Was Nicholas II responsible for his own downfall?
Was Nicholas II responsible for his own downfall? Nicholas II acted as an autocratic monarch rather than a constitutional leader, and this was a factor in his eventual downfall and abdication. Other factors included, him leaving Russia in the incapable hand of his wife, Alexandra, who herself was greatly influenced by Rasputin. The 'Holy Man' Rasputin was becoming more and more popular with Alexandra for helping their only son, Alexis's with his haemophilia, and his strange but powerful brand of spirituality certainly affected both Alexandra and Nicholas. It could be argued that Nicholas was himself responsible for allowing the power of Rasputin to extend so far and to influence his political decisions. Historians are in agreement that Nicholas lacked the necessary skills and qualities to rule a rapidly changing country. There were however factors outside of Nicholas' control, including his son's illness, that he could not be held directly responsible for. Indeed Russia was a huge country which was very hard to govern even for the most competent Tsar. One of the first factors which Nicholas was responsible for was his weak character and the fact that he allowed Alexandra to be so dominant. She encouraged him to hold on to his absolute power when a change in his style of leadership may have been a more politically useful tactic. A very significant contributing
If sodomy/homosexuality was 'unmentionable' in the Middle Ages, how can we write its history?
If sodomy/homosexuality was 'unmentionable' in the Middle Ages, how can we write its history? The study of gender, specifically homosexuality, is a relatively new invention. Tied up in the rise of feminism and the documentation of females in history, as a tributary of this, is the study of homosexuality through the ages. This essay is therefore part of an ongoing field of relatively new study. John Boswell, in my opinion clearly describes the difficulty of the study in such an "unexplored" area. Indeed, writers are often forced down "wrong paths" as well as "dead ends". However the comfort lies in the knowledge that we have "opened trails" and "posted landmarks" so others can "reach destinations beyond his furthest advance".1 In order to answer this question, one needs to ascertain, clearly, what this question is demanding. Within this essay I am going to clearly define "homosexuality" and "sodomy" within the boundaries of the Middle Ages. Whether, it was "unmentionable" and to what extent this contributes to our ability to record its history. Of the evidence available to us, we must also deem its effectiveness, in enabling us to accurately access homosexuality in the Middle Ages. In this essay, I am going to argue, that, through the study of primary sources relating to the existence of homosexuality, we can, indeed, write its history. However the evidence available to
Symbolism in the Great Gatsby
Symbolism in The "Great Gatsby" The critic Harold Bloom once wrote, "Never has symbolism played such a crucial part in the very foundation of a novel as it does in Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby." Essentially the great gatsby appears to be a novel depicting the doomed romance between a man and a woman. However, the main theme of the novel is a completely un-romantic one. Although the novel only takes place over several months, and only in New York, it serves as a microcosm for the 'Jazz Age' of America, and of the famous American Dream. Fitzgerald illustrates this time as being one of moral deprivation ( Tom Buchanan's racism), as well as a decay in social values, as the characters actions are powered by greed, and the empty pursuit of pleasure ( the promiscuity of Tom, Daisy and Myrtle). This sort of behaviour was typical of the 1920's and because of this behaviour ,parties- not dissimiliar to the opulent parties hosted by none other than 'The Great Gatsby'- were in abundance in this time. These parties were a corruption of 'The American Dream' because 'The Dream' was no longer about achieving a better life than your parents, however in the eyes of money americans 'better' translated to 'richer', so the thirst for money depicted in the novel, is symbolic for the attitudes of both men and women in 1920's America. Nick explains in chapter 9, that the
El realismo maravilloso
El realismo maravilloso o Una alternativa a la sciencia ficción para expresar ideas nuevas de manera indirecta. El término "realismo maravilloso"(o "realismo mágico" o "nueva objetividad") apareció por primera vez a finales de los años 20, cuando el crítica de arte alemán Franz Roh lo utilizó para describir la obra de los pintores alemanes deseosos de mostrar la realidad de una manera nueva. Se aplicó después en mayoría a la literatura sudamericana principalmente gracias a Gabriel García Márquez que lo rindió oficial cuando recibió el premio Nobel en 1982 con una de sus novelas más famosas: Cien Años de Soledad, que definió el género. Veremos en qué consiste esta forma de literatura fijándonos en particular en las obras de Gabriel García Márquez y Isabel Allende, luego estudiaremos las relaciones significativas de realismo mágico que se encuentran en los relatos Alicia en el País de las Maravillas por Lewis Carroll y Peter Pan por J.M. Barrie para finalmente destacar las intenciones y los mensajes verdaderos de los autores que se esconden detrás de las palabras. El realismo maravilloso sugiere nuevas e innumerables formas de concebir la realidad, incorporando tradiciones, sútiles deformaciones y sueños; rediseña el mundo de lo cotidiano presentándolo como algo extraño y lejano, donde el tiempo pierde su esencia y la fantasía se funde en la
In what ways and to what extent does the concept of Spain's Golden Age apply more specifically to the reign of Philip II than to the whole period 1474 - 1598?
