Perspectives on Russian Foreign Policy: The Gerasimov Doctrine and War by Other Means

This thesis views interstate actions between the Russian Federation and its perceived adversaries through the lens of the so-called “Gerasimov Doctrine.” It traces the difference in origins of sovereignty between the United States and Russia in its various forms. After showing that Russian sovereignty relies on the stability of the state over individual liberties, this thesis dissects Russian nationalism as a foreign policy tool in Ukraine. Finally, this thesis applies the Gerasimov Doctrine across a swath of foreign policy interactions between the Russian Federation and its adversaries: Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Through the Doctrine’s lens, this thesis finds that Russian foreign policy actions are inversely proportionate to the adversary state’s ability to create the potential for political upheaval in the Russian Federation. This thesis serves as a starting point from which future research can begin to quantitatively measure the impact of an adversary’s information operations