Anti-Americanism of the Soviet Period in Russia

For a better understanding of the roots of the problem, it is better to know what happened before the bad opinion was established. Before the Second World War, in Decembrists period was opposition in Russia whose ideology preferences was on USA democracy regime. One of the great examples is Aleksandr Nikitenko. His works impartially describe governance country of Alexander I, Nicholas I and even Alexander II. A. Nikitenko makes a comparison between the governance of USA presidents and Russian king of that time. 'In North America, universal equality, universal freedom; but the best, that is, people endowed with the highest abilities and who have been able to develop them, put them on the heights of common elevated species and tasks, legislate, control, lead. Lincoln Woodcutter, Port Johnson (E. Johnson was the president of the United States after the death of A. Lincoln. - VS), the typesetter Franklin came out of the people and on this basis only belonged to the masses, according to their talents and development they stood immeasurably higher than her. That is, in America, to everyone open ways to be and to be what he can.” [Nikitenko, 2005, p. 238].

In Soviet time of governance country, the opposition of liberals and Democrats destroyed. Political scientists and political figures like Nikitenko hasn't existed anymore. At the same time, the ruling elite makes a form from the USA an enemy. Nevertheless, in relation to the United States, the Soviet government had its own ambivalence. Main politics cannot take into the account great prosperity of economy of the USA in that time. USA achievement could be borrowed by the Soviet social and political system in the world. In this paperwork, I do not want to focus on all known facts. In the time of Second World War, relations between two global superpowers was on high level. To sum up that period of time in one sentence “In the presence of a common enemy, old disagreements recede into the background.”

After the Second World War became one of the periods is breathtaking and suggestive of human history is the period of Cold War. Two global superpowers star arm race for world hegemony. Even at that period of time USSR attitude was ambivalent in the dire understanding of this word. When Stalin was the head of the communist party. He formulates the direction of the future development of USSR “Catch up and overtake the USA” in the economic arena. In general, it became like the main point for Soviet citizens “Great Soviet Dream”. I want to compare with “American dream” it is quite similar but the main difference also could be seen here. Americans citizen do not take a cue from Russian. They do not compare them and Russians. Russian citizen makes vice versa. They have to produce more meat and milk that America. Once it was done, but for next year average citizen of USSR feel deficit of meat in the shop. There was the first part of attitude USSR to the USA. Another side of the coin is more interesting. The famous rhetorical question of the main Soviet political commentator of the United States of the Brezhnev era, Valentin Zorin: “American roads good, but where do they lead?” But an attitude of Nikita Khrushchev was completely understandable. On the one hand, he set the historical supertask of “bury America” and from other side talk all the time that USSR must catch up and overtake America. Example of such acts as described previously in the paperwork in comparison of USA and USSR great dream. After Nikita Khrushchev, the head of the communist party become Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev as previous leaders thinks that USSR rule system must be better than USA democracy and private market in the economy. He begins new reforms in the economy to show all the world that on the basis of socialist modernization, trying to prove that public property, the leading role of the USSR and the proletarian state are capable of ensuring a more successful development of society than private property, a multi-party system, and a capitalist state. His attempts fall apart in 1987. Therefore, he was trying to mix both systems. To be more precisely, Gorbachev changes a style of reformation of USSR. He intends on the mix socialism and free market with democracy. Political experts in the USSR think that Gorbachev is trying to install western values. But Gorbachev team explain in another way. That democracy, the free market is a part of socialism and USSR must do it for economic prosperity. Chinghiz Aitmatov was the famous diplomat in the USSR describe Gorbachev acts in a next way. “Developed western countries, first Sweden, then France and Germany, finally the United States, the embodiment of ... real socialism!” It was unthinkable acts for saving socialism ideology. Therefore, Gorbachev finds out a way to solve this situation. Gorbachev's promotion of the concept of universal values meant the recognition of countries where there was a market, democracy, human rights, civil society, and ideological brothers of the USSR. Subsequently, USA became a best friend from the worth enemy to the USSR. In 1990 Gorbachev come to the USA and make a speech about USA and USSR, namely that two global super countries belong to the one civilization which must work together and he finally accepts the idea of convergence of socialism and capitalism. (“Pravda,” June 3, 1990).

