The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk

Petrova, Maria

doi:10.31857/S013038640013386-2

Home

Novaia i noveishaia istoriia

Issue 1

The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk

Annotation
Reviews
References

The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk

PII

S013038640013386-2-1

DOI

10.31857/S013038640013386-2

Publication type

Article

Status

Published

Authors

Maria Petrova

Affiliation:
Institute of World History, RAS
State Academic University for the Humanities
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

Novaia i noveishaia istoriia

Edition

Issue 1

Pages

181-195

Abstract

The article publishes two sources from the Archives of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire – instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs dated December 31, 1756 (January 11, 1757) to the residents in Regensburg and Gdansk, G.H. Büttner and A.S. Musin-Pushkin. The mission at the Perpetual Diet of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in Regensburg, created by the decree of Elizabeth I on November 12 (23), 1756, was to become a new diplomatic channel in Germany during the Seven Years’ War. Expecting to make Gdansk a stronghold of the Russian troops at the Baltic Sea, the Empress raised the status of her representative there, replacing an agent who did not have a diplomatic rank with a resident – a diplomat of the third rank. The instructions compiled exclusively for internal use give an idea of how the Russian court defined its place in the system of international relations of the era, how it evaluated its relations with European powers. At the same time, Russia's goals in the upcoming war were not formulated, and its participation in the war was explained only by the need to protect the interests of its allies, Austria and Saxony, violated by Friedrich II. The published documents do not contain information about Russia's accession on December 31, 1756 (January 11, 1757) to the Treaty of Versailles, signed by Austria and France on April 20 (May 1), 1756, and the conclusion of the Westminster Convention on January 5 (16), 1756 between Great Britain and Prussia, which in fact meant the dissolution of the Russian-British Treaty of December, 11 (22) 1742, was not regarded as an unfriendly gesture on London’s part. These circumstances allow the author to draw some conclusions about the diplomatic practice of the Russian court, which was rather selective regarding the issue of its diplomats' access to information that could be crucial for their future activities.

Keywords

Seven Years’ War, College of Foreign Affairs, Georg Heinrich Büttner, Alexey Musin-Pushkin, Holy Roman Empire, diplomatic correspondence, publications, Imperial Diet in Regensburg, Gdansk

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared at the State Academic University for the Humanities within the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russian Federation (theme № FZNF-2020-0001 “Historical and cultural traditions and values in the context of global history”).

Received

03.09.2020

Publication date

29.01.2021

Number of characters

45661

Cite

GOST	Petrova M. The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk // Novaia i noveishaia istoriia – 2021. – Issue 1 C. 181-195 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://nni.jes.su/S013038640013386-2-1 (circulation date: 26.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013038640013386-2
MLA	Petrova, Maria "The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk." Novaia i noveishaia istoriia 1 (2021):181-195. DOI: 10.31857/S013038640013386-2
APA	Petrova M. (2021). The International Position of Russia at the Beginning of the Seven Years’ War in the Instructions of the College of Foreign Affairs to Residents in Regensburg and Gdansk. Novaia i noveishaia istoriia (1), pp.181-195 DOI: 10.31857/S013038640013386-2

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 742

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Antiukhova E.A. Podkhod NATO k uregulirovaniiu konfliktov “arabskoi vesny” [NATO’s approach towards the arrangement of the Arab Spring’s conflicts]. Ph.D. thesis. Moskva, 2016. (In Russ.)

2. Arzamanova T.V. Pozitsiia Germanii vo vremia liviiskogo krizisa – 2011: Novaia vneshnepoliticheskaia strategiia ili predvybornyi manevr? [Germany’s stance during the Libyan crisis - 2011: New foreign policy or electoral maneuve] // Evropeiskaia bezopasnost': Sobytiia, otsenki, prognozy [European security: events, estimates, forecasts]. Moskva, 2011. № 26 (42). P. 11–15. (In Russ.)

3. Evropeiskii Soiuz v XXI veke: vremia ispytanii [The European Union in the XXI century: the Time of Challenges] / Pod red. O.Iu. Potemkinoi (otv.red.), N.Iu. Kaveshnikova, N.B. Kondrat'evoi. Moskva, 2012. (In Russ.)

