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The Use of Hybrid Warfare to Achieve Strategic Objectives: Comparing Russian and Chinese Approaches
Sutil Toledano, Javier ; Kaczmarski, Marcin (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
The past few decades have seen the emergence of the concept of hybrid warfare. This term gained special attention after the Russian invasion of Crimea. Since then, Russia and China have been criticised for the use of such methods. To this day, the concept is still debated in the academic world. This study examines the use of hybrid methods to achieve strategic objectives by Russia and China. Both countries understand, in their own way, the benefits of using such methods, especially at the regional level, and use them to weaken their rivals and gain strategic advantages. Drawing on a corpus of academic literature, articles, reports, evaluations, and online news, this study shows that Russia and China use hybrid strategies in different ways and for different strategic purposes. Our analysis shows that while Russia uses hybrid tools to incite conflict and justify armed intervention to achieve its goals, China uses them subtly to avoid confrontation and gradually fulfil its objectives. This thesis concludes that the concept of hybrid warfare depends on the actors using it and that Russia and China have envisioned hybrid models that suit their needs. It also lays the groundwork for future research on the subject in more depth and provides a novel tactical-strategic framework that can be used and studied...
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Russian Airpower in Ukraine: Analyzing the Performance of Russia's Aerospace Forces and its Implications for the Theory of Airpower
Ferruzzi, Carlo ; Ludvík, Jan (advisor) ; Ó Beacháin, Donnacha (referee)
2687344F - 47266728 Russian Airpower in Ukraine: Analyzing the Performance of Russia's Aerospace Forces and its Implications for the Theory of Airpower Abstract A heated debate emerged in the West regarding the reasons behind the seemingly underwhelming performance of Russian airpower in Ukraine. Yet although many experts in the field have advanced their own hypotheses, few have put their ideas to the test through empirical analysis and the scientific method. This essay aims to address this gap in the literature by using explaining- outcome process tracing to comprehensively reconstruct Russia's blitzkrieg strategy to conquer Ukraine and examine the performance of the VKS in the skies over Ukraine. The timeframe for the reconstruction of events spans from February 24th , 2022, the day Russia launched the invasion, to the end of March and early days of April 2022, when the so-called first phase of the war ended following Russia's retreat from the northern axis. By analyzing the evidence thus gathered, this essay then seeks to provide an explanation for why the VKS did not achieve air supremacy. More precisely, this essay concludes that the inability of the VKS to assert uncontestable control over Ukrainian airspace was the result of a nonlinear synergistic interaction of multiple factors: (1) the lack of...
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Unifying a Divided Nation: Exploring the Challenges and Prospects for Peaceful Korean Reunification
Mun, Hayeong ; Ludvík, Jan (advisor) ; Bujnoch, Louis (referee)
This research is prompted by recent findings highlighting a declining trend in support for reunification among South Koreans, which contradicts the conventionally prevailing narrative of reunification as both "our dream" and a "national duty." Whilst the question of what diminishes enthusiasm for reunification among South Koreans might seem self-evident-given Korea's over 70-year division and the disparate paths taken by the North and South- this research aims to provide a more in-depth diagnosis. It seeks to identify the social constructs that have developed within this prolonged division affecting South Koreans' perceptions of reunification. Employing a social constructivist lens, the study focuses on underexplored dilemmas specific to South Koreans in the context of intergroup relations and reunification. Grounded in Social Identity Theory and Integrated Threat Theory, the study formulates hypotheses relating to the interplay between South Koreans' perceived "otherness" towards North Koreans, intergroup threat perceptions, and attitudes towards reunification. Using the 2022 Reunification Consciousness Survey (N=1193) data from the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS), this study runs statistical analysis through SPSS and Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 4 to test the hypotheses. The...
