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The impact of the involvement of hired military units on the course, outcome and consequences of conflicts in Afrika
Šebek, David ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Bureš, Oldřich (referee)
This research is focused on detecting the impact of rental units on internal conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa. The thesis is based on the discussed issue of the legitimate possibility of engaging such units in a conflict. As part of the academic discussion, there are many arguments for both for and against the usage of such units. The aim of the thesis is investigating if there are any and possibly what are the impacts of rental units are on the course, outcome and consequences of the conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. During the work, firstly, there is division of rent units into private military companies and mercenaries of the classical style and their delimitation is based primarily on the point of view of international law. Here is the lack of internationally legal anchoring and regulation of private military companies. It is also necessary to distinguish between mercenary from other foreign participants in the conflict, defined as volunteers for this work. Due to the inadequacy of post-war recovery theory, it was necessary to develop parameters describing post-war development, a set of macroeconomic indicators aimed at developing both the economy and the quality of life of citizens. The development of these indicators is examined within ten years after the end of the wars. Part of the thesis is...
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China's Geopolitical Aspirations and Serbia's Role in the One Belt, One Road Initiative Analyzed Through the Context of the Heartland Theory by Halford John Mackinder
Kuljanin, Vedran ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to provide an in-depth analysis on the projected nature of China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative through Chinese engagement in Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on Serbia. The current geopolitical situation provides a unique opportunity for the use of the Heartland Theory, first presented by Halford John Mackinder in 1904, which outlines and justifies state expansion across Eurasia. The main objectives of this thesis are to discuss possible outcomes for Serbia following increased Chinese investment and to provide a recommendation for a European response. Being an adjacent nation of the Heartland, a potential future member of the European Union, and currently balanced between Europe's and China's pull, Serbia has became a unique and important state to consider when assessing China's intentions in Europe. China's continued economic and political rise in recent years has allowed them to become influential in nations previously untethered to China, and has ominously begun to follow the footsteps that Mackinder had predicted a century prior. Although the theory suggests a nation's intent to rule the world, which one could argue China is pursuing, the aim of this thesis is in fact to uncover and illustrate the effects that China's potential advance to world...
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Border Barriers in the Modern World: Factors Contributing to Barrier-building Practices in the post-1945 World
Mičko, Branislav ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Bahenský, Vojtěch (referee)
The number of border barriers has increased rapidly in the last decades. These barriers appeared between the wealthy and the poor, between the stable and those ridden by civil wars, between traditional military rivals and even between partners in the integration process. This suggests that a complex theory is necessary to explain the phenomenon of border barrier building. The presented work aims to provide an answer to the question of why states build border barriers by the use of Schmitt's theory of state based on nomos, sovereignty and political unity in interaction with globalization. This theory served as a framework for establishing the independent variables, namely challenges to land-appropriation, challenges to sovereignty from military threat, challenges to sovereignty from cross-border ethnic group, challenges to political unity from irregular mass migration and finally challenges to political unity from terrorism. These were then tested using regression analysis with number of border barriers constructed by a state serving as a dependent variable. The results suggest that states that often face challenges to land-appropriation, to sovereignty coming from politicised cross-border ethnic groups and to political unity from irregular mass migration build more border barriers than those that...
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Russian patronage to unrecognized states since the annexation of Crimea: A cross case study of the Republic of Abkhazia and the PMR
Koelle, Heidi ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
Abstract: This master's thesis focuses on the obstacles of state building for the defacto states Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic ( Tranistria) and the Republic of Abkhazia. Both of which are break-away states from former soviet republics: Moldova and Georgia. The purpose is to give a cross country comparison of factors which hinder state building. Both states have their unique sets of challenges to integrating into a fully recognized state yet share many of the same obstacles. The factors that will be analyzed are relations to their Patron states; The Russian Federation and how this patron state contributes to these de facto states inability to democratize and gain outside recognition with other member state. These challenges for integration as full dejure states and participation within international institutions are a result of ethnic tension, corruption, authorities and complete dependence on Russia as a parent state. The other factors that will be analyzed is the Foreign policy of the Russian within its near abroad and their soft power tactics towards their compatriots.
