Author's NoteList of IllustrationsList of Maps and DiagramsAbbreviationsCast of CharactersChronology1 IntroductionPART ONE BEFORE PUTIN2 Born in Chaos3 A Military in Crisis4 The First Chechen War5 The Wars of Russian AssertionPART TWO ENTER PUTIN6 Putin's Priorities7 The Second Chechen War8 Ivanov, the Initiator9 Serdyukov, the Enforcer10 Georgia, 2008 (1): Tbilisi's Move...11 Georgia, 2008 (2):... Moscow's Counter12 `New Look' ArmyPART THREE THE NEW COLD WAR13 Shoigu, the Rebuilder14 Crimea, 201415 Donbas, 201416 Lessons of the Donbas War17 Syria, 2015-(1): The Unexpected Intervention18 Syria, 2015-(2): Lessons of the Syrian CampaignPART FOUR REARMING RUSSIA19 Rumble for Ruble20 Armiya Rossii21 The Sky is Russia's!22 Contesting the Sea23 Power Projection: Blue and Black Berets24 The Spetsnaz25 The Nuclear BackstopPART FIVE THE FUTURE26 Political Warfare27 New Generation Warfare28 The Challenges of the Future29 Ukraine 2022: Putin's Last War?30 Conclusions: The Eurasian Sparta?NotesSelected English-language BibliographyIndex