This was intended to mirror the ‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité’ of the Révolution française, and indeed had a comparably profound impact on the Russian culture and consciousn... ... middle of paper ... ...iss European culture which is ‘rejecting their roots, … denying moral principles and all traditional identities’, as Mr. Putin puts it, much like Nicholas I did. But the state is also eager to exploit nationalist sentiment proceeding from the spate of migrants. In the absence of a major military victory, like that over Napoleon, something else must fuel patriotism. Nationalism is exceptionally convenient. As Judt argues, the state is indispensable to bind people together.
They live like parasites on the body of Russia’s society. This is how Tolstoy describes this class in general, but he also depicts two representatives of this upper class, Andrew Bolkonsky and Pierre Bisuhov, who were the more intellectual ones, and whose lives and views of war and life changed as the result of the war. Andrew was interested in a military career, and wasn’t completely satisfied with the czar, while Pierre wasted his life on alcohol – his everyday activity.
Here war was an important factor, however it was not the only factor. Otherwise reform would not have occurred without war. I believe that if these other aforementioned factors were important enough to cause political change, then they must rank alongside war in terms of importance. However it was not "the locomotive of history". i Together with discontent in the populace, and its manifestations (strikes, revolutionary activity, and assassinations), I believe War invariably changed the Russian political system.
The Extent to Which the First World War was Caused by the Alliance System Many historians have debated about the main causes of World War I. The importance of the alliance system, which was developed in Europe in the decades before, as a cause for the war is still an important topic that historians debate today. The alliance system was the division of two armed camps between the European major powers: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) and the Triple Entente (Britain France and Russia). This system was a major proponent of the war, because it had created unnecessary tensions, was unable to resolve long-term problems, and created expectations among the nations involved. However, it being the sole reason for the cause of the war only goes so far as to an extent.
They rejected all common assumptions about serfdom, the foundations of Russian hierarchy, and its reform, including all of its social and economic ramifications. Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons", successfully identifies these diverse views (Romanticism vs. Realism) on reforming Russia through the depiction of its characters. Turgenev represents a contrast of old generation of liberal/conservative romantics, through the portrayals of Nicholas and Paul Kirsanov and the new radical, nihilist generation through Basarov. Turgenev demonstrates the tension and difference in beliefs between the two generations early in the novel with the return of Arcady and the introduction of his nihilist mentor Bazarov. Within one of the first encounters between Bazarov and the Kirsanov brothers, Bazarov begins verbally assessing the differences between the generations.
(Blake 1). He also believes that the inevitable drift into the war was aggravated by the back and forth nature of the rulers of the opposing countries and bad diplomacy. The immediate excuses of the war were for protection of oppressed minorities and retaliation against the death of nationalists in religious riots. Philip Warner believes that the main cause of the war was that Britain and Russia were both large countries and only one of them would be able to prevail. At the time, Britain was a country that stretched all the way to India and they couldn't afford to have line of communication through the Middle East cut.
The casting away of her ring symbolizes Edna throwing off the shackles of society and a loveless marriage to be her own person. She stamps on the ring, showing her distaste for her path in life and her choices in the past. Edna’s madness, and break down, show her deteriorating patience with her life and the mothering façade she wears day to day. Society views her as mad when she moves out of her husband’s house to live on her own. She breaks away from her life to set herself
Throughout the piece Paine speaks of war and revolutions with a disconnect between the two, war is always bad and a business for governments but he supports revolutions, at least Euro-centric ones. He does not mention that revolution is a war, albeit it is the people’s war, nevertheless they can be just as nasty as government run wars. Paine writes against the lucrative business of war, yet his entire reason for writing not only this book but also Common Sense is to encourage the people of certain nations to rise up and if necessary start a war if not a civil war. He fails to accept the consequences or think his urging of revolutions through. In the French Revolution many heinous acts occurred, one in particular was the lynch mob, executioners of Foulon and Bertier.
World War I emanated from European leaders' aggression toward other countries, which was supported by the rising nationalism. Economic and imperial competition and fear of war prompted military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of a war greatly exceeding the lethality of European expectation. A spirit of nationalism rang high in the atmosphere pre-world war Europe. Many were engrossed by potential benefits war could bring to their lives. Nationalism, however, was not a new idea; at the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of preserving the peace.
For example, elements like secret agreements, economic barriers, high numbers of weapons among nations, and intense imperialistic goals were all things which had contributed to the state of tension and war and were all elements that Wilson sought to avoid in the name of keeping the peace in the future. Summary This paper has looked at some of the more overwhelming factors which led to World War One. While imperialism and alliances were two of the major pillars which led to the war, one could argue that it was the tension, fear and lack of trust that pervaded among nations that was most prominently the aggravated reason for the war. The treaty of Paris sought to maintain peace among the nations while punishing Germany, and by establishing the League of Nations, but World War Two is a manifestation of that ultimate failure.