Biography - Christi S Bartman

My research seeks to contribute to the understanding of the definition of the terms “aggression” and “aggressive war” by tracing the political, legal and military use of the terms by the Soviet Union from that posed at the 1933 Convention for the Definition of Aggression to the definition posed by the Russian Federation to the International Criminal Court in 1999. One might ask why the Soviet Union so adamantly promoted a definition of aggression and aggressive war while, as many have noted, conducting military actions that appeared to violate the very definition they espoused in international treaties and conventions. My research demonstrates that through the use of treaties the Soviet Union and Russian Federation practiced a program of “lawfare” long before the term became known. Lawfare, as it is known today, is the use of law to supplement military strategy. The Soviet Union and Russian Federation used these legal restrictions to supplement military strategy to control other states legally, politically, and publicly, through the use of propaganda. I have published and presented on this subject and it continues to be a focus of my research.

I received my Ph.D. in Policy History from Bowling Green State University, my JD from the University of Toledo College of Law, a Masters in Public Administration from Troy State University, and a BA from Appalachian State University. I have taught courses ranging from Axis Powers (WWII), Constitutional Law, Judicial Process and International Law to International Relations and Western Political Thought.