Even after that actions, USSR attitude to the USA divided on two part. The first part, argued Gorbachev that he is an American spy who is falling apart USSR. One of the famous representatives was Alexander Yakovlev. The second part was not satisfied with Gorbachev action because it was not enough. They demanded to forget about the socialist system and accept western democracy in the USSR. In the aftermath, the second group with democratic ideology liked to the massed and bring on the head Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin who was a representative of the second group.

In the time of the independent Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin are trying to make democracy society and make the free market to all. According to the All-Union Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTSIOM), in 1990, 96% of respondents opted for the social model that triumphed in a liberal capitalist country (the largest number — 32% — were recognized as the best US model), and only 4 % preferred the Chinese model. [Economic ... 1993, p. 14]. From this data, we can understand that Russian citizens and the more important majority of government show brilliant attitude to the western values and what is more important 32% give their voices to the USA model of government. What kind of anti-Americanism in Russia can we talk about if they want to be like that? It was 1990 year. But the Russian government do not take into the account important thing. Western countries start their history from the free market and democratic system and Russia are trying to change socialism system to democracy in a couple of years on the old institutions, old workers, an old experience which is not suitable to the democracy for work well. In the sequel, in 1991 the same institution which collects social opinion (VTSIOM) publishes the next analytical data. “In 1991, their rating dropped to 25, and in 1992 - to 13%. True, the ratings of other Russian favourites also dropped: Japan, the second most popular, in 1992 had 12%, much lower than in previous years.” Pay attention not only to the attitude to the USA but for another country also. People were in a bad economic situation. They do not care about the type of government. They care about their own wealth.

Confrontational relations between USA and Russian Federation begins in 2000 year. When Vladimir Putin become a president of Russia. One of the first actions was make propaganda of USA to show enemy to the people. One of the great example is government channel “Russia today”. This TV Chanel show news in English language. Correspondents speak about existing problems of USA international policy but from suitable angle for Russian government. All internet resources of Russian new, and 95% of print new are under control of government. Mass media all the time speak about American action from Angle that they want fall apart Russian Federation and rake out all minerals to the USA. People in Russia star think in Anti-Americanism way. If in 1990 years attitude was softer, in 2003 year Russian people again see main enemy USA.

Point of no return between Russia and USA in political arena was in 2003. On September 11, 2001, after a powerful attack by the forces of world terrorism against the United States, the Russian president called on President George W. Bush, expressed sympathy and strong support for the American people. After this, a short period of close cooperation between the United States and Russia in the fight against international terrorism, declared enemy of number one in the foreign policy doctrines of both states, began. Russia supported the US military operations against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The United States has changed its anger to mercy against Russia's military operations against Chechen separatists, who, as it turned out, were closely associated with the forces of international terrorism.

But in 2003, a cooling began in relations between the two countries. In the spring of 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq to overthrow the regime of S. Hussein, who was considered one of the strongholds of radical Islamic terrorism, many Russians strongly condemned the United States. As for the Russian president, he, on the one hand, stated that Russia is neither interested in economic or political considerations in defeating the United States, but on the other, refused to approve their actions. The United States interpreted this as a refusal to continue joint efforts in the fight against international terrorism. Finally, a turn towards cooling relations between Russia and the United States emerged in 2004, after Putin’s second election as president of Russia. Since then, anti-American rhetoric has become particularly noticeable in his speeches, and anti-Americanism has almost become a leitmotif of foreign policy propaganda in the Russian media.

How can one explain the newest turn of anti-Americanism in Russia, which does not fail in anti-Americanism of the Soviet period, but in some ways surpasses it? According to the explanations of the Russian political elite, the US claims to world domination, unilateral actions to restore the world order, as well as their desire to spread their democratic models throughout the world are unacceptable for Russia. There are also some other arguments to prove that the United States is one-sidedly responsible for the deterioration of relations with Russia, from which it can be concluded that the anti-Americanism of Russians is fair, objective and just.