Geopolitical concepts of Ivan Dusinsky

Abstract

The paper presents the achievements of one of the pioneers of the Russian geopolitics, Ivan Dusinski. He was the author of the book, published in 1910 in Odessa, entitled Fundamental problems of the foreign politics of Russia in connection with the program of its military and maritime policies. This book was brought back to the public memory and published again in Moscow in 2003 under a mode adequate title of Geopolitics of Russia. The paper tries to demonstrate that this book, in view of the novelty of ideas and interesting interpretations is indeed worth considering and deserves a critical assessment. The contemporary Russian analysts consider Dusinski, side by side with Ratzel, Kjellén, Mackinder or Haushofer, among the great founders of the modern geopolitics.

The paper presents the biography of Ivan Dusinski, as well as his political and philosophical views. He was a representative of the extreme nationalist and imperialist views. He aimed at the establishment of a great Russian empire through military conquests and territorial annexations. In order to render the ideological views of Dusinski and his territorial program only two most essential substantive questions were subject to analysis. The first of these is associated with the concept of Dusinski, stipulating the necessity of establishment of the great Slavonic community. The next one concerns the proposal and the program of annexations with respect to the Russia’s neighbours. The territorial reach of this program, along with its geographical and political consequences, are shown. Further, the opinion of Dusinski, concerning the future of Poland and Poles, has also been outlined. It is also indicated in the final remarks that the foundations of the modern Russian geopolitics have been established in the same period with the bases of the geopolitics in the world.