Reactions to the Russo-Georgian War: towards a European Great Power Concert

This paper takes an in-depth look at the European great powers France, Germany and Britain and their foreign policy reactions vis-á-vis the Russo-Georgian War in August 2008. It explains the different reactions from a certain interplay between present and past geopolitics that shape the foreign policy choice of each state.

• France exhibited an overwhelming identification with her EU presidency role reflected in France's balancing principles and multipolar ambitions with the EU acting as major global actor.
• Germany's overcautious reactions to Russia are explained by Germany's self-imposed restraint in foreign affairs and identification with Russia as “cornered” great power (analogy to Germany's defeat in WW1).
• Britain’s hawkish reactions towards Russia reflect fundamental balancing principles that are simultaneously influenced by Britain's self-defined “special relationship” with the USA.

The paper points at a possible emerging great power concert, also beyond the Russo-Georgian War. While real foreign policy divergences at the purely rhetoric level crystallised during the immediate crisis, pragmatism and an interest-based approach towards Russia took over in the longer term. Here, great powers consensuses serve as main axes for alignment: while France and Germany remains the stable element, backing from Britain is essential to ensure band-wagoning among the Atlanticist-oriented states, notably the former communist states in Eastern Europe.