De Facto States in Eurasia

by Tomas Hoch (Editor), Vincenc Kopeček (Editor)

This book explores the phenomenon of de facto states in Eurasia: states such as Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic. It examines how they are formed, what sustains them, and how their differing development trajectories have unfolded. It argues that most of these de facto states have been formed with either direct or indirect support from Russia, but they all have their own internal logic and are not simply puppets in the hands of a powerful patron. The book provides detailed case studies and draws out general patterns, and compares present-day de facto states with de facto states which existed in the past.

302 pages, Hardcover

Published July 19, 2019

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays on de facto states in the post-Soviet world (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, South Ossetia, and the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics) and how they operate and exist in the modern era. The essays examine if its possible for these states to achieve de jure recognition, noting that it can happen (and cites Mongolia as a case where it did). Subsequent events after the book's publishing will contradict a lot of their conclusions (namely Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and further wars over Nagorno-Karabakh), but the book is useful as it gets into more in depth detail of the states themselves, especially their politics and relations with other states (both de jure and de facto), without simply looking at the conflicts that led to their formation.