The Russian FSB:A Concise History of the Federal Security Service (Concise Histories of Intelligence)

by: Kevin P. Riehle (Author)

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

Publication Date: 29 Mar. 2024

Language: English

Print Length: 210 pages

ISBN-10: 1647124085

ISBN-13: 9781647124083

Book Description

An introduction to Putin's formidable intelligence and security organizationSince its founding in 1995, the FSB, Russia's Federal Security Service, has regained the majority of the domestic security functions of the Soviet-era KGB. Under Vladimir Putin, who served as FSB director just before becoming president, the agency has grown to be one of the most powerful and favored organizations in Russia. The FSB not only conducts inteal security but also has primacy in intelligence operations in former Soviet states. Their activities include anti-dissident operations at home and abroad, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, criminal investigations of crimes against the state, and guarding Russia's borders.In The Russian FSB, Kevin P. Riehle provides a brief history of the FSB's origins, placed within the context of Russian history, the govement's power structure, and Russia's wider culture. He describes how the FSB's mindset and priorities show continuities from the tsarist regimes and the Soviet era. The book's chapters analyze origins, organizational structure, missions, leaders, inteational partners, and cultural representations such as the FSB in film and television. Based on both English and Russian sources, this book is a well-researched introduction to understanding the FSB and its central role in Putin's Russia.Concise Histories of Intelligence SeriesChristopher Moran, Mark Phythian, and Mark Stout, Series Editors