The British Russophobia in the first half of the XIX century: The political aspect

Abstract

The article considers the problem of the political of the British Russophobia in the first half of the XIX century. It is established that in this period the imperative of the foreign policy strategy of Great Britain, which was the leading world power, was to maintain the balance of power in an effort to preserve and, if possible, increase global domination. Strengthening the military-political power and the international influence of the Russian Empire stimulated the British elites to develop methods to counter the imbalance. The clash of the geopolitical interests of London and Petersburg, in particular with regard to Poland and the Eastern Question, intensified the British anti-Russian information campaign, which was aimed at shaping Russophobic attitudes in British society and in the international arena. Based on the analysis of a broad source base and numerous studies, it is revealed that in the period under review, the genesis and spread of Russophobic sentiments among the political elite of Great Britain and their projection regarding the foreign policy aspirations of the Russian empire. Indicators of the birth of British Russophobia were the publication in 1817 of the mentioned work of R. Wilson, who by that time was already known for his anti-Russian views, and the public's reaction to it, which was manifested in a number of reviews in the local media. Against the background of the prevailing critical perception of R. Wilson's Russophobic statements, the reviews of his work contained reflections on the growing «Russian threat» and the possibility of Russia's aggressive actions. This contributed to the spread of anti-Russian views in Britain, a manifestation of which was the publication in 1828 of the book by G. Evans, which initiated the heated debate of a frankly Russophobic orientation.