Short History of Russian Foreign Policies

This book, the first on Russian foreign policy to use a path-dependent model as an explanatory method, provides three key benefits to the reader: An integrated history of Russian foreign policies, an explanation for Russian expansionism, an understanding of Vladimir Putin's ambitions. It is the longest expanse of a path-dependent analysis heretofore written, covering the five major governing regimes in Russian history, and demonstrating that the foreign policy principles of each have been relatively constant. It has been, that is, path dependent, contoured to several fundamental aspects. Of these, geography and topography have been paramount, followed closely by scarcity of economic resources, and militarization. Emergent (institutional) aspects of the above three were dynastic ambitions, glory, and imperial grandeur; autocratic whim; administrative inadequacies. The result of those path dependencies was an aggressive, expansionist drive for national security, based on secure borders or buffer zones.

Larry Ceplair is a Professor of History Emeritus. This is his eleventh book and the third touching on Russian history. His last book, Profiles in Mass Killing, was published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. He is currently working on a history of laws of nature and natural law. He lives in Bend, Oregon.