Like Alison, I want to begin by thanking Josh and Eric for allowing me to participate in this conversation. It was a pleasure to read this excellent book and, even more so, to have a chance to engage in this dialogue about it.
To begin, it was fascinating to see some of the issues I have worked on in German history through the very different perspective of Russian history. For example, while autocratic leanings and restrictive citizenship laws have often operated in tandem in Germany, some of Russia’s most autocratic leaders were the most invested in the “attract and hold” policy, which brought foreigners to Russian soil.