4. Fedorov M.S. Deiatel'nost' Evropeiskogo Soiuza po uregulirovaniiu regional'nykh konfliktov: potentsial, politicheskie mekhanizmy i praktika [The actions of the European Union in arranging regional conflicts: potential, political instruments, and practice]. Ph.D. thesis. Moskva, 2019. (In Russ.)

5. Oganisian L.D. Politika SShA i ES na arabskom Vostoke v usloviiakh protsessov politicheskoi transformatsii v stranakh regiona v 2011–2016 gg. (na primere Tunisa, Egipta i Livii) [The policy of the US and EU on the Arab East within the Conditions of the Political Transformations in the Countries of the Region 2011–2016 (on the examples of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya)]. Ph.D. thesis. Moskva, 2019. (In Russ.)

6. Voskresenskii A.D. Kontseptsii regionalizatsii, regional'nykh podsistem, regional'nykh kompleksov i regional'nykh transformatsii v sovremennykh mezhdunarodnykh otnosheniiakh [Concepts of Regionalization, Regional Subsystems, Regional Complexes and Regional Transformations in Contemporary International Relations] // Sravnitel'naia polika [Comparative politics], 2012, № 2 (8). P. 30–58. (In Russ.)

7. Zvereva T.V. Vneshniaia politika sovremennoi Frantsii: monografiia [The French Contemporary Foreign Policy]. Moskva, 2014. (In Russ.)

8. Biscop S. Mediterranean Mayhem: Lessons for European Crisis Management // In an Arab Springboard for EU Foreign Policy / Eds. S. Biscop, R. Balfour and M. Emerson. Brussels, 2012. P. 75–81.

9. Brzezinski criticizes German and Polish stance on Libya // Deutsche Welle, 30.III.2011.

10. Communication conjointe au conseil européen, au parlement européen, au conseil, au comité économique et social européen et au comité des régions un partenariat pour la démocratie et une prospérité partagée avec le sud de la méditerranée. Bruxelles, le 8.3.2011. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri-CELEX%3A52011DC0200 (access date : 17.04.2020).

11. Conseil européen. Déclaration du conseil européen. Bruxelles, le 11 mars 2011. URL: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7-2011-INIT/fr/pdf (access date: 19.04.2020).

12. Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union on events in Libya. Brussels, 20 February 2011. URL: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/cfsp/119397.pdf (access date: 21.09.2020).

13. Deutsche wollen sich nicht einmischen // Stern. 16.03.2011. URL: https://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/umfrage-zu-unruhen-in-libyen-deutsche-wollen-sich-nicht-einmischen-3863588.html (access date: 22.09.2020).

14. Dorman A. NATO’s 2012 Chicago summit: a chance to ignore the issues once again? // International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 88, № 2. P. 301–312.

15. Erlanger S. Panetta Urges Europe to spend more on NATO or Risk a Hollowed-Out Alliance // The New York Times, 10.V.2011.

16. Hallams E., Schreer B. Towards a “post-American” alliance? NATO burden-sharing after Libya // International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 88, № 2. P. 313–327.

17. Kausch K., Youngs R. The End of the “Euro-Mediterranean Vision” // International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 85, № 5. P. 963–975.

18. Lizza R. How the Arab Spring remade Obama’s foreign policy // The New Yorker, 2.V.2011.

19. Regierungserklaerung von Budnesaussenminister Guido Westerwelle zu den aktuellen Entwicklungen in Libyen (Mitschrift). Die Bundesregierung, 18 Maerz 2011. URL: https://archiv.bundesregierung.de/archiv-de/regierungserklaerung-von-bundesaussenminister-guido-westerwelle-zu-den-aktuellen-entwicklungen-in-libyen-mitschrift--1122354 (access date: 22.09.2020).

20. Security Council Approves “No-Fly Zone” over Libya, Authorizing “All Necessary Measures” to protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions // Security Council. 17.03.2011. URL: https://www.un.org/press/en/2011/sc10200.doc.htm (access date: 19.09.2020).

21. Stokes D., Whitman R. Transatlantic triage? European and UK “grand strategy” after the US rebalance to Asia // International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 89, № 5. P. 1087–1107.

22. The White House. Remarks by President Barak H. Obama on Libya. February 23, 2011. URL: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-pressoffice/2011/02/23/remarks-president-libya (access date: 18.04.2020).

23. UN Security Council Resolution 1973. March 17, 2011. URL: http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_03/20110927_110311-UNSCR-1973.pdf (access date: 15.04.2020).