ФИНЛЯНДИЗАЦИЯ КАК КОНЦЕПЦИЯ НАУЧНОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ВНЕШНЕЙ ПОЛИТИКИ И МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

Abstract

The article is aimed at studying the main stages in the formation of the scientific concept of finlandization on the example of German studies of Anglo-American historiography, at determining its essential characteristics and the possibilities of using it in the modern research of foreign policy and international relations. The choice of the German case seems logical. The special role of the German issue in the system of Great Powers relations, its obvious dependence on the microclimate of the Soviet-American relations, the close proximity of West Germany to the borders of the socialist bloc, the painful problem of the German nation division – all this has significantly increased the risks of Soviet influence and theoretically turned the FRG into the most likely candidate for finlandization. Given the key importance of West Germany in the system of Euro-Atlantic security and economy, this prospect was perceived very painfully, the possible reorientation of the FRG was actively discussed in the academic circles in the USA and Great Britain. The formation of finlandization as a concept for the scientific study of foreign policy and international relations had basically been completed by the beginning of the 1990s. Today, it finds many followers and critics among scientists from different countries, which indicates its modern relevance.