ABSTRACT
An empire as a polity and imperialism as a system of ideas that guides policy intersect conceptually, in that the first is an outgrowth, a result, of the latter. While the motivation may differ, nevertheless it must be present in order for the foreign policy of a state to be characterized as imperialistic. This chapter explores the extent of shame and humiliation felt among some circles in Russia about the loss of empire, the rhetorical support among the Russian right wing especially for the restoration of the USSR, and the fears in the new states of a renewal of Russian imperial drive. It concerns about the resurgence of Russian great-power chauvinism. The USSR succeeded in the early 1920s, in a weak and divided international community, to establish itself and incorporate by force many of the territories of the former Russian empire. Russia has moved significantly over the last decade to integrate itself fully into the international political and economic system.
