the transition period of post-socialism) and in 2008 (just before the economic crisis in capitalist society). The aim of the study is to differentiate value patterns and observe the trends of their change during this period. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis reveal a clear tendency of structural change: a dichotomy of value profiles on the ethno-linguistic basis in 1985 and 1993 was replaced by a dichotomy of value profiles on the basis of age in 2003 and 2008. The results of multidimensional analysis show a relative stability of the value structure and a change in the meaning of some life values (professional work, close friends). The results are discussed in the context of post-socialist societal transformation