This article will consider how beliefs, sympathies, personal motives influenced the building of international relations between Russia and foreign powers. Modern historiography interprets the personality of this autocrat as the last strong political force on the Russian throne. From the will and personal understanding of the monarch depended whether the states would cement their relations with a peace treaty, an alliance, or would be rivals who tried to weaken each other by all means, expose the aggressor state or withdraw their potential allies from the game; whether they will avoid various conflicts in every possible way, while preserving their dignity, be it an armed conflict or diplomatic bickering.

This article will consider how beliefs, sympathies, personal motives influenced the building of international relations between Russia and foreign powers. Modern historiography interprets the personality of this autocrat as the last strong political force on the Russian throne. From the will and personal understanding of the monarch depended whether the states would cement their relations with a peace treaty, an alliance, or would be rivals who tried to weaken each other by all means, expose the aggressor state or withdraw their potential allies from the game; whether they will avoid various conflicts in every possible way, while preserving their dignity, be it an armed conflict or diplomatic bickering.