Three Generations of Strategic Culture Making Sense of the World II – CCSS 3312 Dr. Robert Nalbandov Scott Vander Ven, 29SEP11 “BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS”

Overview Definition of Strategic Culture First Generation (Early 1980s) Second Generation (Mid-1980s) Third Generation (1990s) Russia Strategic Culture

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Definition Strategic Culture: “Strategic preferences that are rooted in the early or formative experiences of the state, and are influenced to some degree by the philosophical, political, cultural, and cognitive characteristics of the state and its elites.” Important Key facts about Strategic Culture Adds to a better understanding of historical and cultural details Is a methodology, a separate independent variable in itself, explaining diverse courses of actions Is a phenomenon of a discourse analysis and does not belong to a cause- consequence framework Sources Cited: (Howlett October 31, 2006) (Johnston, 1995)

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” First Generation Sources Cited: (Johnston, 1995) The Early 1980s Focused mainly explaining nuclear strategy between the Russians and Americans Americans differed from the Soviet Union because of the human cost factor These differences were due to macro- environmental variables such as deeply rooted historical experience, politics, culture, and geography “…This relatively homogenous American strategic culture differed fundamentally from that of the Soviet Union, and that Americans were generally incapable of thinking strategically, that is, about planning for, fighting, and winning a nuclear war.”

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Second Generation Sources Cited: (Johnston, 1995) (Klein November 28, 2005) Mid-1980s Started from the premise that there is a vast difference between what leaders think or say they are doing and the deeper motives for what in fact they do The US focused more on war fighting in the defense of American hegemony’s interests It was also believed that predecessors can create constrained and symbolic myths, limiting growth or advancement in relations Rocky IV – Cold War Theory Rocky Balboa adopted the Reaganite philosophy of “peaceful through strength” The match was a victory of individualism over collectivism A culture symbolism: Rocky Balboa Vs Ivan Drago

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Third Generation 1990s Tends to be both more rigorous and eclectic in its conceptualization of ideational independent variables The third generation focuses less on deep rooted historical reasoning's and more on recent practices or events Like the first generation the third focuses on the effect on behavior and neglects any symbolic reasons to restrain from change The US avoided this by allowing behavior to be the dependant variable and not foreign policy or strategic doctrine statements. Gorbachev and Reagan sign the INF Treaty in 1987 Sources Cited: (Johnston, 1995)

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Russia’s Strategic Culture Sources Cited: (Ermarth October 31, 2006) “Strategic culture in the Russian case is very much influenced by political culture, how political power is defined, acquired, legitimized, and used; by foreign policy culture, how the outside world is regarded and addressed; and by economic culture” Pre-Cold War Russian state/empire emerged and expanded in conditions of constant warfare - Both defensively and offensively Physical and ethnographic geography provided no borders and raised fear about vulnerability Cold War Appearances of nuclear weapons and their deployment by USSR, NATO, and China raised concerns Stalin and successors (Gorbachev) all found it necessary to build and maintain vast nuclear forces Proceeding Stalin’s death the Soviet government became more robust and sophisticated Applying pressure for almost 30 years Soviet power declined in the 70s-90s, Cold War finally ended Post-Cold War (Present day) Russians are starting gain power in the region and are becoming stronger economically Russia's increasing relationship status with China has been increasing in years which adds fear to Western nations

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Overview Definition of Strategic Culture First Generation (Early 1980s) Second Generation (Mid-1980s) Third Generation (1990s) Russia Strategic Culture

“BUILDING EXPERTISE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL SKILLS” Bibliography …………………… Ermarth, Fritz. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, "Russia’s Strategic Culture." Last modified October 31, Howlett, Darryl. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, "The Future of Strategic Culture." Last modified October 31, Johnston, Alastair. The MIT Press, "Thinking about Strategic Culture." Last modified Spring, Accessed October 30, cceptTC=true Klein, Philip. The American Spectator, “Rocky IV Turns 20." Last modified November 28,