Abstract
The article studies the motives determining Soviet leadership’s actions concerning the former Italian colonies. Analyzing the body of documents from the Archive of Russian Foreign Policy, the author came to the conclusion that Realpolitik imperatives clearly dominated ideological considerations on this issue. The architects of the Soviet foreign policy were interested in the geostrategic position of Libya, Somalia and Eritrea, rather than in the prospects for revolutionary development there. Soviet diplomacy showed remarkable persistence and flexibility (the official position was changed four times), trying to achieve a Soviet presence in the Mediterranean – a traditional priority region of Russian geopolitical aspirations.
Keywords
the post-war world, the cold war, the former Italian colonies, Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, pragmatic and ideological imperatives in the foreign policy of the USSR
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