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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Systemic and Domestic Conditions that Shaped Yeltsin's Pro-Western Policies
- The End of the Cold War and the Collapse of the Soviet Union
- The Influence of Fukuyama's "End of History" Thesis
- Russia's Security Environment and the Absence of Objective Enemies
- Domestic Factors Contributing to Pro-Western Orientation
- The Weakness of the Russian Economy
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the factors that drove Boris Yeltsin's foreign policy in his first term as president of the Russian Federation. It aims to explain the shift from a pro-Western orientation in the early 1990s to a more independent and assertive foreign policy approach.
- The impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War on Russian foreign policy.
- The influence of ideological shifts, particularly the acceptance of liberal democracy as the "end of history."
- The role of domestic factors, including the weakness of the Russian economy, in shaping foreign policy choices.
- The evolution of Russian foreign policy from a pro-Western approach to a more independent and assertive stance.
- The emergence of "Statist thinking" as a dominant approach to foreign policy in Russia.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter analyzes the systemic and domestic conditions that shaped Yeltsin's pro-Western policies in the early 1990s. It examines the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the influence of Fukuyama's "End of History" thesis, and the changing security environment. The chapter also explores the role of the weak Russian economy in constraining foreign policy choices.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this paper include: Russian foreign policy, Boris Yeltsin, post-Soviet Russia, Cold War, "End of History," liberal democracy, systemic factors, domestic factors, economic weakness, pro-Western orientation, Statist thinking, security environment, foreign policy elite.
- Quote paper
- Felix Wiebrecht (Author), 2015, What drove Yeltsin's foreign policy?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/295272