In what ways and to what extent does the concept of Spain's Golden Age apply more specifically to the reign of Philip II than to the whole period 1474 - 1598? Justify your answer by reference to the similarities and differences you detect between the periods before and after the accession of Philip in 1556 The concept of a Golden Age is a highly contested issue among modern and contempory historians. There is debate over the dates of such an age, or even its existence at all. Working on the assumption that a golden age occurred in some form, to deduce whether it was more specifically under Philip's reign, we must look at the condition of Spain in key areas before and after Philip's accession in 1556. If differences arise a judgement must be made on whether they were an improvement for Spain, or signify a decline. The keys issues include religion, the military, territory, the economy, law and order and the organisation of government. The Golden Age over all should be the period where most of these concerns have reached their peak. The point of entry into the Golden Age in terms of the army is complex, and depends on the definition, i.e. whether it is the number of troops or their individual skills, loyalty and motivation which determines it. In the period 1525 - 1536, the army was highly thought of and comprised of members of the aristocracy fighting for social pride and
Italian speaking-schools
Per me, Le lezioni iniziano alle nove circa. Ho sei lezioni al giorno, con una pausa di 20 minuti dopo la seconda lezione alle undici e una pausa pranzo dopo la lezione quarto della durata di cinquanta minuti. Tutti devono andare a scuola da bambini. E 'stata obbligatoria fino all'età di sedici anni, ma è stata cambiata a diciotto anni. Le lezioni terminano alle 3 ore e trentacinquei, ma ci dovrebbero essere le attività extra-scolastiche dopo la scuola. Per esempio, recitazione è un'attività piuttosto frequentata nel doposcuola del mio istituto. In molte scuole, si deve portare l'uniforme scolastica. Penso che l'uniforme è utile perché di solito è meno costosa e certamente meno stressante. Un uniforme previene alcuni problemi sociali, come gli studenti bullismo gli studenti che non sono molto ricchi. Ai figli adolescenti è opportuno dare un certo grado di libertà, ma non troppo. In genere, è studiare una dozzina di materie fino all'anno dodici. La mia materia preferita è probabilmente la biologia perché trovo abbastanza facile e il professore è divertente. Mi piace anche la matematica, perché c'è sempre una risposta definitiva e il professore è molto simpatica. La lezione che odio di più è la Storia. L'avevo studiato per 3 anni fino a quando ho abbandonato l'anno scorso. Non so perché ci viene insegnato materie che non siamo mai userà nella nostra
Assess the role of the nobility in providing political stability in Tudor England
Assess the role of the nobility in maintaining political stability in Tudor England. The nobility's role during the Tudor era was something of great importance in the maintenance of political stability, despite undergoing a dramatic change throughout the 16th century. Although not all nobles remained loyal to the Crown, the Tudors relied heavily on them as councillors, administrators and as military leaders, chiefly due to their desirable attributes including prestige, wealth and importance. The nobility however was not the sole factor in maintaining stability; the clergy, the gentry, local authorities and of course the monarch had significant parts to play in the keeping of authority. The Crown depended on the nobles a great deal, for instance all Tudor monarchs used the nobility as a source of advice, Henry VII summoned five great councils of the nobles and in the suppression of Lovel and Simnel he consulted with nobles such as Oxford and Pembroke. Pembroke again assisted Henry VIII with Wyatt's rebellion and both Henry and Elizabeth held assemblies of nobles in the 1530s and 1580s to discuss matters of state. Elizabeth, although only including one noble in her council of 1601, still expected every peer and leading gentleman to attend the royal court intermittently to pay his respects. Many nobles also held leading political positions in Tudor administration, for
Outline how and why federalism has changed since the 1960s.
