Introduction

Abstract

Abstract Since the late nineteenth century, successive Russian regimes have made repeated attempts to secure territory, exercise influence, and be accepted as a great power in the Asia Pacific. However, Russia has encountered significant obstacles in its quest for recognition as a major power in the region. In the early nineteenth century tsarist Russia was far more active in the Pacific than the United States, but the latter dominated the Pacific throughout much of the twentieth century. The USSR could only briefly challenge Washington, in the 1970s, and lost ground with the collapse of the Soviet state. Employing a broad historical approach makes it possible to discern certain patterns in tsarist Russian and Soviet foreign policy that shape current Russian policy. A brief survey of Russia’s expansion eastward indicates some parallels to America’s westward expansion, though Russia’s imperial ambitions suffered a major setback during the Russo-Japanese War, and Soviet efforts were only partially successful. This chapter outlines the plan of the book.