Hegemony and Putin's RussiaChallenging the International Political System

Explores the challenges presented by Russia to the international system from 2016–2024

• Uses neo-Gramscian and post-Marxist theory, engaging particularly with Laclau & Mouffe and Kioupkiolis, to build a theoretical framework for systemic challenges
• Builds a conceptual framework using neo-Weberian Ideal Types, delineating between a challenger aiming to change its position in the system and one aiming to change the system itself
• Turns the Ideal Types into working concepts through rigorously testing the concepts with two historical cases: Petrine Russia and Bolshevik Russia, using primary sources from the Communist International
• Analyses Putin’s speeches and discussions (from 2015-2023) through the lens of these refined concepts

Following the Annexation of Crimea, scholars sought to understand Russia's motivations and anticipate its future actions. Attention turned to what kind of challenger Russia potentially was, yet the nuances of that concept were largely overlooked. Hegemony and Putin's Russia fills this gap by offering a grounded exploration of Russia's provocations at the international level.

Providing both theoretical and conceptual definitions rooted in discussions of hegemony and counter-hegemonic challengers, Jacqueline Dufalla delivers insight into Russia's actions over the past decade. Through this, she makes a substantive contribution to the broader body of literature on counter-hegemony.

The book illustrates how a state can increasingly become counter-hegemonic, as Russia did, and demonstrates how research can be conducted on states that present unclear and fluctuating challenges to the international system.