ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book argues that the striking reversal of the high degree of Mongolian militarism that existed under the Soviet system was the product of perestroika, although there were nationalist elements involved. It presents the size, profound material deprivation, and increasingly confused role(s) of the Russian armed forces in positing that its imminent disintegration poses a national and regional threat to democratization. The book also argues that civilian control of the Bulgarian military depends vitally upon the civilian handling of the military's Soviet-era human rights abuses, as well as the maintenance of acceptable budgetary allocations while scaling back military prerogatives. It suggests that the Latvian political order is so inchoate, the predominant actors so new, and the international political situation so volatile, that it is far too early to predict the political role of the newly-established Latvian military.
