revanchism

/ rɪˈvæntʃɪzəm /

noun

1. a foreign policy aimed at revenge or the regaining of lost territories
2. desire or support for such a policy

Derived Forms

• reˈvanchist, nounadjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of revanchism¹

C20: from French revanche revenge

Example Sentences

“Revanchism, abuse of history, attempts to excuse modern heirs of the Nazis — these are all parts of the policies used by the Western elites to spark more and more new regional conflicts,” Mr. Putin said in an eight-minute address.

From New York Times

But it reflects the tension within the alliance between its easternmost members, which feel most acutely vulnerable to Russian revanchism, and westernmost members, which are less alarmed and more eager to find a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine war.

From New York Times

First, the expansion of NATO, which began under Bush’s father and President Bill Clinton, was encouraged most of all by the small central and Eastern European countries—chiefly Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary—which did not want to be left defenseless in the face of what they saw as Russia’s inevitable revanchism.

From Slate

The increasingly close alliance between Iran, Russia and China, forming a new axis of resentment, repression and revanchism.

From Seattle Times

Her warnings about Russian revanchism had gone largely unheeded, even after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, she said.

From New York Times