Overview

""Miller's terrific book reminds that Russia made moves toward the East five hundred years ago, and explains why ignoring the Russian factor in Asian geopolitics today would be a big mistake."" -Michael McFaul, author of From Cold War to Hot Peace ""Miller presents a Russia little known in the West: a Eurasian power that treats its eastern calling as seriously as it does its western one. Exceptionally well written and argued, We Shall Be Masters helps us understand Russia on its own terms and offers historical insight into the future of its relations with China, its main rival and occasional ally."" -Serhii Plokhy, author of The Gates of Europe ""Challenges the conventional view that [Russia] has enduring interests in the Far East For Russia, Miller argues, Asia has been a land of unfulfilled promises."" -Foreign Affairs ""Captures the immensity, complexity, and importance of Russia's eastern borderlands through the eyes of its explorers Comprehensive and fluidly written."" -Publishers Weekly Ever since Peter the Great, Russian leaders have been lured by the promise of the East. But from the tsars to Stalin and beyond, Russia's ambitions have repeatedly outstripped its capacity. In We Shall Be Masters, Chris Miller explores why these expansionist dreams so often ended in disappointment. With the heart of the nation in the European borderlands, Russia's would-be pioneers struggled to maintain public interest in their far-flung pursuits. But its leaders never stopped setting their sights on the riches of the East. Today, as Vladimir Putin seeks to cement his strategic partnership with Xi Jinping's China, the East remains as elusive and attractive to Russia as ever-and is likely to be as unattainable.

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As much of the world now turns more attention and resources to Asia, partly in response to China's emergence as a global power, Miller's terrific book reminds that Russia made moves toward the East five hundred years ago, and explains why ignoring the Russian factor in Asian geopolitics today would be a big mistake for strategists in Tokyo, Delhi, Brussels, or Washington. His masterful history shows why Russia has been an Asian power for centuries and will remain a central player in balance-of-power politics in Asia for decades to come. -- Michael McFaul, author of <i>From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia</i> In a panoramic account of three hundred years of Russian history, Miller presents a Russia little known in the West: a Eurasian power that treats its eastern calling as seriously as it does its western one. Exceptionally well written and argued, We Shall Be Masters helps us understand Russia on its own terms and offers historical insight into the future of its relations with China, its main rival and occasional ally in the region and the world. -- Serhii Plokhy, author of <i>Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis</i> A sweeping overview of Russia's long-running pattern of aspiring to yet often falling short of securing lasting influence over Asian affairs. Engaging and impressively researched, Miller's book offers an insightful historical perspective on contemporary Russian-Asian relations. -- Willard Sunderland, author of <i>The Baron's Cloak: A History of the Russian Empire in War and Revolution</i> Few historians have probed as deeply into the complex history of Russia's imperial engagements in East Asia as Miller has done here. He weaves a subtle theme through a sweep of events, as Russian tsars, officials, diplomats, and explorers are lured east in various 'spasms of enthusiasm,' only for these various pivots to peter out owing to military failure, excessive cost, or simple exhaustion. A supple, well-written, and important work. -- Sean McMeekin, author of <i>Stalin's War: A New History of World War II</i> Miller's broad historical overview of Russian foreign policy in Asia challenges the conventional view that the country has enduring interests in the Far East...For Russia, Miller argues, Asia has been a land of unfulfilled promises. -- Maria Lipman * Foreign Affairs * A rich and well-informed chronicle of Russia's engagement with Asia over the past three centuries...Captures the immensity, complexity, and importance of Russia's eastern borderlands through the eyes of its explorers...A comprehensive and fluidly written survey that will be welcomed by students of international history. * Publishers Weekly * [A] highly readable history...The over-ambitious, over-committed and over-confident policies of modern Russia through the globalization period and the rise of Asia in the 21st century mimics the hubris of Petersburg's historical Pacific Ocean ambitions. -- Tristan Kenderdine * Global Asia * [A] comprehensive and informative account of Russia's historical outreach to Asia...Vladimir Putin became the latest Russian leader to pursue a pivot to Asia from 2014. Yet, argues Miller, there are limits to this strategy. -- Angela Stent * Survival *

As much of the world now turns more attention and resources to Asia, partly in response to China’s emergence as a global power, Miller’s terrific book reminds that Russia made moves toward the East five hundred years ago, and explains why ignoring the Russian factor in Asian geopolitics today would be a big mistake for strategists in Tokyo, Delhi, Brussels, or Washington. His masterful history shows why Russia has been an Asian power for centuries and will remain a central player in balance-of-power politics in Asia for decades to come. -- Michael McFaul, author of <i>From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia</i> In a panoramic account of three hundred years of Russian history, Miller presents a Russia little known in the West: a Eurasian power that treats its eastern calling as seriously as it does its western one. Exceptionally well written and argued, We Shall Be Masters helps us understand Russia on its own terms and offers historical insight into the future of its relations with China, its main rival and occasional ally in the region and the world. -- Serhii Plokhy, author of <i>Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis</i> A sweeping overview of Russia’s long-running pattern of aspiring to yet often falling short of securing lasting influence over Asian affairs. Engaging and impressively researched, Miller’s book offers an insightful historical perspective on contemporary Russian–Asian relations. -- Willard Sunderland, author of <i>The Baron’s Cloak: A History of the Russian Empire in War and Revolution</i> Few historians have probed as deeply into the complex history of Russia’s imperial engagements in East Asia as Miller has done here. He weaves a subtle theme through a sweep of events, as Russian tsars, officials, diplomats, and explorers are lured east in various ‘spasms of enthusiasm,’ only for these various pivots to peter out owing to military failure, excessive cost, or simple exhaustion. A supple, well-written, and important work. -- Sean McMeekin, author of <i>Stalin’s War: A New History of World War II</i> Miller’s broad historical overview of Russian foreign policy in Asia challenges the conventional view that the country has enduring interests in the Far East…For Russia, Miller argues, Asia has been a land of unfulfilled promises. -- Maria Lipman * Foreign Affairs * A rich and well-informed chronicle of Russia’s engagement with Asia over the past three centuries…Captures the immensity, complexity, and importance of Russia’s eastern borderlands through the eyes of its explorers…A comprehensive and fluidly written survey that will be welcomed by students of international history. * Publishers Weekly * [A] highly readable history…The over-ambitious, over-committed and over-confident policies of modern Russia through the globalization period and the rise of Asia in the 21st century mimics the hubris of Petersburg’s historical Pacific Ocean ambitions. -- Tristan Kenderdine * Global Asia * [A] comprehensive and informative account of Russia’s historical outreach to Asia…Vladimir Putin became the latest Russian leader to pursue a pivot to Asia from 2014. Yet, argues Miller, there are limits to this strategy. -- Angela Stent * Survival *

Author Information

Chris Miller is the author of Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia and The Struggle to Save the Soviet Economy. An Associate Professor of International History at Tufts University, he writes for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.

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