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The phenomenon of hybrid activities of state and non-state actors
Havlík, Martin ; Hynek, Nikola (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
The rigorous thesis deals with the issue of hybrid action of state and non-state actors using a wide range of tools of power to promote their own interests. The primary intention is to relate the content to the concept of security according to the Copenhagen school, which was one of the most important in the second half of the 20th century after the collapse of the bipolar world order to expand the dimensions of security. The definition of the main concepts of security is further extended by Clausewitz's concept of war and the American concept of Theory of Victory. The introductory theories are followed by an analysis of key theoretical apparatuses of important Western, Russian and Chinese security experts, which are then compared in relation to the essential factors of individual hybrid approaches. The work further describes in detail the significant categories of tools such as soft power, hard power, smart power and sharp power. An important part of the work is also the analysis of state, non-state and proxy-state actors, as the main carriers, users and representatives of hybrid action. In this context, the key determinant is the chosen reference object in the form of the Czech Republic. To complement the issue, the work also includes the related area of facing hybrid threats and hybrid action...
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Nuclear Ban Treaty and Stigmatization of NATO's Extended Nuclear Deterrence: Responses from Germany and Czechia
Svobodová, Markéta ; Smetana, Michal (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
Markéta Svobodová: Nuclear Ban Treaty and Stigmatization of NATO's Extended Nuclear Deterrence: Responses from Germany and Czechia (2023) Abstract To change the way nuclear weapons are addressed in international politics, proponents of the Nuclear Ban Treaty have called out not only the nuclear-haves, but also states benefiting from extended nuclear deterrence. If the nuclear disarmament norm is central to what constitutes appropriate behavior in international politics, how do NATO member states react to this deliberate stigma imposition strategy? The presented diploma thesis aims to answer this question by examining the cases of Germany and Czechia, showing the discursive strategies they employ to manage the circulation of the potentially discrediting information in regard to their identity as responsible members of the international community. While success of stigma imposition depends on the degree of stigma power possessed by the stigmatizer in the given context, In Germany, the ties of the current political leadership to pro-disarmament non-governmental sector have contributed to a shift from an approach of stigma rejection to a degree of stigma recognition over the examined time period (2013-2023). In Czechia, the lack of such a connection has among other factors prevented the non-governmental...
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The evolution of NATO's image in selected Czech media
Koutenská, Kristýna ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been here for more than 70 years. It has undergone a number of reforms and has faced various challenges, both external and internal ones. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO had to adapt to a new security environment and identify new security threats. It transformed some of its internal structures, started to operate more outside its territory, while trying to balance the differences between member states, whose number gradually increased. The North Atlantic Alliance is currently one of the most important international organizations in the world and (not only) because of this, it often makes headlines in the media. From serious national (print) newspapers, through alternative (online) media going against the main stream, to those deliberately spreading disinformation. Published reports create certain image of the Alliance, which readers of the media obtain. Using quantitative content analysis, this diploma thesis examines articles from selected Czech media both mainstream newspapers (MF DNES, Právo, Blesk) and alternative media (Britské listy) or disinformation ones (Parlamentní listy) and finds out how NATO was presented to Czech people, or more precisely what its media image was in 1999, 2009/2010, 2019, and how it changed. From the...
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Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant and Energy Diplomacy: How Construction of the Akkuyu Power Plant affected Energy Diplomacy between Turkey and Russia? A Process Tracing Approach.
Kolay, Bengi ; Holubcová, Jitka (advisor) ; Ludvík, Jan (referee)
In 2010 a contract was signed between Russian Rosatom and Turkey to build the first Nuclear Power plant (NPP) in Turkey called Akkuyu NPP. The aim of this thesis is to analyze energy diplomacy between Turkey and Russia in context of the construction of Akkuyu. By analyzing energy diplomacy in the context of Akkuyu NPP gives a better understanding of bilateral relations, national interest, economic considerations and security concerns. To study this, explaining the outcome type of Process Tracing (PT) was used as it allows analyses within a case. Akkuyu NPP in itself is unique as it is the first NPP that is built on Build Operate and Own (BOO) principle that is technically owned by the Russian Federation. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested. As a result, out of three hypotheses two were proven. The first hypothesis that argued that the construction of Akkuyu NPP was used as an energy diplomacy tool by Russia to promote national interest was conclusively proven but had some plausible indications. Hypothesis two and three demonstrated that construction of Akkuyu was affected by energy diplomacy and economic considerations and Akkuyu NPP has negatively affected energy diplomacy between Turkey and Russia. From PT results and literature review combined it can be further plausible to say the...
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