How did Russian imperial ambitions and expansionism eastward change over time? Joining me on this episode is Chris Miller, author of We Shall Be Masters: Russian Pivots to East Asia from Peter the Great to Putin. Chris is a history professor at the Fletcher School and Eurasia Director at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Cohosting is independent researcher, journalist and fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute Kamil Galeev. Reach out to him on twitter if you have a place for him to live in DC! We also look at: How the fur trade spurred Russian interest in Alaska, California and Hawaii Russia, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party Why Xinjiang didn’t end up like Mongolia Chairman Mao’s new shoes Outtro music: Kamil's suggestion of what he tells me was a Soviet anti-Japanese war song (it slaps) Три танкиста (three tank men) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp22_BHJDJk Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices