Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin
Honor in International Relations

Covering two centuries of Russian history, this book shows how a sense of honor has affected Russia's foreign policy decision-making.

Andrei P. Tsygankov (Author)

9781107025523, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 June 2012

330 pages, 6 b/w illus. 17 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.65 kg

'… a clear and distinct argument about why Russia acts in the way that it does and how international engagement with the Kremlin might be structured to achieve more cooperative outcomes … This book not only highlights perhaps the most important driver of contemporary Russian foreign policy, but it also explains why Russia's controversial stance on issues such as the Syrian conflict, which has isolated it internationally, continues to be supported by the larger Russian public.' Slavic Review

Since Russia has re-emerged as a global power, its foreign policies have come under close scrutiny. In Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin, Andrei P. Tsygankov identifies honor as the key concept by which Russia's international relations are determined. He argues that Russia's interests in acquiring power, security and welfare are filtered through this cultural belief and that different conceptions of honor provide an organizing framework that produces policies of cooperation, defensiveness and assertiveness in relation to the West. Using ten case studies spanning a period from the early nineteenth century to the present day - including the Holy Alliance, the Triple Entente and the Russia-Georgia war - Tsygankov's theory suggests that when it perceives its sense of honor to be recognized, Russia cooperates with the Western nations; without such a recognition it pursues independent policies either defensively or assertively.

1. Introduction
Part I. Theory: 2. Honor in international relations
3. The Russian state and its honor
4. Russia's relations with the West
Part II. Honor and Cooperation: 5. The Holy Alliance, 1815–53
6. The Triple Entente, 1907–17
7. The collective security, 1933–9
8. The war with terrorism, 2001–5
Part III. Honor and Defensiveness: 9. The Recueillement, 1856–71
10. The peaceful coexistence, 1921–39
11. Containing NATO expansion, 1995–2000
Part IV. Honor and Assertiveness: 12. The Crimean War, 1853–6
13. The early Cold War, 1946–9
14. The Russia-Georgia War, August 2008
15. Conclusion
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: International economics [KCL], International relations [JPS], Political structure & processes [JPH], Russian Revolution [HBTV4], Social & cultural history [HBTB], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], European history [HBJD]