"Until now, it has been accepted that the Turkish Straits - the Russian fleet's gateway to the Mediterranean - were a key factor in shaping Russian policy in the years leading to World War I. Control of the Straits had always been seen as the major priority of imperial Russia's foreign policy." "In this revisionist history, Ronald Bobroff exposes the true Russian concern before the outbreak of war, the containment of German aggression. Based on extensive new research, Bobroff argues that under the pressures of World War I, Russian foreign policy became less flexible than in the years before, dragging out the war and opening the door to revolution." "Roads to Glory provides new insights into Russia's state development before the revolution through a thorough examination of the policies and personal correspondence of its policy makers. Through his detailed examination of the rivalries and alliances of the Triple Entente, Bobroff sheds new light on European diplomacy at the beginning of the twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.