Introduction

The reaction of the Russian mind to the idea of the inevitable dictatorships and autocracies often took the form of a complete renunciation of salvation in this world and of hope in the prospect of happiness in the Kingdom of God only. But in the second half of the nineteenth century, the Apocalyptic idea in Russia took a new form: Nihilism. Just as the Apocalyptic idea found new expression in Nihilism, so Nihilism became itself a very powerful formative influence on Russian Communist ideology. Russian Communism and the whole Russian system cannot be fought by arms alone; the West must put up against it a social system which is as good as the Russian system economically and which has the added benefit of civic freedom. The Chinese Revolution has created Asiatic continental power which is building up with the Russian power an enlarged continental land mass.