ABSTRACT
The Russian Empire is different from the colonial empires of the western powers in being land-based. Russian was the official language and the only one allowed in business or in the military. Resentment against Russianization was a major factor in the Bolsheviks' victory. As the European population of Russia ages and actually shrinks, the Soviet Union will increasingly have to rely on non-Europeans. Russian has remained the language of government, the language of business, the language of science, as it was under the Tsar. There are practically no non-Europeans in command positions in the Russian military. Yet Austria conceded to its nationalities infinitely more than Russia has ever been willing to give. All universities in the Soviet Empire are Russian universities. For the US the disintegration of the Russian Empire means a total change in foreign policy and the assumptions that have undergirded American foreign policy since Woodrow Wilson abandoned non-interventionism in 1917.
