That's quite recent, and the lead-in's focus on Putin "hysteria" is suspicious. The whole meme just feels an awful lot like the "American" neofascists' persecution complex, and that book seems right in line.
Most certainly there is anti-Russia bias in the West that waxes and wanes - like during that entire Cold War. But extrapolating this general difference of perspective to some narrative that it's all unjust "phobia" is just disingenuous.
Seems like more superficial appeals to Western values that end up falling apart under the slightest scrutiny. I'm out. Enjoy the great explanatory power of your phobias.
Yes, every data point is worth taking a look at and considering. That's not the same as agreeing. And yes, there's a long history of Russophobia - especially in Western Europe that goes back to "uncivilized hordes from the east", to the Great Game competition (why the British in particular are so vapidly anti-Russian), then the more recent anti-soviet/communist mentality (excluding the current modern Putin era).
I suppose you're the type to spend at least 10 minutes talking to everyone on the street who hands you a flyer, or makes some other approach to you suggesting that you join their church, cult or whatever it is they're trying to get you to be a part of. And if they give you a book to read, you'll take that home and read it cover to cover.
Because every data point is worth taking a look at and considering.
You do realize the default state of separate societies is mutual distrust, right? And that liberalizing communications and trade creates familiarity and mutual interdependency? And that such liberalization was essentially impossible until the fall of the Iron Curtain, after which relations with Russia had indeed been liberalizing until Putin decided to flip the table and become a military aggressor?
Anyway, my original question was asking about the history of the term itself. Your best argument has been a book from 2016, so I guess the answer must be "no" - this term "Russophobia" is a recent creation, and seemingly just part of the propaganda campaign from the current military aggression.
The book did not invent the term Russophobia in 2016, it's an exploration of historical negative sentiment towards Russia and Russians. And to be precise, philosopher John Stuart Mill coined it back in 1836 (who was no doubt, under the influence of Russian Propaganda™ and just repeating Putins talking points).
What you seem to be tripped by is the fact that an information source can on first appearances seem quite legitimate and useful, by telling you all kinds of perfectly valid and interesting stuff, like the book you are promoting here, with all these nifty factoids about 19th century history, that fun quote by JSM and so on -- while at the same time also subtley (or in the case of this book, not so subtley) blowing smoke in your face in regard to other aspects which are important to the key message it's trying to get into your head.
In regard to the topic -- of course negative sentiment has existed against Russia, as it has against the US, the UK, France, Spain, Germany and and other other major colonial powers at various times. And of course politicians will always say and do stupid things, especially if we go back to the 19th century.
Where the material you are advocating itself crosses into the realm of propaganda is precisely: (1) the attempt to promote "russophobia" as an actual thing, that is, as universally accepted and recognized concept (it is not by any stretch); and (2) the suggestion that negative sentiment in regard to any version of the Russian state and its actions in the world is basically just an instance of irrational "fear", essentially a form of xenophobia, or racially driven fear; and (3) the implication that this imagined "russophobia" is in fact the tail wagging the dog of relations between Russia and other countries today, and is what's really driving people's perceptions about its current regime and what it is doing to its neighbors on the ground, right now.
Points (1)-(3) are all pure nonsense of course, yet they are the very heart of the modern "russophobia" accusation. All that stuff about what happened in the 19th century or what JSM said is just sugarcoating to get you to swallow and internalize these 3 basic messages. And then get on the internet and tell everyone about this neat little book you found, and how they really ought to read it because you know, it just might change their worldview.
