ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the theory of minority protection in the former Soviet republics and its application to the Russian minority. Overall, an analysis of the dynamics after secession is provided with respect to the relationship between the majority, minority, the home country, and the international environment, all within the context of the nation-building process. The chapter starts out with the quadratic relationship. Next, it provides an overview of post-secessionist dynamics at various levels of threat, demonstrating a curvilinear relationship regarding minority inclusion versus exclusion. After that, the role of threat to national political authority and identity along with the importance of the threat of further secession are analyzed. Further, the impact of international threat in relation to minority rights accommodation is assessed. In this section, the relationship between the mother and the seceded states and potential for irredentism are emphasized. Finally, the methodology section closes this chapter.
