Alexander Libman is professor of Russian and East European politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Prior to that, he worked as professor of social sciences and East European studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research interests focus on comparative authoritarian development in the post-Soviet Eurasia. His work appeared, among others, in the American Political Science Review, World Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies and Perspectives on Politics.

• List of figuresList of tablesIntroduction1. The Autocrats’ Goals2. Mistakes3. Secrecy4. Informal Coalitions5. Sovietology and the Collapse of the Soviet Union6. Annexation of Crimea7. Bloody January in Kazakhstan8. Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion to UkraineConclusionReferencesAbout the Author

Unpredictability is encoded in the DNA of autocracy, but its implications are complex and not well understood. Drawing on an impressive synthesis of recent research and deep case studies from the Soviet Union, Russia and Kazakhstan, Alexander Libman demonstrates that unpredictability is not just a feature of autocracy; it is also a tool that leaders use to frustrate citizens and academic observers alike. Random Dictatorships: Unpredictability of Authoritarian Politics in Eurasia overflows with rich insights on autocracy and how we study it. It is required reading for anyone interested in the topic.

Alexander Libman is professor of Russian and East European politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Prior to that, he worked as professor of social sciences and East European studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research interests focus on comparative authoritarian development in the post-Soviet Eurasia. His work appeared, among others, in the American Political Science Review, World Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies and Perspectives on Politics.

• List of figuresList of tablesIntroduction1. The Autocrats’ Goals2. Mistakes3. Secrecy4. Informal Coalitions5. Sovietology and the Collapse of the Soviet Union6. Annexation of Crimea7. Bloody January in Kazakhstan8. Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion to UkraineConclusionReferencesAbout the Author

Unpredictability is encoded in the DNA of autocracy, but its implications are complex and not well understood. Drawing on an impressive synthesis of recent research and deep case studies from the Soviet Union, Russia and Kazakhstan, Alexander Libman demonstrates that unpredictability is not just a feature of autocracy; it is also a tool that leaders use to frustrate citizens and academic observers alike. Random Dictatorships: Unpredictability of Authoritarian Politics in Eurasia overflows with rich insights on autocracy and how we study it. It is required reading for anyone interested in the topic.

Alexander Libman is professor of Russian and East European politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Prior to that, he worked as professor of social sciences and East European studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research interests focus on comparative authoritarian development in the post-Soviet Eurasia. His work appeared, among others, in the American Political Science Review, World Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies and Perspectives on Politics.

• List of figuresList of tablesIntroduction1. The Autocrats’ Goals2. Mistakes3. Secrecy4. Informal Coalitions5. Sovietology and the Collapse of the Soviet Union6. Annexation of Crimea7. Bloody January in Kazakhstan8. Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion to UkraineConclusionReferencesAbout the Author

Unpredictability is encoded in the DNA of autocracy, but its implications are complex and not well understood. Drawing on an impressive synthesis of recent research and deep case studies from the Soviet Union, Russia and Kazakhstan, Alexander Libman demonstrates that unpredictability is not just a feature of autocracy; it is also a tool that leaders use to frustrate citizens and academic observers alike. Random Dictatorships: Unpredictability of Authoritarian Politics in Eurasia overflows with rich insights on autocracy and how we study it. It is required reading for anyone interested in the topic.