With Chavez buying Russian tanks in response to America’s “policy of aggression” and Russia looking to bolster its nuclear capability by 2010, it might seem like Cold Warriors are on the march the August. However, it is actually only since the closing of the Cold War that August has become known as a month prone to disaster in the land of Baryshnikov:

August 19, 1991 – Communist hardliners disgruntled at Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms launch an unsuccessful coup attempt that leads to the break-up of the Soviet Union.

August 14, 1992 – The Georgian-Abkhazian war begins, with the conflict involving large numbers of Russian citizens.

Early August 1994 – The notorious MMM pyramid scheme collapses, leaving millions of Russians without their life-savings, a sum believed to be up to $1.5 billion.

August 24, 1995 – The Russian interbank credit system breaks down, leading to the ruin of 28 Russian banks.

August 29, 1996 – A Russian Tupolev TU-154 crashes over the Arctic Ocean, all 141 people on board die.

August 17, 1998 – The Russian government defaults on its foreign and domestic debt and the ruble loses two-thirds of its value in the next four weeks.

August 7, 1999 – Chechen fighters invade Dagestan, signaling the start of the second Chechen war.

August 8, 2000 – A bomb explodes in a pedestrian underpass in central Moscow killing 13 people.

August 12, 2000 – The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea; all 118 sailors on board die.

August 8, 2002 – Floods and strong winds kill 59 people in the Russian Black sea city of Novorossiisk.

August 19, 2002 – A military Mi-26 helicopter is shot down over Chechnya, 126 servicemen die.

August 1, 2003 – A suicide bomber attacks a military hospital in the Russian North Ossetia town of Mozdok, killing over 50.

August 24, 2004 – Two Russian passenger planes are blown up by Chechen terrorists, over 90 people die.

August 31, 2004 – A Chechen suicide bomber blows herself up outside Moscow’s Rizhskaya metro station, killing 10. The next day, September 1, sees the start of the Beslan school siege.

August 21, 2006 – Nationalists explode a bomb at Moscow’s Cherkizovo market, killing 13.

August 22, 2006 – A Russian Tu-154 plane crashes in Ukraine, 170 lose their lives.

August 8-12, 2008 – Russia and Georgia fight a war over South Ossetia after Georgian forces attempt to bring the republic back under central control.

It has been argued that such regional conflict has worked in conjunction with other failings to weaken Russia in a way that Joe Biden has characterized as beneficial to American interests. However, Donald K. Bandler and Jakub Kulhanek have countered that America should be wary of – rather than hopeful for – a weakened Russian state. They use a predictive thought experiment to make their case – I think this is a mostly lame way to make any argument, but it is an interesting read.