In Subversion, Lennart Maschmeyer provides a powerful new theory and analysis of an age-old concept. While a strategy of subversion offers great strategic promise in theory, it faces an underappreciated set of challenges that limit its strategic value in practice. Drawing from two major cases--the KGB's use of traditional subversion methods to crush the Prague Spring in 1968 and Russia's less successful use of cyberwarfare against Ukraine since 2014--Maschmeyer demonstrates both the benefits and weaknesses of the approach. While many believe that today's cyber-based subversion campaigns offer new strategic opportunities, they also come with their own challenges. Because of these disadvantages, cyber operations continue to fall short of expectations--most recently in the Russo-Ukrainian war. By showing that traditional subversion methods remain the more potent threat, Subversion forces us to reconsider our fears of the subversive potential of cyberwar.

IntroductionChapter 1: Subversion and PowerChapter 2: Information Technology and SubversionChapter 3: Traditional Subversion: Crushing the Prague Spring 1968-1973Chapter 4: Cyber-Enabled Subversion: Russia's 'Hybrid War' against Ukraine 2013-2018Chapter 5: Subversion in War: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine 2022Subversion, Evolved: New Possibilities and New PerilsBibliography