He believed European civilization would soon be destroyed by a Chinese invasion.[165] Linked to his fear of China was Gobineau's fear of Russia. During his visit to Russia in 1876 he wrote to a friend: "It is undeniable that this country is well on the way to power and aggrandizement" and in 1879 wrote Russia was about to present "the spectacle of the creation of the greatest empire that the Universe will ever have seen".[166] He saw the growth of Russian power as opening the door for a Chinese invasion of Europe, writing to Pedro II in 1879: