Overview

Many attempts have been made to explain Russia’s fateful decision to invade Ukraine, but the distinguished political scientist Sabine Fischer argues that we can only fully understand Russia’s foreign policy and its aggressive war of annihilation against Ukraine by putting Russian chauvinism at the heart of our analysis. Fischer argues that Putin’s regime has long been driven by a mixture of aggressive nationalism, sexism and autocracy: taken together, these three elements constitute the chauvinist threat that stems from Moscow and that led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  An internationally renowned expert on Russia and Eastern Europe with decades of experience in EU–Russia relations, Fischer enriches her analysis with observations drawn from her own experiences in Russia and Eastern Europe over the past thirty years, including conversations with senior Russian politicians and colleagues shortly before and after the invasion. She also shows that the chauvinist threat stemming from Moscow is a threat not just to Ukraine but also to liberal democracy and the rules-based world order, and she outlines steps that liberal democracies should take to counter this danger. Using a feminist lens and bringing into sharp focus the sexism of Putin’s regime and its explosive interaction with nationalism and autocracy, this book makes an important contribution to understanding both the brutal war in Ukraine and the serious threats faced by all liberal democracies today.

Full Product Details

Author:   Sabine Fischer ,  Catriona Corke
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint:   Polity Press
ISBN:  

9781509567713

ISBN 10:   1509567712
Pages:   220
Publication Date:   16 October 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock  
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Table of Contents

Preface Introduction      1. What is chauvinism?   Chauvinism as an aggressive form of nationalism and imperialism    Chauvinism as sexism     Chauvinism and autocracy Why did Russia declare war on Ukraine?    2. Chauvinism in Russia  Nationalism and imperialism   Sexism    Autocracy 2020: a dire turning point      3. Russia’s wars    Russian warfare after the collapse of the Soviet Union Chechnya  Russia and the Syrian Civil War    Russia’s war against Ukraine  Reservoirs of violence in a neverending state of war      4. Russia’s future  Russia at war  Russia’s potential futures      5. Europe’s vulnerability     A brief history of EU-Russian relations Germany’s role Russia and right-wing populism in the West   The weaknesses of the EU How do democracies die?  Weaknesses to the East   The global fight for narratives      6. Europe’s response     Yet more chauvinism Ukraine’s future    The future of the EU’s eastern neighbours    Where next with Russia?  Dealing with the war in a complex world Reconsolidating liberal democracy  Reconsolidating civil society Conclusion Acknowledgements    Works cited    Notes Index

Reviews

""Russia's aggression against Ukraine isn't a war in Europe, but rather a war against Europe. If doubts about this remain, read Sabine Fischer's powerful book about the causes and consequences of Putin's chauvinistic and revisionist politics."" Ivan Krastev, chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia ""Sabine Fischer's book undoubtedly stands out among the numerous publications of recent years dedicated to Putin's Russia. In order to counter the threat posed by Putinism, it is essential to describe its nature. To tackle this challenging intellectual task, Fischer chooses the concept of chauvinism, which has a long-standing tradition in Russian history. Her detailed analysis of chauvinism in relation to Putinist ideology today is crucial to understanding not only nationalist and aggressive foreign and domestic policies, but also the dangerous virus that Putinim seeks to spread throughout the rest of the world."" Irina Scherbakova, historian and chair of the Zukunft Memorial, Berlin

Author Information

Sabine Fischer is a political scientist and Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.

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