Ten Years After the Soviet Breakup: The Primacy of History and Culture

Issue Date October 2001
Volume 12
Issue 4
Page Numbers 20-26
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The 15 states of the former Soviet fall into three broad categories, largely defined by fault lines of history and culture.

About the Author

Zbigniew Brzezinski, U.S. national security advisor during the Carter administration, is professor of U.S. foreign policy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and counselor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

View all work by Zbigniew Brzezinski

Further Reading

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A Fresh Look at Semipresidentialism: The Russian Predicament

At the end of the Cold War, semipresidentialism became the modal constitution of the postcommunist world. In Russia and other post-Soviet states, however, this system of government has impeded consolidation.

Volume 33, Issue 3

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The case of Hungary shows how autocrats can rig elections legally, using legislative majorities to change the law and neutralize the opposition at every turn, no matter what strategy they…

Volume 3, Issue 3

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Read the full essay here.