The Russian Federation in Global Knowledge Warfare

The Russian Federation in Global Knowledge Warfare

Author: Holger Mölder

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-07-24

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 3030739554

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book examines Russian influence operations globally, in Europe, and in Russia’s neighboring countries, and provides a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies and forms of strategic communication employed in hybrid warfare. Given the growing importance of comprehensive information warfare as a new and rapidly advancing type of international conflict in which knowledge is a primary target, the book examines Russia’s role in Global Knowledge Warfare. The content is divided into three parts, the first of which addresses conceptual issues such as the logic of information warfare, the role of synthetic media, and Russia’s foreign policy concepts, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on influence operations. The second part analyzes technological, legal and strategic challenges in modern hybrid warfare, while the third focuses on textual, cultural and historical patterns in information warfare, also from various regional (e.g. the Western Balkans, Romania, Ukraine, and the Baltic) perspectives. The book is primarily intended for scholars in the fields of international relations, security and the military sciences who are interested in Russian foreign policy and influence operations, but also their impact on the global security environment.


The Russian Federation in Global Knowledge Warfare

The Russian Federation in Global Knowledge Warfare

Author: Holger Mölder

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9783030739560

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book examines Russian influence operations globally, in Europe, and in Russia's neighboring countries, and provides a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies and forms of strategic communication employed in hybrid warfare. Given the growing importance of comprehensive information warfare as a new and rapidly advancing type of international conflict in which knowledge is a primary target, the book examines Russia's role in Global Knowledge Warfare. The content is divided into three parts, the first of which addresses conceptual issues such as the logic of information warfare, the role of synthetic media, and Russia's foreign policy concepts, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on influence operations. The second part analyzes technological, legal and strategic challenges in modern hybrid warfare, while the third focuses on textual, cultural and historical patterns in information warfare, also from various regional (e.g. the Western Balkans, Romania, Ukraine, and the Baltic) perspectives. The book is primarily intended for scholars in the fields of international relations, security and the military sciences who are interested in Russian foreign policy and influence operations, but also their impact on the global security environment.


The Russian Understanding of War

The Russian Understanding of War

Author: Oscar Jonsson

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

Published: 2019-11-01

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1626167346

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

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.


Producing Cultural Change in Political Communities

Producing Cultural Change in Political Communities

Author: Holger Mölder

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-11-13

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 3031434404

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In light of many crises in the last two decades, including democratic recession, climate change, economic crises, and massive waves of migration affecting perceptions of security around the world, this book examines the impact of cultural change in political communities on the global political and security environment. Through various case studies of political communities around the world, the book analyzes contemporary responses to cultural change, often culminating in the rise of political populism and extremism. The book is divided into two parts and presents a foreword by Larry Diamond and an afterword by Eric Shiraev. The first part focuses on the micro-level of cultural change in political communities and discusses conflict mechanisms and the role of political participation in producing changes. The second part features studies on extremism and populism, analyzing their impact on cultural change in Europe. The book is intended for scholars and students in a variety of disciplines, including international relations, security studies, cultural studies, and related fields.


Deepfakes

Deepfakes

Author: Ignas Kalpokas

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-02-16

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13: 3030938026

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book examines the use and potential impact of deepfakes, a type of synthetic computer-generated media, primarily images and videos, capable of both creating artificial representations of non-existent individuals and showing actual individuals doing things they did not do. As such, deepfakes pose an obvious threat of manipulation and, unsurprisingly, have been the subject of a great deal of alarmism in both the news media and academic articles. Hence, this book sets out to critically evaluate potential threats by analyzing human susceptibility to manipulation and using that as a backdrop for a discussion of actual and likely uses of deepfakes. In contrast to the usual threat narrative, this book will put forward a multi-sided picture of deepfakes, exploring their potential and that of adjacent technologies for creative use in domains ranging from film and advertisement to painting. The challenges posed by deepfakes are further evaluated with regard to present or forthcoming legislation and other regulatory measures. Finally, deepfakes are placed within a broader cultural and philosophical context, focusing primarily on posthumanist thought. Therefore, this book is a must-read for researchers, students, and practitioners of political science and other disciplines, interested in a better understanding of deepfakes.


Russian Foreign Policy Debates and the Conflicts in Georgia (1991–2008)

Russian Foreign Policy Debates and the Conflicts in Georgia (1991–2008)

Author: Cécile Druey

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2024-04-15

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 1666933368

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Russian Foreign Policy Debates and the Conflicts in Georgia (1991–2008): Between Multilateralism and Unilateralism discusses the conflicts and crises in the former Soviet space from a historical perspective and reconstructs the often-contradictory approaches of public actors in Russia on how to deal with them. Notably, it inquires whether the actions suggested follow a “multilateral” approach—one based on pluralist decisions and international law—or, on the opposite, a “unilateral” one—concentrating exclusively on Russia’s own national interests, to the detriment of commonly agreed-on international rules. The case of Georgia, from the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 to the “Five-Day War” in August 2008, serves as an example illustrating Russian approaches to conflict management. Richly illustrated with empirical data, the three parts of this book show how foreign and security policy debates in Moscow and their outcomes on the ground evolved from a chaotic policy of ad hoc interventions in the 1990s to a coherent, geopolitically informed strategy of coercion and persuasion in the 2000s. About a decade and a half before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow had already shown its willingness to go quite far in defending its interests in the former Soviet space.


Phishing for Nazis

Phishing for Nazis

Author: Lev Topor

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-12-30

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 1000836630

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Phishing for Nazis is an evidence-based, undercover study of neo-Nazi communities on anonymous communication platforms that helps to shine a light on the dark web. It unveils how hatred and conspiracies spread and thrive online and how white supremacy is becoming prominent as extremists find shelter in the online dank underbelly of society. Phishing for Nazis explains how online manifestations of hate radicalize people into taking “real-world” action, such as shooting sprees. Methodologically, this book is unique, as it incorporates undercover cyberethnography, a method frequently used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, unlike traditional academic studies of racism or social behavior that rely on secondary sources or surveys. With a particular interest on how race issues translate online, the book presents the true phenomenon of racism without relying on political correctness or whitewashing. It contributes to the field of cyber communication, as it details why and how people communicate and manage entire communities without knowing one another. The book also contributes to public policy, regulators, and technology companies as they deal with the practice of online anonymity and extremism.