Today we talk about Territorial Conflicts, Religions and the Collapse of Communism in the Post-Soviet Area, a book by Daniela Köhler published with our Publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Daniela Köhler, to get to know her better, what particular moment of her life led her to the writing of her book Territorial Conflicts, Religions and the Collapse of Communism in the Post-Soviet Area, as well as the characteristics the audience should have to appreciate her book.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What prompted you to the writing of your book?
The idea to write this book was not originally mine. I was writing my master thesis at the Free University Berlin. Many lectures found this masters thesis very fascinating. So a former professor I studied with came up with the idea I should continue writing about this fascinating story. The reason for this was that the role of the soviet KGB, now the FSB, had not been particularly well researched. During the Cold war research about the KGB was not permitted. I wanted to write about the former KGB-General Heydar Aliev and also about the other major intelligence agency the CIA. The goal of this book was to explain the work of these two main secret services during the Cold War. The goal of this book is to explain the work of the two main- secret services during the Cold War. In wanted to explain why the CIA had to mismatch the Soviet Union. This includes above all, those resulting from soviet mismanagement, called “economics of shortage”. The arms race between the US and the USSR led to serve neglect of the consumer goods industry.
- What characteristics your audience should have to appreciate your book?
I wrote my book for a very broad readership. Since I completed an interdisciplinary degree, I can address a very large audience. First and foremost my book is very suitable for school and university students, as I explain the entire process of in traducing the private sector in the former USSR, I also wanted to address the problems that arose from the soviet planned economy, including the role of heavy industry and the neglect of the consumer goods industry in the Soviet Union. My book is very interesting for law-students or lawyers because I deal with the two major intelligence agencies in the Cold War, the CIA and the KGB. I wanted to write about intelligence operations like the CIAs Operation Cyclone, which initiated the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Another group that should read that book are sociology students, since I deal with the sociology of religions and as well of elites in my book. Elites are, for examples, the leaders of the secret services. People who work in the field of foreign politics also should read my book.
- What messages did you want to convey with your book?
My book primarly explains the major economic problems in the former Soviet Union and why it was so important of the USA, the largest oil-consuming country in the world to dissolve the USSR. I also wanted to arose readers interests in the Central Asian States, I am very interested in the oil-policy of Azerbaijan and other former soviet republics. Many people have lost interest in Russia because of its backwardness. My goal is to draw attention that Russia is the biggest oil producer in post-Soviet space. Despite of its enormous economic problems, Russia is an important player in economic and global politics. Another important producer of oil in the former USSR is Azerbaijan. The emergence of the oil business, which includes oil transport, still determines world policy today. Therefore, Turkey plays an important role in the oil business, because the TBC-Pipeline ends in Ceyhan, in Turkey. More detailed information can be found in the turkey chapter of my book. With the construction of the main-Export-Pipeline, Turkey became an important transit country for azerbaijans and russias oil, as oil is transported in the US with oil-tanks from Ceyhan, the Turkish Black Seaport. But even today the oil-tanker business remains an important factor in global politics.
- How did it feel to see your book published?
I am thrilled and very happy that I was able to write this book. This book shows my abilities and its great recognition of my work. I believe this book represents an important next step in my professional career. It makes me very happy that I can now google my own book and this book is available for purchase in mayor german bookstores and cultural department stores. I discovered my book at Dussman – das Kulturkaufhaus and at Hugendubel. Especially I am happy about the fact, that my book is available for purchase on Amazon, as I am an Amazon customer myself. On the other hand, the marketing of my book also provides an incentive for future book projects. Above all, I would like to thank the professors and research students under whom I studied for making this book project possible. I would also like to take opportunity to express my graduate and respect for the Caucasus research at the Institute for East European Studies. But what makes me happiest is that my book is being published in English, as English is the world language and I can reach many millions of readers with my book. I hope that a great mass of people will like it.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
Although I completed my master’s degree in East European Studies, research on Eastern Europe was only one of my interests. As a political scientist, I am very interested in American foreign and economic policy, which I described in my book. I would like to continue to explore precisely this area of Us foreign and economic policy in the future. I am particularly interested in the role of the US as a global power. This global power has made some significant enemies in the global world, ruled by the US. I would like to write to continue to report on the consequences of the CIA-operation Cyclone by the CIA-Director William J. Casey, which I described. I am particularly interested of the role of Saudi-Arabia. Saudi-Arabia is the worlds greatest producer of oil and the most important exporter of oil in the United States. Therefor I would like to continue to examine relations between the United States and Saudi-Arabia in my book. I would like to build on that in further.
Europe Books thanks the author, Daniela Köhler, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Territorial Conflicts, Religions and the Collapse of Communism in the Post-Soviet Area. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, I hope this book will allow you to clarify or acquire new information on the economic dynamics and power games linked to oil that are taking place in the world and especially in the former Soviet Union (ex USSR).
So, my dear readers, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!