To answer the question of what explains the success of recent Eurasian integrational projects (Eurasian Economic Community; Eurasian Customs Union; Eurasian Common Economic Space; and Eurasian...Show moreTo answer the question of what explains the success of recent Eurasian integrational projects (Eurasian Economic Community; Eurasian Customs Union; Eurasian Common Economic Space; and Eurasian Economic Union) vis-à-vis their predecessor (Commonwealth of Independent States), this research firstly establishes two measures of success of regional integration projects and applies these to the two aforementioned groupings in Eurasia. Then, several explanations of the varying success between these two groupings are analysed, after which the theory of postfunctionalism will be proposed as a possible explanation. To test this theory’s suitability in explaining this variation, its hypothesis about the success (and lack thereof) of regional integration projects will be tested using a longitudinal case-study research design involving mixed research methods.Show less
This thesis approaches the founding fathers of the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) through liberal intergovernmentalism, a theory of regional integration originally used to analyse European...Show moreThis thesis approaches the founding fathers of the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) through liberal intergovernmentalism, a theory of regional integration originally used to analyse European integration. The aim of this thesis is to show how this theory can help answering the question as to why the founding members of the EaEU chose to establish this union. This thesis focuses on the national preferences of the three founding members, as well as their effectiveness during interstate bargaining negotiations. By doing so, this thesis adds its own conclusions to the ongoing discussion regarding the nature of the EaEU.Show less
Neanderthals are without doubt one of the most studied extinct hominin populations in the world. Questions regarding their adaptability, survival skills and cognition have been the focus of many...Show moreNeanderthals are without doubt one of the most studied extinct hominin populations in the world. Questions regarding their adaptability, survival skills and cognition have been the focus of many researchers for decades. One of the most heavily debated topics however remains that of their extinction. Neanderthals occupied an immense region of Eurasia, stretching from the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula to the hills of southern Siberia. The chronology of their demise and the extent to which their disappearance overlapped with the earliest colonization of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans, are key questions in Palaeolithic archaeology. Studying the demise of Neanderthals is important in that aspect as it will provide a better understanding and broader insights of the hominin evolution during the Late Pleistocene. By establishing the exact timing of their demise, archaeologists will be able to answer questions regarding the cause of their disappearance. The Neanderthal demise has been dated numerous times, with the focus on direct and indirect dates. Researchers who previously aimed to date their demise concluded that the Mousterian had ended by 41-39ka cal. BP, claiming that no Neanderthals survived after this time. However, Neanderthal remains have been found to date a couple of thousands of years later. Moreover, it is not unlikely that Neanderthals disappeared from various regions at different times. In this thesis study, I have therefore focused on direct AMS dates obtained from late Neanderthal fossils, as these direct dates best represent the age of the hominin remains. I divided Eurasia in three separate regions, from which different demise patterns were established. In total 11 late Neanderthal sites were obtained, yielding 58 direct AMS dates. Each fossil sample was individually analyzed and evaluated. Results have shown that Neanderthals can be directly dated as late as 35.7ka cal. BP in western Europe, 42.1ka cal. BP in western Asia and 35.3ka cal. BP in central Europe. Over the past few decades, improvements in pre-treatment methods and radiocarbon dating have yielded a vast growth in late Pleistocene chronologies. Databases and publications derived from these chronologies ought to be properly audited and quality standards need to be met, to ensure that research obtained today remains valuable and applicable in the future.Show less
Eurasianism is a diverse ideology that exists in Russia and Kazakhstan. Aleksandr Dugin and Nursultan Nazarbayev propagate this ideology in their respective countries but envision their own country...Show moreEurasianism is a diverse ideology that exists in Russia and Kazakhstan. Aleksandr Dugin and Nursultan Nazarbayev propagate this ideology in their respective countries but envision their own country in the centre of Eurasia.Show less
The year 2014 was the year when a slowly simmering conflict between the West and Russia dramatically escalated. This conflict has been framed as a return to the hostilities of the Cold War; however...Show moreThe year 2014 was the year when a slowly simmering conflict between the West and Russia dramatically escalated. This conflict has been framed as a return to the hostilities of the Cold War; however the conflict has much older roots that pre-date the Soviet regime (1917-1991) by centuries. The relationship between Russia and its European rivals has been one of antagonism and grudging cooperation since the eighteenth century. Yet, it is not Russia’s historical foreign relations that are the focus of this study, but Russia’s current ambitions and the weapon it uses to undermine its Western rivals, namely encouraging the growth of nationalism and the far right in Europe, while Russia pursues an Eurasionist project with former Soviet states. Within the European Union anti-Western nationalism driven by the radical right and Russian influence is most visible in France, Hungary and Greece. This paper will analyse the extent and motivations of this relationship and how this relates to Russia’s Eurasian geopolitics.Show less
