Russian Westernizers and Change in International Relations

Russian Westernizers and Change in International Relations summarizes the Westernizing trend in Russian thought from the early nineteenth century to the present day.The book looks at Russian thinkers and politicians who have considered Western/European civilization to be superior to others and who have drawn the conclusion that Russia consequently ought to align itself with the West, rather than preserving certain traditional Russian values – and that not doing so is an impediment to political, social, and economic evolution. Within this trend of thought, the author identifies four schools — Christian Westernizers, Economic Liberals, Political Liberals, and Social State Supporters — and explores examples of each. The author compares Russian thinkers from different periods, finding contrasts and similarities within their political and historical settings and assessing their responses to their unique circumstances. He analyzes Russian Westernizers’ self-definition and ideas of national freedom relative to those of Western nations, exploring how the West’s definition of values and institutions have changed over time. He shows how Western historical developments affected waves of Westernization and pro-Western thinking inside Russia, arguing the importance of this being grounded in national state-building priorities. The growing complexity of global relations, the declining global influence of the West, and the war in Ukraine present Russian Westernizers with new questions and challenges, and the book assesses the resulting implications.This book will appeal to students and scholars of Russian foreign policy, Russia–West relations, IR theory, diplomatic studies, political science, and European history including the history of ideas.

"This is a masterful study of internal Westernizing influences on Russian foreign policy. It completes a magisterial trilogy on 'realist,' 'civilizational,' and now 'Westernizing' influences that is unsurpassed by any other studies on the topic."George Breslauer, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, USA“A highly useful catalogue of Russian Westernizers old and new that manages to round out the author’s magisterial tour d’horizon of Russian thinking about the international.”Iver B. Neumann, author of Russia and the Idea of Europe“With dispassionate clarity, Tsygankov examines the aspirations and contradictions of those who believe that Russia’s future lies in the West. He notes the diversity of views since the emergence of the modern form of this trend in the nineteenth century, but also stresses the features that make this a distinct tendency in Russian thinking. Ranging from radicals who reject Russian traditions in their entirety to moderates who seek to take the best of the West to make Russia a better version of itself, Tsygankov provides an accessible, erudite and essential guide to Russia’s Westernizers.”Richard Sakwa, Emeritus Professor of Russian and European Politics, University of Kent, UK"Andrei Tysgankov's magisterial trilogy on the different traditions of Russian foreign policy is the single most important contribution to the contemporary study of this field."Anatol Lieven, Director, Eurasia Program, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, USA “A timely, even urgent overview of repeated Russian efforts, from the time of Nicholas I on, to narrow the gap between Russian Westernizers’ worldviews and those articulated in the West itself. Today a seemingly unbridgeable divide exists between the Kremlin’s preference for a multipolar multicultural world and that of the West aiming to establish international standards such as the rule of law. Divisions exist within Russia too. For Andrei Tsygankov, Realist international relations scholars in the country underestimate the role of ideas while liberal advocates disregard the strength of the nation-state or nationalism. The author debates whether a first step should involve recognition by Russia’s Westernizers that the West does not routinely threaten Russia’s national interests. On the other hand, emphasis on Russia’s unique cultural pathways and values can produce a bottleneck for the West, anxious not to surrender its dominance or the gradual emergence of a post-Western world. International relations perspectives are split on these and other issues, skillfully explained by Tsygankov through a series of tabular data points.”Raymond Taras, Professor, Tulane University, USA“An exceptional guide to the history of Russian liberalism in the last two centuries, which is timely and necessary in the current political climate. As an historical account, it also

Andrei P. Tsygankov is a Professor of International Relations at San Francisco State University, USA.