Realism Is Not Enough: Russia, Realism, and Historical Constructivism

Realism Is Not Enough: Russia, Realism, and Historical Constructivism

Introduction            The Western realist school of international relations and foreign policy conduct provides a strong foundation for understanding international affairs and relations between states. However, the realist framework is sometimes not enough. Often, it provides a less than fully satisfactory explanatory apparatus. Most of all, realism lacks a healthy dose of what political scientists call ‘historical constructivism’ or simply ‘c…