Contours of Conflict in the 21st Century

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE PERSPECTIVES: RESURGENT AND DIVERSIFIEDDomainFIGURE 38. RUSSIAN LANGUAGE PARAMETERS: DOMAINThe domain in which conflict might take place is the single mostfrequently mentioned aspect of conflict in the Russian studies. MostRussian studies see the military domain (traditional, but especiallymodern) as the dominant domain for future conflict. What is particularlystriking is that the newer military domains clearly stick out.To quote Dobroliubov at length: ‘Today’s popular military theoriesand futurological forecasts converge on a new triad [of war] at a newlevel of military-technical progress. The first form is the ‘small army’,with fantastic modern technical capabilities and the highest level ofprofessionalism – in fact an enormous spetsnaz [‘special operationsforce’]. This form of army is intended to develop itself and to relegate‘big armies’ to the dustbin of history because of their inadequacy.In recent years, this idea is closely connected to the necessity toHCSS Report 97