Concerns over external security affected government policy making to an enormous extent in the Soviet Union in the period from 1918 to 1934. Fear of being besieged by other nations drove Russia's leaders to develop foreign policies that would ensure collective and national security.
Within this period Russian foreign relations were caught in a flux between 2 contradictory policies; world revolution, or peaceful coexistence with its capitalist neighbours. As Russia found itself increasingly isolated as the only Communist nation in a capitalist world, it opted for the second policy.
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