Power Play

The incendiary history of Russia’s fossil fuel empire, revealing how energy has been the Kremlin’s most critical lifeline and most potent weapon.

“Wonderfully readable.”—Graham Allison, author of Destined for War

The Kremlin lost the Cold War and yet within just a few years Russia recovered to become a formidable global force once again. This comeback would have been unthinkable without oil and gas. After all, energy had always been the linchpin of Soviet empire-building.

Power Play tells the story of how energy became a key to Russia’s success on the world stage. From the early days of the Cold War, energy permitted Soviets to bribe adversaries and keep allies docile. Once the Soviet economic model began showing signs of malaise, energy helped keep the USSR alive. It powered great factories that employed Soviet workers and warmed Soviet citizens in the depth of winter. It was sold for desperately needed hard currency that plugged holes in the Soviet budget. And, after the Soviet Union’s collapse, it provided a lifeline that allowed Russia to bounce back to global relevance. Throughout, the Kremlin used energy for political leverage, but it was Vladimir Putin who became the real master of the game.

Dramatically reframing Soviet and post-Soviet history into a new, cohesive narrative, Power Play shows how Russia weaponized energy for imperial ends, and how the weapon misfired on Russia itself.