ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to assess Russia's historical strengths and weaknesses as a civilisation by exploring the tenuous balance between its community and society. It surveys how the East–West dynamics have historically pulled Russia in opposite directions. The chapter explores the geoeconomics of Russia in the late 19th century to assess the opportunities and perils of modernisation. The communist and post-communist era displayed an atrocious neglect of gemeinschaft and economic statecraft due to the ideological delusion of transcending the imperishable. The recovery of Russia under Vladimir Putin entailed reasserting state control over strategic industries to improve domestic societal problems and rely more on economic statecraft in foreign policy. The debate between Slavophiles and Westernisers was greatly impacted by Russia's turn to economic statecraft. Slavophilism shared profound similarities with the theory of F. Tonnies regarding gemeinschaft and gesellschaft. The organic and spiritual Russian culture was contrasted with the moral decadence of industrial Europe.
