| ID | 159188 |
| Title Proper | nation-in-the-making, in arms: control of force, strategy and the Ukrainian Volunteer Battalions |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Käihkö, Ilmari |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | At the core of waging war and strategy is the creation, control and use of force. This article investigates the volunteer battalions that mobilized in Ukraine during the spring of 2014. It contextualizes the volunteer phenomenon and focuses on the state strategies to establish control over these militias. As ambiguous entities arising from a situation characterized by rapid social change – revolution and war – the volunteer battalions threatened existing hierarchies and questioned state authority. The situation was exacerbated by the war, which deviated from the expectations of Ukrainian combatants and Western military observers alike. The state nevertheless enjoyed a modicum of success in reining in the militias through four strategies of undermining, co-option, incorporation and coercion. While predominantly integrated into a more rigid category of paramilitary forces, the volunteers continue to play a role in both the Ukrainian society and security sector to the unforeseeable future. |
| `In' analytical Note | Defence Studies Vol. 18, No.2; Jun 2018: p.147-166 |
| Journal Source | Defence Studies Vol: 18 No 2 |
| Key Words | War ; Ukraine ; Legitimacy ; Paramilitary Forces ; Militias ; Strategy ; Control of Force |