Abstract
The tumultuous change — or perestroika — after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 opened the way for a wide-ranging debate on the most basic aspects of defense, and even of the country’s very identity, including the age-old dilemma of whether the USSR/Russia is at heart a seapower or a landpower. The debate — which swirled around issues such as the country’s geography, national interests, security threats, foreign policy, history, and the economy -highlighted the difficulty of balancing the country’s orientation in these two basic realms. In its aftermath, the Navy underwent significant reductions in construction, training, and deployments. However, given the likely reassertion of Russian military activity in future years, these earlier arguments can provide a guidepost to a likely revived, albeit updated, debate by proponents of seapower or landpower.
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