Russia and The Caspian Sea: Projecting Power or Competing for Influence?

In November 2012, Russia's Caspian Flotilla celebrated its 290th anniversary. Established by Peter the Great in 1722, the Flotilla was a key component of the Russian Empire's expansion into the Caspian region, and nearly 300 years later, it remains a vital element of continued Russian influence in its "south." The Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) describes the Caspian Flotilla as "not only the southernmost outpost of Russia, but also the guarantor of the integrity of maritime boundaries and the most important foreign policy tool of the state in the Caspian Sea."1 The Flotilla has recovered from the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991 and its subsequent redeployment from Baku to Astrakhan. Unlike other Russian fleets, it has not been reduced in size, but has been the focus of significant investment in recent years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 
TRACEY GERMAN is a senior lecturer in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, United Kingdom (UK), which provides postgraduate-level teaching at the UK’s Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC). Her research focuses on Russia’s relations with its neighbors, military reform, energy issues, as well as conflict and security in the Caucasus and Caspian region. Dr. German has published widely on intra- and interstate conflicts in the region, notably Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia. Publications include Region-al Cooperation in the South Caucasus: Good Neighbours or Distant Relatives? (Ashgate Publishing Ltd., 2012), Russia’s Chechen War (Routledge, 2003), and co- authored Securing Europe: Western Interventions to-wards a New Security Community (IB Tauris, 2009), as well as articles in journals such as European Security, Europe-Asia Studies, Small Wars and Insurgencies, Central Asian Survey, Vestnik analitiki, and Politique étrangère.