Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full? Karel Svoboda

The divergence of public opinions in Western countries compared with the development in Russia’s public moods became particularly obvious during the revolutions of 1830. In Western Europe’s public opinion, Russia changed in public perception from one of the main contributors of victory in the anti‑Napoleonic coalition to the main threat for peace. Due to Russia’s hard stance against the French July and later the Belgian revolution, negative perception of Russia in the West hardened. The Polish revolution was seen as an uprising against oppressive Russian rule by the Western public and journals. This represented a break with Russian public opinion, including that prevailing among Russian liberals. Russians saw the struggle against Polish insurgents as a matter of national survival. Such a view was supported almost unanimously.