STALIN AGAINST ENGELS – FOR THE HISTORIOGRAFHY OF THE GREEK PROJECT

Abstract

The article reviews the ideological background, due to which the study of the Russian-Austrian model of European Redistribution in the 60-90-ies of the XVIII century, in particular the Greek Project, was effected by a certain limits of the Soviet period. The Greek Project contained all signs of imperial policy and is recognized as the main concept of Russia's foreign policy. The issues of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire became particularly relevant in 30-ies of XX century, when Engels’s work "The Foreign Policy of Russian Tsarism" had to be published in magazine “Bolshevik” at the request of the Bolshevik Adoretsky on the twentieth anniversary of the World War I. However, Stalin had a rather negative reaction to it. Engels's article, revealing Russia's aggressive imperialist intentions, was a pretty good weapon for the world leading countries against Soviet ideology taking into account the complicated foreign policy existing before the Second World War. Stalin's letter - in an open appeal to the Politburo - clearly expressed the criticism towards Engels, the classic of Marxism, and the inexpediency of publishing his work. It was also observed that Soviet ideologues should not allow capitalist ideologues to criticize Russia's foreign policy, whether this criticism referred to Tsarist or Soviet period. Accordingly, the entire Russian foreign policy was revised in accordance with the desired tsarist ideological model. This criticism of Stalin was a signal to Soviet scientists, to refer the problems of Russian foreign policy with a particular consideration, where one of the main topics was the Greek Project. As studies of the Soviet period have shown, Soviet historiography has tried to find a desirable explanation for the Greek Project. Consequently, results of any study of Russia's foreign policy were predetermined and entitled the scientists to make predetermined conclusions as well. Such approach to the issue excluded the possibility of an objective study of the topic from the very beginning. The referred Stalinist methodological principle has not been overcome by current Georgian historiography. It is confirmed by the fact of ignoring the Greek Project and its effect in terms of defining foreign policy.