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Border securitisation and surveillance legitimacy
Hurtík, Ondřej ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
The aim of the bachelor thesis is to explore the impact of securitization and securitization discourse on the process of transformation of the approach towards the borders, their function and towards their importance. Terrorist attacks from September 11. dramatically changed the US-Canada border as well as the whole cross-border dynamics between both states. From undefended border the Canada-Unites States border became heavily fortified and it underwent an increase of border patrols, surveillance techniques and various security measures. This change was possible because of the creation of securitization discourse and the purpose of this thesis is the analyse its creation and development and to examine the progress of the securitization itself. The thesis is based on the theory of securitization which was created by the authors of Copenhagen School, but because of the fact that the original securitization theory became the subject to criticism, the theoretical framework of the thesis is provided by Thierry Balzacq, who put an emphasis on the context and on the complexity of the analysis. Discursive analysis takes place between the September 11. attacks and the end of the year 2005 and is focused on policy statements, political decisions and relevant speech acts. Second part of the thesis addresses...
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Imperialism and the Rise of China
Templin, Kristin ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
Master Thesis Proposal Institute of Political Studies Faculty of Social Sciences Charles University in Prague Date: May 26th, 2017 Author: Kristin Templin Supervisor: Michael Romancov E-mail: kct1544@gmail.com E-mail: michael.romancov@gmail.com Phone:+420 604 691 652 Phone: Specialisation: GPS Defense Planned: Notes: The proposal should be 3-5 pages long and sent to martinriegl(et)email.cz. Proposed Topic: Registered in SIS:NO Date of registration: Object: Imperialism, geopolitics, World Order Title: Imperialism and the Rise of China Problem: Is the rise of China comparable to the UK or US imperialistic rise? Can we learn anything from their strategy to determine China's future behaviour? Research Questions: What does the behaviour of the British and American empires tell us about the future behaviour of China? Is China's involvement in the international community comparable to the role of previous empires? Goal: To compare and evaluate the foreign policy and involvement of China in the international community to the actions and behaviour of the British and American empires from approximately 1860 - 1965 to determine whether or not this can give insight into China's future international activity. Interest of Problem China's opening and growth in the second half of the 20th century caused a shift in the...
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The Role of Foro de São Paulo in Brazilian Foreign Policy: a neoclassical realist analysis
Novichkova, Anna ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
Institutional regional integration has become the main focus of Brazil's foreign policy during the administration of the Workers' Party 2003-2016. Why has Brazil decided to involve itself so deeply into the process of Latin American integration? The main objective of this single case study is twofold. First, applying the theory of neoclassical realism, this thesis aims to discuss all the driving forces (variables) behind Brazil's decision to make regional integration its top foreign policy priority since 2003. Second, it attempts to clarify that the São Paulo Forum, a continental network of the leftist political parties, should also be included into the set of driving forces behind the foreign policy choices in Brazil from 2003 to 2016. The following research question is put forward: What role does the São Paulo Forum play in Brazil's intensified involvement into regional integration during the period of the Workers` Party in power? Assessed through the congruence procedure and process tracing technique, the influence of the Forum is placed under the intervening variables of the neoclassical realist theory. The results of the study demonstrate that since the Workers' Party coming to power, its leader, Lula da Silva has used the directives, elaborated at the São Paulo Forum, to restructure,...
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Small Island Developing States and Statehood
Breitling, Dustin ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Landovský, Jakub (referee)
Dustin Breitling Thesis Advisor: Martin Riegl, PhD. Small Island Developing States and Statehood Abstract: The spate of warnings that have been issued concerning Climate Change and its damaging impact upon the livelihood of populations has garnered increasing acknowledgement and critical concern. In a century where the potential for states to be submerged, concerns are being raised about how states, especially Small Island Developing States, are susceptible to losing Statehood. Small Island Developing States are already being ravaged by higher sea levels and dramatic loss of livelihood through inundation and potential submergence of their territory by the end of the century. Already these concerns are catalyzing Small Island Developing States to seek out alternative arrangements for their populations and importantly to preserve their legal personality. These arrangements tie in decisive concerns that connect how States are understood within in the international community as possessing a permanent territory, effective governance, permanent population and the capacity to be recognized by others. The angle offered and explored here becomes what happens once a permanent territory is undermined by seawaters and populations are relocated to Host States. If these issues are bound to occur then can historical...
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