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The Constraints of Empire

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The Soviet Union

Part of the book series: Studies in International Security

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Abstract

This chapter discusses some of the ‘internal’ problems facing the Soviet leadership in the 1980s. It will concentrate on three major areas: the problems of ruling Eastern Europe; the nationalities question; and the security of Siberia. The USSR’s economic difficulties are examined in the following chapter. These are important questions, each of which could have a major impact on the outlook for Soviet power in the years ahead. If any of these issues were to slide out of control, the consequences for political stability in the Soviet Union could be grave. Should widespread rebellion break out in Eastern Europe, or if a major nationality group rose up in revolt, or if the territorial integrity of the far flung Soviet state were threatened, then Soviet state power would be seriously undermined. On the other hand, if the Soviet multinational state continues to work without undue friction, if Siberia and Central Asia increasingly provide the economic sinews of Soviet power, and if Eastern Europe remains quiescent, then the USSR will have a sound basis of domestic power, and it will not be distracted by internal weaknesses.

… the non-Russian dominions of the empire have constituted one of its greatest strategic vulnerabilities.1

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Notes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Australia

    Paul Dibb

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© 1988 International Institute for Strategic Studies

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Dibb, P. (1988). The Constraints of Empire. In: The Soviet Union. Studies in International Security. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19349-3_2

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