The Empires and Enclaves of Europe

[Europe according to a widely accepted definition: geographic Europe in green, and cultural Europe in dark blue (Asian parts of European states in light blue). Even this map under-reports the Eastern distribution of European influence and culture, and the effects of Stalin's Russification policies.

Just think about the Jewish Autonomous Republic, bordering China in the Far East, or the European character of Harbin, capital of the Province of Helongjiang, People's Republic of China, where Russian workers began the building of the Chinese Eastern Railway.]

This set of cascading lenses concentrates on three "legacies of empire" - the Ottoman Empire, especially its effect on the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Levant; the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its legacy for Central Europe; the Soviet Union and its legacy in the Baltic; Each of these will be coupled with consideration of Russia's current policies and military strategies - thus Russia in the Balkans; Russia in the Baltic; and Russia in the Caucasus.

There are also connected lenses that will explore displacements and diasporas; the possibility and roles of international and supranational legal systems; and the naval strategy dimension of current crises between Russia and the West.

The module takes an apparently loose view of the Eastern boundary of "Europe" based in fact on the Russian definition that the five westernmost Federal Districts of Russia are all in Europe, because they are west of the Urals. That, together with Russia's past southern expansion, takes us at least as far east as the Caspian Sea. Only 3% of Turkey's land mass is actually in Europe by geographical definition, but politically, it defines itself as being wholly in Europe. Intellectually,culturally, it is in bothEurope and Asia. Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan are also European countries.

All this will be from an Anglo-American perspective. That's what I know. I am by no means an expert but I will try to provide useful pointers to at least some of the underlying factors that should be taken into account when considering contemporary crises, when the phone rings at 3 a.m. Washington time, "Why this now?"