Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin: Honor in International Relations
"An original analysis of the long sweep of Russian foreign policy over the last two centuries, examined through the prism of the concept of 'honour'. The work provides a convincing framework for analysis based on three modes of Russian behaviour, cooperation, defensiveness and assertiveness. The notion is then applied in ten cases studies, ranging from the Holy Alliance of 1814-53 to the Russo-Georgian war of 2008, in which honour is seen to have played a central role in shaping policy and perceptions. Tsygankov offers a compelling and original analysis of Russia foreign policy that will be essential reading for historians and political scientists, and above all for scholars of international relations." - Professor Richard Sakwa, Head of School, Politics and International Relations, University of Kent"In a sweeping historical analysis, Tsygankov explains major shifts in Russia's willingness to cooperate with the West in terms of honor.  All states have a set of core values that must be defended in order to maintain national dignity and self-respect, a commitment that explains why states sometimes engage in foolhardy or wasteful undertakings.  Tsygankov brings to bear his considerable expertise without ostentation to write a simple, yet highly informative analysis of Russian foreign policy.  This succinct and elegant book is essential reading for understanding Russia's foreign policy today." - Deborah Welch Larson, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles"Andrei Tsygankov's work on the role of honor in Russian foreign policy makes a very important contribution not only to Russian historical studies but also to international relations theory." - Professor Anatol Lieven, Department of War Studies, Kings College London"Tsygankov's ambitious study of Russian foreign policy seeks to explain and assess three patterns in Russia's relations with the West that reappear throughout Russian history-cooperation, defensiveness, and assertiveness. Following Reus-Smit, Tsygankov argues that states have a moral purpose that drives their behavior, best captured by the concept of Honor". - Anne Clunan, Naval Postgraduate School, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Tsygankov builds on his previous writing on Russian foreign policy and provides a more expansive and complete study of the motivations for Russian foreign polity... it provides valuable insight not only into Russian foreign policy but also notions of Russian identity" -J.R. Clardie, Cameron University, CHOICE"Those who have read Tsygankov's other works will not be disappointed in diving into this theoretically interesting and information-rich analysis of important elements that have long driven Russian perspectives and actions...His analyses are as compelling as they are interesting. In sum, this over 300-page volume provides a _tour d'horizon_ of many of the most important Russian-Western foreign policy initiatives and interactions of the nineteenth, twentieth, and early twenty-first  centuries. The volume is a must-read for those who desire to understand the Russian foreign policy weltanschauung." - John Pat Willerton, University of Arizona, H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews"Tsygankov believes that the Russian sense of honor is the key to understanding the long history of the country's relations with the West... Whether Russia cooperates with, defends itself from, or takes the offensive against the West is determined by Russia's sense of honor, along with the degree of security that Russians feel, and not by Russia's quest for power or the structure of the international system. Tsygankov examines this dynamic in different phases of Russian history, from the post-Napoleonic period to today. He takes international relations theory seriously and places himself squarely in the constructivist camp." - Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs"What does "honor" for Russian foreign policy? A systematic analysis, especially over a long period of time, was missing. Now, Andrei P. Tsygankov, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at San Francisco State University, presented a book that investigates this question, from the beginning of the 19th Century to the present day. On the basis of ten case studies Tsygankov designs a circular to the concept of state honor theory of relations between Russia and the West. He not only wants to shed light on the factors leading Russian foreign policy in the last 200 years but, following on from a book by Michael Donelan [1], and also enrich the theoretical discussion in the field of international relations. With Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin  So there is a purpose in both interesting and ambitious work." - Translated from German, ZitierweiseMarcus Schönewald, Institut für Geschichtswissenschaft / Abteilung für Zeitgeschichte und Kultur Osteuropas, Universität Bremen , H-Soz-u-Kult, H-Net"Tsygankov's ambitious study of Russian foreign policy seeks to explain and assess three patterns in Russia's relations with the West that reappear throughout Russian history-cooperation, defensiveness, and assertiveness. Following Reus-Smit, Tsygankov argues that states have a moral purpose that drives their behavior, best captured by the concept of honor." - Anne Clunan, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Andrei Tsygankov, a professor at San Francisco State University, reminds us that Russia has for centuries believed in its special role as a great power with values that are superior to those of Europe, and in this book he sets out to explain the historical evolution of Russia's foreign policy and its perpetual ambivalence toward cooperating with the West" - Angela Stent, Survival: Global Politics and Strategy