This paper wants to analyse Yeltsin's foreign policy in terms of the underlying factors that drove these procedures in his first term as president. Therefore, it will analyse specific events to a lesser extent but rather focus on especially domestic and systemic circumstances that explain new Russia's leaders' behaviour. The essay will first of all focus on the systemic and domestic conditions Russia faced when Yeltsin was elected as president in order to explain his pro-Western policies in the early 1990s. It will then proceed with an analysis of the factors that led the foreign policy elite to reevaluate its foreign policy ultimately shift its priorities. Subsequently it will analyse the Statist thinking as dominant approach of foreign policy since 1993 and its impact on these very policies.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Systemic and domestic conditions for pro-Western policies
3. Shifts in foreign policy and the rise of Statism
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to analyze the factors that drove Boris Yeltsin's foreign policy during his first term as president, specifically examining the transition from an initially pro-Western orientation to a more Statist approach.
- The systemic impact of the Cold War's end on Russian security perceptions.
- Domestic economic challenges and their role in shaping foreign policy priorities.
- The influence of liberal versus Statist ideological frameworks on political decision-making.
- The role of national identity and the concept of Russia as a Great Power.
- The impact of internal political opposition and the failure of early pro-Western integration attempts.
Excerpt from the book
What drove Yeltsin’s foreign policy?
In a more systemic approach, the collapse of the Soviet Union should not merely be understood as the dissolution of an ethnically heterogeneous empire reaching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, but also as the defeat of an ideology. Even though communism is still alive and the state ideology of for instance China and Cuba, it has lost its main proponent and most important figurehead with the breakdown of the Soviet Union. In this sense the collapse of the Soviet Union was a historic event marking the end of the rivalry between communism and capitalism and has thus, shaped the minds of political actors of this time. The dominant ideological position held in that time is perfectly expressed by Fukuyama, who observed:
“What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." (1989)
This claim certainly also influenced the new Russian leaders to a great extent, as Tsygankov points out that “Boris Yeltsin and his foreign minister Andre Kozyrev believed that history in a sense had ended and presented no alternatives to pro-Western development.” (2013, p.58) The end of the communist era was certainly conceived as a victory for the capitalist camp under the lead of the United States at that time, and was therefore associated with a sense of superiority of liberalism over every other ideology experienced thus far. This is supported by Tsygankov’s claim that “it was the fundamental belief in the superiority of the Western system that also shaped the minds of the liberal coalition that emerged in Russia.”(2013, p.58) It has been suggested that this is also due to the West’s appearance as “powerful and cohesive civilization whose political unity contrasted with disarray in former Soviet Union.” (Tsygankov, 2013) This sense of inferiority led Yeltsin and Kozyrev to the assumption that integration into the Western community is essential in establishing a prosperous and secure Russian state.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union and defines the paper's focus on analyzing the drivers behind Yeltsin's evolving foreign policy.
2. Systemic and domestic conditions for pro-Western policies: Examines how the perceived victory of Western liberalism, economic collapse, and the search for national identity initially pushed Yeltsin's government toward a pro-Western, integrationist stance.
3. Shifts in foreign policy and the rise of Statism: Analyzes the failure of Westernist policies to meet expectations and the subsequent rise of Statist thinking, characterized by the goal of restoring Russia's position as a Great Power.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes how the neglect of national identity and the lack of concrete integration successes led to the marginalization of the Westernist course and the return of a more traditional, power-centric foreign policy.
Keywords
Boris Yeltsin, Foreign Policy, Russian Federation, Soviet Union, Westernism, Statism, Cold War, Liberalism, Geopolitics, National Identity, Great Power, Andre Kozyrev, Yevgeny Primakov, Integration, Security Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on analyzing the underlying domestic and systemic factors that drove Boris Yeltsin's foreign policy during his first term, specifically the shift from a pro-Western orientation to a Statist approach.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ideological shift toward liberalism, economic instability, the role of national identity in foreign policy, and the competition between Westernist and Statist political ideologies.
What is the main research objective?
The main objective is to explain why Russian foreign policy shifted from an initial attempt to integrate with the Western community to a policy centered on re-establishing Russia as a Great Power after 1993.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a qualitative analytical approach, examining systemic and domestic circumstances, drawing analogies from political theory (such as Francis Fukuyama’s work), and assessing empirical evidence from the period 1991–1994.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the initial pro-Western "honeymoon" phase, the impact of economic deterioration on policy, the influence of domestic political opposition, and the intellectual rise of "Statism" under figures like Yevgeny Primakov.
How would you summarize the paper using key terms?
The paper is characterized by terms such as foreign policy, Russian identity, Statism, Westernism, transition, Great Power, and domestic stability.
How did the perception of the "Soviet legacy" influence early foreign policy?
The Soviet legacy, characterized by economic collapse and loss of superpower status, created a sense of inferiority that initially led Yeltsin to view integration into the West as the only way to ensure Russia's survival and future prosperity.
Why did the "Statist" approach eventually dominate Russian policy?
Statism became the dominant paradigm because the Westernist approach failed to produce significant economic aid or political concessions, while simultaneously fueling domestic nationalist opposition that criticized the government for losing Russia's status as a global power.
- Quote paper
- Felix Wiebrecht (Author), 2015, What drove Yeltsin's foreign policy?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/295272
