Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables
- Abbreviations
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Australia’s ‘Engagement with Asia’
- 2 An Overview
- 3 The Rhetoric of Asia
- 4 Australia and Asia: A View From Europe
- 5 Australia’s Defence Policies in the Post–Cold War Era
- 6 Australia, Disarmament and Arms Control
- 7 Australia and the World Economy 1991–95: Closer Economic Integration with Asia?
- 8 Australia and the International Environment
- 9 Australia and Japan
- 10 Australia and Southeast Asia
- 11 Australia and China, 1991–95: Asymmetry and Congruence in the Post–Cold War Era
- 12 Australia and the Four Asian Dragons: Beyond the Economic Agenda?
- 13 Reassessed: Australia’s Relationship with the United States
- 14 Australia and the European Union
- 15 Australian Relations with the Former Communist States of Europe and the Soviet Union
- 16 Australia and New Zealand: Unequal Partners on the Periphery
- 17 Australia and the South Pacific: The Rationalist Ascendancy
- Notes
- Index
15 - Australian Relations with the Former Communist States of Europe and the Soviet Union
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 May 2024
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables
- Abbreviations
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Australia’s ‘Engagement with Asia’
- 2 An Overview
- 3 The Rhetoric of Asia
- 4 Australia and Asia: A View From Europe
- 5 Australia’s Defence Policies in the Post–Cold War Era
- 6 Australia, Disarmament and Arms Control
- 7 Australia and the World Economy 1991–95: Closer Economic Integration with Asia?
- 8 Australia and the International Environment
- 9 Australia and Japan
- 10 Australia and Southeast Asia
- 11 Australia and China, 1991–95: Asymmetry and Congruence in the Post–Cold War Era
- 12 Australia and the Four Asian Dragons: Beyond the Economic Agenda?
- 13 Reassessed: Australia’s Relationship with the United States
- 14 Australia and the European Union
- 15 Australian Relations with the Former Communist States of Europe and the Soviet Union
- 16 Australia and New Zealand: Unequal Partners on the Periphery
- 17 Australia and the South Pacific: The Rationalist Ascendancy
- Notes
- Index
Summary
The first half of the 1990s saw significant developments in the former Soviet and East European region: the attempted coup of August 1991 against Mikhail Gorbachev, the dissolution of the union, and the subsequent struggle in the 15 newly independent former republics to bring about significant social and economic change. There has been armed conflict in a series of these republics. In Russia there has been an armed attack on the parliament and its dissolution at the behest of the president, two national elections, simmering tension with a number of its neighbours, and continuing concern over the effects of economic reform, culminating in the December 1995 electoral success of the communist party. In Eastern Europe countries have been struggling with the legacy left by the communist regimes that collapsed in 1989. In a number of these countries communists returned to power via the ballot box. And, of course, the region was overshadowed by the breakup of Yugoslavia and the subsequent wars of Yugoslav succession. Despite this record of dramatic and important developments, this region has been of less concern to Australian foreign-policy makers than was the case during the Cold War.
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- Australia in World Affairs 1991–1995Seeking Asian Engagement, pp. 181 - 192Publisher: Cambridge University PressFirst published in: 2024