This book analyzes the evolution of Russian military thought and how Russia's current thinking about war is reflected in recent crises. While other books describe current Russian practice, Oscar Jonsson provides the long view to show how Russian military strategic thinking has developed from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. He closely examines Russian primary sources including security doctrines and the writings and statements of Russian military theorists and political elites. What Jonsson reveals is that Russia's conception of the very nature of war is now changing, as Russian elites see information warfare and political subversion as the most important ways to conduct contemporary war. Since information warfare and political subversion are below the traditional threshold of armed violence, this has blurred the boundaries between war and peace. Jonsson also finds that Russian leaders have, particularly since 2011/12, considered themselves to be at war with the United States and its allies, albeit with non-violent means. This book provides much needed context and analysis to be able to understand recent Russian interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, how to deter Russia on the eastern borders of NATO, and how the West must also learn to avoid inadvertent escalation.

"The Russian Understanding of War is an excellent work for anyone looking to understand Russian perspectives on the nature of conflict."

About the Author
Oscar Jonsson is during 2019 Director of the Stockholm Free World Forum (Frivarld), a Swedish foreign and security policy think tank, and associated researcher at the Swedish Defence University. Previously, he was a subject-matter expert at the Policy and Plans Department at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters. Jonsson holds a PhD from the Department of War Studies, King's College London.

Reviews
This book provides much needed context and analysis to be able to understand recent Russian interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, how to deter Russia on the eastern borders of NATO, and how the West must also learn to avoid inadvertent escalation. * Irish Tech News *
This book provides much needed context and analysis to be able to understand recent Russian interventions in Crimea and and eastern Ukraine and how to deter Russia on the Eastern borders of NATO. * Eye Spy Magazine *
The ... book offers an efficient overview of trends in Russian military thought since the collapse of the Soviet Union paired with detailed examinations of the two major subjects that have defined those trends: information warfare and color revolutions. * Strategy Bridge *
In this well-documented review of Russia's understanding of war, Jonsson provides an insightful analysis of the profound differences between Western and Russian perceptions of key 21st-century global events. * Choice *
While many geopolitical works superimpose (albeit often subconsciously) the assumptions of the analyst upon that which is being analyzed (mirror imaging), The Russian Understanding of War seeks to pierce Moscow's strategic calculus and the "nuances of the Russian language" ... to answer the question, "Has the Russian understanding of the nature of war changed, and if so, how?" * Strategic Studies Quarterly *
Oscar Jonsson's The Russian Understanding of War is a valuable addition to the corpus of knowledge on Russia's military thinking about war. * Joint Forces Quarterly *
Jonsson offers an interesting illumination of Russian thinking. * RUSI *
Drawing on a systematic and exhaustive reading of Russian doctrinal documents and military theory, Jonsson's thesis is simple: the Russian military's conception has fundamentally changed in the last decade. * Russian Review *
What this timely and wellresearched book does is nicely encapsulate both change and continuity in Russian military doctrine and capabilities, sum- marizing the most influential thinkers within Russia and drawing from primary documents. * Political Science Quarterly *
The Russian Understanding of War is an excellent work for anyone looking to understand Russian perspectives on the nature of conflict. * Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) *
The Russian Understanding of War brings important light to several intersecting and imperfectly understood topics about Russian strategic thought, as well as about the Kremlin's perspective about and use of information warfare. The book is well structured for addressing its complex subject matter in earnest. This is a valuable addition to the literature on twenty-first-century security issues. * H-Net *


Awards
Winner of John McCain Dissertation Award and John McCain Dissertation Award 6 (United States). Long-listed for PROSE Award in Government and Politics 6 (United States) and PROSE Award in Government and Politics.



Book Information
ISBN 9781626167346
Author Oscar Jonsson
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Georgetown University Press
Publisher Georgetown University Press
Weight(grams) 304g