“Lenin’s foreign relations were motivated by practical concerns and not ideology.” Discuss.

Candidates are required to offer a considered and balanced review of the statement. They should identify the practical problems Lenin faced that shaped his foreign relations. There should also be some discussion of his Marxist ideology and the goal of world revolution and its impact on foreign relations. The attitude of other powers to Soviet Russia could also be relevant. Practical policies may include the signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the treaty of Riga (1921), recognition of the independence of the Baltic States and Finland, and the Treaty of Rapallo (1922). These were all a consequence of Russian weakness. The trade agreements with Britain and Germany were a practical solution to restore the Russian economy. Ideologically driven policies could include the Russo-Polish war and the establishment of Comintern, as both were concerned with spreading communism. Some may argue that in the long term, Lenin was committed to world revolution.