Page 1 of 2 Outline how and why federalism has changed since the 1960s. In the 1960s, the government had a creative federalist approach. The aim of Lynden Johnson's Great society programmes was to try to eliminate poverty within the US. This in turn meant large government grants were given to states, which was seen to increase the level of interference from the federal government. Johnson also provided categorical grants instead of block grants, which meant the states had much less control over their spending. He also supplied a lot of federal aid, increasing the dependence of states on the federal government. It wasn't just the executive increasing the role; the judiciary were also pushing the government this way, with cases such as Gideon vs. Wainwright and Miranda vs. Arizona. Since the 1960's the some have stated that New Federalism has been the main objective of the executive and judiciary due to the previous creative federalism. From the 1970s there was an ideological shift, with the rejection of liberal values from the 1960s. President Nixon started the development of the idea that the federal government was too powerful, and that the states needed to have more power of their local rights. He felt that the federal government should be small to promote self reliance and the American idea of 'rugged individualism'. As a reaction to creative federalism and the great
Write an essay to be published on your school website about this dilemma with reference to one experience you had when using the Internet. Discuss what should be made public and what should remain private,
Students often access Internet blogs and social network sites so that they can share their views in a public forum. However, there are dangers in giving too many personal details. Write an essay to be published on your school website about this dilemma with reference to one experience you had when using the Internet. Discuss what should be made public and what should remain private, making clear your views on how the freedom to say what you want can be balanced with protecting your own and other people's privacy. Give your essay a title. A Fundamental Dilemma Freedom and Privacy. These are probably the two most valued human rights, over which never-ending debates have been fought and between which there seems to be a huge, indelible rift. The incompatibility of them cannot be anymore apparent with the advancement of technology, under which one's opinions are more easily and effectively transpired and, here comes the terrible trade-off, dangers in giving too many personal details are causing increasing concerns. The painful experience I had last month is going to be a life-long nightmare of mine. Living in the contemporary world, my friends and I often go online and access Internet blogs to put down our so-called thoughts and bits of our lives. I thought that it was a good way to share our happiness with others and, knowing that unscrupulous people were everywhere, I
'We are not encouraged to find much sympathy with the characters in A Clockwork Orange
'We are not encouraged to find much sympathy for any of the characters'. Explore the methods Burgess uses to develop sympathy in 'A Clockwork Orange'. Anthony Burgess uses a number of devices to evoke both sympathy and empathy from the reader, most notably in the direction of the novella's protagonist. Alex's first person narrative thrusts the reader into the dystopian world Burgess creates and the twisted actions he undertakes as a part of his drug-fuelled 'ultra-violence'. Despite this, the reader is also forced into grasping the understanding of the morally disturbed character and Burgess cleverly manipulates Alex as a representation of the young and troubled generation. The plot itself equally contributes to the readers feeling towards Alex as he additionally becomes a government subject; torturing his mind to remove any capacity of evil and the subsequent downward spiral his life takes. But Burgess continually begs the question: is it possible to feel sympathy for a character capable of the most disgraceful crimes? Structurally, Burgess uses the formation of the novella itself and the division of the parts as a method of finding empathy for Alex. Each part begins with the same question to the reader: "What's it going to be then, eh?" which at the start appears innocuous as they decide on their night's dwellings. But this is repeated in the beginning of the second part
