The Russian empire and the world, 1700-1917: the geopolitics of expansion and containment

Surveys major events in the history of tsarist Russian foreign relations between 1700 and 1917 and interprets Russian foreign policy of the period, drawing on the work of scholars Sir Halford Mackinder, Admiral Alfred Mahan, Geoffrey Parker, and Owen Lattimore. Contains sections on the expansion of Russia's Western, Southern, and Eastern frontiers, and the Germanic and coastland powers in Russia's containment. Includes b&w maps. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. Introduction 21 Heartland, Core Areas, Frontiers 21 Containment 33 I. Russia and its Western Frontier 41 1. The Destabilization of the Core Areas, 1700-1768 43 The Destabilization of the Core Areas, 1700-1768 43 The First Round, 1700-1721 43 The Second Round, 1721-1743 50 The Diplomatic Offensive, 1743-1768 57 2. The Showdown, 1769-1796 63 The Showdown, 1769-1796 63 Russo-Polish Relations, 1769-1791 63 Russo-Baltic Relations, 1769-1791 70 Partitions and Humiliations, 1792-1796 77 3. Denouement and Epilogue, 1796-1917 83 Denouement and Epilogue, 1796-1917 83 Russo-Baltdc Relations, 1796-1815 83 Russo-Polish Relations, 1796-1815 90 Epilogue, 1815-1917 98 II. Russia and its Southern Frontier 107 4. The Advance into the Frontier, 1700-1791 109 The Advance into the Frontier, 1700-1791 109 The First Phase, 1700-1725 109 Standoff, 1725-1767 116 Breakthrough, 1768-1791 124 5. In Search of an Optimum of Conquest, 1792-1856 132 In Search of an Optimum of Conquest, 1792-1856 132 Consolidation, 1792-1813 132 Probings, 1813-1833 137 Stalemate, 1833-1856 144 6. Showdown, 1856-1917 150 Russia, Persia, and Central Asia, 1856-1906 150 Russo-Ottoman Relations, 1856-1906 157 A Pyrrhic Victory, 1907-1917 164 Ill. Russia and its Eastern Frontier 173 7. Early Relations, 1689-1848 175 Early Relations, 1689-1848 175 The Setting, 1689-1759 175 Russia’s Flanking Advance, 1759-1848 182 The Mongolian and Manchurian Frontier, 1759-1848 190 8. On the Offensive, 1848-1894 198 On the Offensive, 198 The Manchurian Frontier 198 The Turkestan Frontier. 205 The Russo-Japanese Frontier 212 9. War and Peace, 1895-1917 220 War and Peace, 220 1895-1917 220 Squaring Off, 1895-1898 220 Confrontation, 1899-1905 228 Accommodation, 1906-1917 235 IV. The Containment of Russian Expansion: The Germanic Powers 245 10. The First Phase, 1700-1796 247 The First Phase, 247 The Northern War, 1700-1721 247 Shifting Alliances and War, 1725-1762 253 Strains and Stresses, 1763-1796 259 11. Interlude, 1797-1870 267 Interlude, 267 A Common Enemy, 1797-1815 267 Russia’s Hegemony, 1816-1849 273 Austria’s and Russia’s Revenge, 1850-1870 278 12. The Second Phase, 1871-1917 284 The Second Phase, 284 Bismarck and Containment, 1871-1890 284 The Germanic Offensive, 1891-1907 292 The Triumph of Containment, 1908-1917 298 V. The Containment of Russian Expansion: The Coastland Powers 307 13. A Basic Alternative, 1700-1815 309 A Basic Alternative, 309 Containment or Flanking Alliance? 1700-1762 309 Squaring Off, 1762-1796 315 Early Strains, 1796-1815 320 14. Hegemony and Containment, 1815-1879 328 Hegemony and Containment, 1815-1879 328 The Rise of Russophobia, 1815-1830 328 Britain on the Offensive, 1830-1848 334 Showdown, 1848-1879 339 15. Triumph and Collapse, 1879-1917 347 Triumph and Collapse, 1879-1917 347 Doubts, 1879-1895 347 Contradictions, 1895-1905 353 Epilogue, 1905-1917 359 Conclusion 367 Expansion, 1700-1796 367 Consolidation, 1797-1879 374 Renewed Pressures, 1879-1917 382 Notes 391 References and Bibliography 399 Index 407 Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European foreign policy was practised within geographical constraints and imperatives. By placing both Russian and its neighbours within this geographic context, LeDonne retells over 200 years of Russian Imperial history. The major thrust of Russian foreign policy after the truce of Andrusovo (1667) was directed against the Southern Frontier, for the acquisition of Kiev strengthened a logic of expansion along the Dniepr in the direction of the Black Sea. John P. Ledonne. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 379-385) And Index.