«Rasovaya teoriya» Otto fon Bismarka

Abstract

Exploration of the outlook and the views of renowned political figures constitutes one of the most thriving fields of historical research. This article focuses on such an understudied topic as a concept of race developed by Otto von Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor”. To examine the interrelation between Bismarck’s views on a certain nation’s “racial” features and his policy towards this country, the article offers a case study of Bismarck’s attitude to Russia and the Russians and its influence on German-Russian relations. This case study relies on a wide range of sources, which completely reveal Bismarck’s ‘racial’ understanding of Russia.