The Kaliningrad Question

books:


	• The Kaliningrad Question (New International Relations) Richard J. Krickus Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002 - 208 pages average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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The Kaliningrad Question

The Kaliningrad Question (New International Relations)In this text, Richard Krickus presents a thorough review of the historical and current status of Russia's westernmost territory at the Baltic Sea. Having been annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 from the old province of East Prussia, it has become an alien, backward, and troubled Russian enclave within the confines of the European Union. A Professor Emeritus at Mary Washington College and native of Lithuania, the author could not have been better qualified to discuss the ominous problems of that land. His historical review is impressive and informative about a land not well known in the West, but the book's impact arises chiefly from the enumeration of the numerous maladies afflicting the territory. Being closed off as a military bastion from the outside world until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it had a poor start from the beginning and from there it descended into economic and social decay. The countless political, economic, social, criminal, and abuse-related causes are clearly outlined and are followed by a description of the stand-off between Moscow and Brussels regarding remedial policies. Moscow bridles at suggestions that its ownership of the Kaliningrad Oblast is of questionable legality and has resisted substantive Western assistance for fear of secessionist tendencies. The EU is fearful itself of the numerous pathogenic vectors that may emanate to surrounding countries ("the Devil's Kitchen"), but at the same time cannot provide urgently needed help because of the Moscow impediment and even more so by the immensely difficult and expensive task of dealing with a country so ill and stricken.

For decades to come, so it seems, historical textbooks about this part of Europe will continue to rely on this erudite treatise.

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The only comprehensive English-language study of Kaliningrad, this invaluable book explores the history and uncertain fate of the former East Prussia. Once touted as a future Hong Kong, Russia's western-most oblast has become a black hole of social and economic decay. Often overlooked in the West, this exclave is a potential flashpoint in an already unstable region. Richard Krickus, a leading expert on Kaliningrad, fills a crucial gap by tracing its long history of unstable possession, critiquing Russian and Western policy, and mapping out possible futures for the oblast. Visit our website for sample chapters!

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