Peter Reddaway is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Georgetown University, USA.

Contents

Glossary - p.

I. Introduction - p.

II. II. The Background and Emergence of the Siloviki War

1. Origins of the Cherkesov-Zolotov and Sechin groupings, and of the fierce rivalries between silovik groups - p.

III. The Intense Years of the Silovik War, 2004-2007

2. Putin's re-election in March 2004 and the murder of Tsepov in September; the Sechinites' all-out assault on Cherkesov and his group - p.

3. Summary of the argument to date and how it will develop regarding 2005 - 2010 - p.

4. Spring 2005 - The case of the smuggled Chinese goods rocks the FSS and Patrushev - p.

5. November 2005 - early 2006: Putin's succession-related moves; the silovik war heats up; the Sechinites groom their own presidential candidate, Ustinov - p.

6. May-June 2006 - Fight for the Customs Service - Full-scale war between the silovik clans; the fall of Ustinov - a triumph for the Cherkesovites - p.

7. November 2006 - The tide turns against the Cherkesov-Zolotov group. as the succession struggle heats up - p.

8. 2007 - Putin tells the Sechinites he favours Naryshkin for the presidency; June-September 2007 - new Sechinite offensive rocks the Cherkesovites - p.

9. October 2007 - Cherkesov makes his last stand - Putin's minimal aid to him masks his incipient abandonment of his longstanding associate - p.

10. How the war had evolved by mid-October 2007: Putin's MO in crisis; November 2007 - Sechinites sense betrayal and raise the stakes - p.

11. Late 2007 - Difficulty selecting a successor: Medvedev chosen at last minute - p.

IV. The Silovik War Winds Down: Aftermath and Conclusions

12. 2007-2008 - War fades, tandem forms, Cherkesov clan dissolves, Sechinites decline; Putin generates new factional wars: General Procuracy vs. Investigations Committee of the Procuracy (ICP), Medvedev v. Sechin - p.

13. 2008-2011 - The different fates of the Cherkesov and Sechin groups - p.

V. Russian Politics in 2012-2017 and Some General Conclusions

14. Conclusion

The book is a case study of Putin's use of the tactics of divide and rule in relation to, particularly, the hard-line elements among his supporters. It illustrates Putin's methods of staying in power vis-à-vis groups that might put too much pressure on him, or who might even try to oust him. The project also suggests that Putin's survival tactics have brought Russia to a deeply corrupt, state-dominated form of authoritarianism, which lacks deep institutional roots and will probably lead in due course to some form of state collapse. This work will appeal to a wide audience including political scientists, academics, graduate students, and everyone who is interested in contemporary Russian politics.