B.N. Chicherin: The Crimean War as a Reflection of the Crisis of the Russian Empire

Abstract

Based on the works of a prominent representative of the liberal pro-Western trend in Russian social thought B.N. Chicherin, his views on the causes and unsuccessful for Russia outcome of the Crimean War are examined. The components of the author’s concept are revealed, which were formulated by him in identifying the main trends of European politics in the first half of the 19th century and assessing the political consequences of the formation of the Holy Alliance and the activities of its participants, aimed at preserving the monarchical principle in European countries by any means. Particular attention is paid to Chicherin’s analysis of the reasons for the conservative turn in the foreign and domestic policies of the government of Nicholas I and the author’s substantiation of the thesis that the European choice of Peter I did not guarantee progressive advance in the development of Russia but only opened opportunities, the implementation of which depended on the policy of the imperial authorities. In this context, such features of the system of autocratic governance of the country are considered as the predominance of the personal principle and the lack of opportunities and mechanisms for representatives of society to influence the decisions, which were defined by Chicherin as major factors that contributed to the establishment of a protective course in foreign and domestic policy. The author considers the “European loneliness” of Russia and stagnation in socioeconomic development to be a consequence of this policy, which determined the country’s defeat in the Crimean War, which, however, is considered by Chicherin not only as evidence of the crisis of the existing system but also as an incentive for renewal based on a program in the development of which he actively participated.