ABSTRACT
The contrast between the apparent stability of the Soviet Union and the long list of open conflicts on the territory of its successor states has given rise to a general impression that this area is destined to be a zone of endemic strife. Perspectives that emphasize the reemergence of supposedly primordial conflicts after the collapse of Communist repression lead to particularly pessimistic conclusions. Most of the contributions to this volume, however, view these conflicts as the result of the process of imperial breakdown. As the detritus of empire is recombined into new states and a new international system, stability could re-emerge. Indeed, data on the incidence of conflict in the former Soviet territory indicates that stability of a sort is returning, though dangers remain and will continue to threaten the security of the that region’s inhabitants for the forseeable future.
