The Impact of Nationalism on Russian Foreign Policy

Abstract

The primary purpose of this brief study is to explore the major sources of Russian nationalism, examine its impact on the foreign policy decision-making process, and briefly assess alternative Western responses to the increasingly nationalist character of Russia’s behaviour in the international arena. The scholarly literature is replete with different and often conflicting approaches to the study of nationalism that range from the theories of invented nationalism to anthropological, ethnic, diffusionist and modernisation traditions.1 In spite of the disagreement over the origins of nationalism, most of the existing theories converge in their argument that, whenever nationalist sentiment prevails, the interests and values of the nation take priority over all other interests and values. Seen from this angle, nationalism can be conceptualised as a political doctrine that asserts the primacy of the interests of a particular nation.2 By implication, a nationalist policy is one intended to promote ‘national interests’ (however ill-defined they may be), regardless of the interests and values of other nations. It is upon this conceptualisation of nationalism that this study is based.