Holy Union in modern Russian historiography

The article analyzes the research of modern Russian historians on the problems associated with the emergence, activity and significance of the Holy Union as an interstate Association of the first half of the XIX century. The study, analysis and evaluation of the Holy Union were engaged in scientists and pre-revolutionary and Soviet periods. But their conclusions were largely determined by the political and ideological features of the two periods of the Russian state. The modern Russian historiography of the Holy Union is characterized by the rejection of both the assessments of historians of tsarist Russia praising Imperial decisions and those explaining the activities of the Holy Union from the reactionary positions of historians of the Soviet period. At the present stage of Russian historical science, due to the absence of ideological restrictions and the involvement of a wide range of archival sources, scientists continue to study the Holy Alliance as an integral part of the Vienna system of international relations of the first half of the XIX century, and as an independent Association of European States. At the same time, in the works of Russian scientists, the Holy Union is considered and evaluated the personal and religious factors of this organization.

Barricades of Time

This chapter examines Austria at its post-Napoleonic peak, assessing congress diplomacy and the pecuniary, forts-based system that undergirded it. The Habsburg Monarchy emerged from the Napoleonic Wars in a position of unprecedented strength. In the postwar settlement at the Congress of Vienna, Austria regained lost territories to form an expanded empire whose possessions and dependencies stretched from Venice to Cracow. To protect these enlarged holdings, Habsburg leaders extrapolated on past frontier strategies to build a European-wide security system based on two broad components: a reorganized and fortified network of buffer territories integrating neighboring lands into Austrian defense; and elaborate diplomatic structures that mediated conflict and co-opted rivals into the joint management of Habsburg buffers. The resulting “Vienna system” mitigated the time pressure of managing multiple frontiers while converting long-standing enemies into participants in the maintenance of Austrian power. This, in turn, obviated the need for large standing military commitments on the scale that would have been demanded to manage Austria’s sprawling position through force alone. The apogee of Habsburg strategic statecraft, this system of security endowed Austria with many of the attributes of hegemony at an affordable cost to itself, while creating conditions of European stability that lasted for half a century.

Two Chancellors: Metternich and Nesselrode

The article is devoted to the relations of two distinguished statesmen of the Vienna System period – Austrian Chancellor Metternich and Russian Chancellor Nesselrode. They took the helm of the foreign affairs of the allied states for a long period of time – their cooperation lasted almost 40 years. Russian-Austrian union was based on concurrence in their political views regarding the Concert of Europe, adherence to the principles of legitimacy, conservatism and hostility to revolution and remained until the Crimean War. According to estimates of historians, Nesselrode was just an obedient apprentice of the Austrian Chancellor who orchestrated the whole European policy. Adherence to the principles of conservatism and The Holy Alliance resulted in nothing but misfortunes of Russian foreign policy and its submission to the «European Idea». Austria benefited from this and therefore Nesselrode was called «Russian foreign minister in the service of Austria». However documents witness that Nesselrode being an adept of Metternich’s doctrine wasn’t just a blindfolded follower of all Austrian initiatives. He could stand his ground in face of difficult European politics. In his way he faithfully served Russia and Nicolas the I.

Are there correlations between attention, physical endurance and anthropometric parameters of athletes?

SummaryStudy aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between attention and physical endurance (running) and anthropometric parameters of athletes.Material and methods: The study examined 61 students aged 19 to 25 years, divided into two groups: athletes (33 participants) and non-athletes (28 participants). We employed anthropometric measurements and the Vienna System Test, including tools to measure focused attention, such as LVT (visual orientation performance test) and DAUF (test for examination of sustained attention) and the Cooper test to measure endurance.Results: Analysis of the results demonstrated a relationship between attention and physical endurance with median time from LVT (r = –0.552). A relationship was also found between the Cooper test results and the mean time to incorrect answer (r = –0.900).Conclusions: The analysis demonstrated a relationship between attention, physical endurance and anthropometric parameters of athletes.

THE CONCEPT OF “THE CONCERT OF EUROPE” IN XX CENTURY BRITISH AND AMERICAN HISTORIOGRAPHY

The article provides a critical analysis of the interpretations of the Concert of Europe by British and American historians of the XXth century. The interest in the study of this phenomenon is rooted in its relation to the problems of the maintenance of international order and stability. It is not only academic, being partly determined by the fact that throughout the XX century first Britain and then the USA was at the top of the world hierarchy, and accordingly played a leading role in the construction and maintenance of the European order. Current international environment, the experience of the two World Wars of the XXth century determined the angle from which the phenomenon of the Concert of Europe was studied. Whereas in the second half of the 1910s - early 1920s historians pointed to the deficiencies of the international system of the preceding century (and in particular, the institution of the Concert of Europe), the students of the Vienna system working after the Second World War regarded the period of 1815-1914 as relatively stable, compared to the short interwar interlude. The Concert of Europe was named as one of the factors contributing to stability and peace. Certain logic can be discerned in the development of the historiography of the problem, which to some degree reflected the evolution of ideas about international relations management. At the same time, the differences in the interpretations of the Concert of Europe derive from the fact that this very concept in the XIXth century was not fixed and static. Great Powers' readiness to cooperation did not mean that there were no conflicts of interests. They struggled for leadership within the Concert and sought to impart to it their own interpretation.