Resumen de Red Gas: Russia and the Origins of European Energy Dependence by Per Högselius (review)
In western Europe, many people are aware of Russian gas. Its main �brand��Gazprom�adorns the soccer jerseys of teams in Russia, Germany, and Serbia and supports clubs in England and the Netherlands, as well as the European UEFA Champions League. Most are also aware how the European Union worries about its dependence on Russian gas, especially after recent and recurring Russia�Ukraine gas disruptions. These are, however, rather recent developments; less well-known is that, as early as the late 1960s, increasing numbers of consumers in Europe used Russian gas for heating their houses and cooking their food.
Per Högselius asks why and how western Europe became dependent on �red� gas from the Soviet Union during the cold war. Quite rightly, the author stresses that this gas trade goes against the grain of the more traditional view of the cold war, with its clear-cut division between socialism and capitalism. Högselius truly is the only person who could answer this question; not only does he have intimate and extensive experience with the history of transnational (energy) infrastructures in Europe, his linguistic skill-set allows him to combine English, German, Scandinavian, Ukrainian, and Russian sources.
