Final answer:
Russia did not seek territory overseas due to its economic underdevelopment and lack of industrialization, focus on internal consolidation and modernization, limited maritime expertise, and geographical constraints such as difficulty accessing warm-water ports.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason why Russia did not seek territory overseas as many other European countries did is primarily due to its economic and geographical circumstances. Throughout the 19th century, Russia, despite being a vast empire stretching from Europe to Asia, was primarily an agricultural society with a feudal economic system.
It lacked many of the advantages that Western European nations had for industrialization, such as a sizeable artisan class and a demand for mechanization in agriculture. These factors contributed to Russia remaining economically underdeveloped relative to its western neighbors.
Moreover, the Russian Empire had expanded extensively across Siberia, reaching the Pacific Ocean, and had acquired strategic territories on the Baltic and Black seas.
The vastness of the Russian territory offered plenty of room for internal expansion without the need for overseas colonization. Additionally, the autocratic rule of the Tsars and policies at the time were focused on consolidating and modernizing within existing borders, rather than engaging in the high-risk overseas empires that Western European nations were pursuing.
While Russia's formidable land-based military capabilities were significant, its maritime expertise was not as developed, reducing its ability and interest in projecting power across the oceans. Furthermore, the issue of geographic constraints, such as the difficulty of accessing warm-water ports, also played a role in its limited overseas pursuits. Therefore, a combination of economic, geopolitical, and strategic factors influenced Russia's approach to expansion during this time.