Всеобщая история и международные отношения

The author investigates the problem of a criminal biography establishment as a form of event history interpretation. On the example of the famous London criminal Jonathan Wilde’s biography by D. Defoe we show how a real historical character life was being transformed into a myth that gained independent life in the collective consciousness and reflected in different spheres of artistic culture over the next centuries. Throughout the paper the writer structures the facts, leading the reader to the logical conclusion about the hero’s tragic fate.

The article examines the activities of the Czech knight Jan Iskra of Brandis in Slovakia and Hungary in the 1440–1460s. In the conditions of a sharp aggravation of the socio-political struggle, he managed to gain significant influence and assert power over most of the territory of modern Slovakia. The author reveals the reasons for the rise of Iskra, as well as the circumstances of the loss of his conquered positions after 1453.

The article analyzes the contradictions between the country of destination and origin of immigrants and defines the directions of cooperation between them to regulate migration processes. It considers the evolution of Spanish and Morocco immigration laws and the development of the bilateral relations to consolidate joint model to manage migration. It includes data of the intensity of the migration flows, their predominantly labor character and the dependence on the economic situation in the receiving country.

This article is focused on studying the preparation and conduct of the referendum of «the Constitution for Europe» in France. Particular attention is paid to analysis of the evolution of the attitude of the French electorate toward the idea of a “referendum” and a “Constitution for Europe” from the moment the president’s announcement about his intention to hold a referendum, and its results that led to the rejection of «the Constitution». Besides, the internal factors that contributed to the negative outcome of the referendum are discussed.

The article is devoted to the study of the formation of the US foreign trade course in the Asia-Pacific region. Special attention is paid to the factors in bilateral relations with the TPSEP countries, which had a key influence on the decision of the George W. Bush administration to join the partnership. The author comes to the conclusion that failures in the implementation of the multilateral format of regional trade liberalization contributed to the fact that the United States entered the negotiation process on the TPSEP.

The article examines the problem of the ideological and policy influence of the Church on colonial politics and the establishment of equality during the 1789 Revolution, based on the material of the Parliamentary Archives, memoirs of contemporaries and an extensive body of scientific literature.

The article examines the importance of the religious factor in the life of the poet. The anti-Catholic politics of England is seen as the historical context that influenced Pope’s life and personality. Alexander Pope appears as a man who was able to use his extremely unprofitable religious affiliation in forming a career as a professional writer. The author examines the function of Catholicism, the combination of deism, concepts of natural religion, and Christian ideas in Pope’s enlightenment consciousness.

Being founded upon the book «Instructions on religious and secular images» (1582), the article examines cardinal Gabriele Paleotti’s views on sacred art. The author explores the issue of perception of painting as a God-pleasing art, exposes the ideological aspect of sacred painting and reveals the cardinal’s complex evidence base on the need for the existence of religious images in churches and their significance in the life of every person.

 The article is devoted to the study of images of Royal power that were used by the last Valois dynasty’s representatives, reflecting the transformations that occurred in connection with the attempt to strengthen the Royal authority with intensification of secular power and gaining spiritual power.

The article is devoted to the religious pursuit of Marguerite of Angouleme. Analyzing the creative legacy of the Duchess, her extensive correspondence with representatives of the reformation movement, the author convincingly proves that, despite the fact that Marguerite was the patroness of the reformation movement in France, and she was described as having religious and ethical searches characteristic of many representatives of the Renaissance era, she did not completely break with the Catholic faith, remaining a transitional figure in spiritual terms.