Kudryavtseva T.M. The Russian liberal community’s perception of the Western powers’ Far Eastern policy based on the material from the capital’s periodic press (1895–1902)

Abstract: After the defeat of China in the war with Japan in 1895, the Great Powers initiated their Far Eastern policy. The events and processes happening in the region heightened the public’s interest in it. The press reacted to this interest, in part forming, in part expressing the existing opinions on the subject. The article, based on the material from the capital’s “big” liberal press, examines the general viewpoints of Russian society’s educated circles towards key Western actors in the Chinese crisis, their policy and the nature of their relationship with Russia. The analysis of the publications from newspapers and journals allows the author to come to the conclusion that despite the disparity of the represented outlooks, broad tendencies existed: a positive or neutral presentation of France’s policy, a complicated relation towards rivals (Germany and America), and an overall negative perception of Britain. Often the degree of danger of one or another rival was assessed depending on the closeness of their relationship with England. At the same time, the primary interests put forward were peace and pan-European solidarity, for the sake of which all powers should strive for agreement.

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