Exploiting 'fault lines' in the Soviet empire: an overview

John Van Oudenaren

ResearchPublished 1984

This paper was prepared for the European-American Institute Workshop on "Fault Lines in the Soviet Empire: Implications for Western Security," held in Ditchley Park, England, May 18-20, 1984. In it, the author examines the notion that cleavages within the Soviet empire can be exploited in NATO political and military strategy. He identifies three kinds of cleavages: Intra-bloc, comprising splits between countries within the Soviet empire; intra-leadership, comprising splits within the leaderships of individual countries; and mass-leadership, comprising splits between the leaderships of the various countries and the population as a whole. Among other things, he concludes that the real beneficiary of efforts to undermine the Soviet empire in Europe may not be Europe itself, but third areas, where the USSR may have to scale back its activism.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 1984
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 22
  • Paperback Price: $20.00
  • Document Number: P-7012

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RAND Style Manual

Van Oudenaren, John, Exploiting 'fault lines' in the Soviet empire: an overview, RAND Corporation, P-7012, 1984. As of December 10, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7012.html

Chicago Manual of Style

Van Oudenaren, John, Exploiting 'fault lines' in the Soviet empire: an overview. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1984. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7012.html. Also available in print form.
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