This book provides new insights into how excessive loyalism hinders Russia’s authoritarian government. When Russian bureaucrats, diplomats and academics go to great lengths to display their loyalty to the regime in Moscow, many observers regard it as a show of regime’s strength. Yet where this results in overcompliance, excessive praise or needlessly aggressive rhetoric, it becomes a source of weakness - not only alienating citizens at home and irritating allies abroad but even contributing to costly strategic mistakes, such as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.