Mass Ideologies for Young Men and Women

The article focuses on the projections of mass ideologies in the 1940s in periodicals for children and adolescents. The spirit of the time reflected in literary plots is analyzed: cult to action, not knowledge, joy of the national unification of the Bulgarians, readiness for self-sacrifice. The ideas of education of the Bulgarian youth, developed in the book of Naiden Sheitanov and Naiden Pamukchiev "The Great Bulgarian Youth" and their popularization in the periodicals for children and adolescents are compared. The behavior of Bulgarian writers who were equally well adapted to the ideology of Great Bulgarian nationalism and the proletarian internationalism that followed it after 1944 is commented. The author pays attention to the socio-cultural contexts in which the ideologies for young people and virgins in Bulgaria are developed.

From Neutrality to Intervention, 1914–15

When the July Crisis erupted, Italy was allied to its neighbour Austria-Hungary, but most Italians had little interest in fighting for it. On 3 August 1914 Italy declared its neutrality with the support of most of the population. However, the prospect of joining the war on the other side was soon raised, and both the Entente and the Central Powers began to court the Italian government in hope of securing its allegiance. A small but vocal interventionist movement emerged as public opinion evolved. Irredentism motivated some interventionists, while others adopted pragmatic positions or embraced the rhetoric of a war for democracy; some placed the war in a wider imperial context right from the start, hoping to acquire as yet undefined territories beyond national borders. At last, in April 1915, Italy signed the Treaty of London, committing to join the Entente in pursuit of expansionist aims: it hoped both to complete national unification and to receive territorial compensation elsewhere.

Madhesis’ Consciousness of Geopolitics of the Tarai: A Resource for the Collective Identity Assertion

This article examines the broader political and economic historical contexts within which the centralTarai was incorporated into the Nepali state since the so called national unification in the second half of the eighteenth century and subsequently how the relationship between the successive rulers and the Madhesi people has been remaining confrontational. Based on the data drawn from the historiography of Nepal vis-à-vis the central Tarai and the perceptions and experiences of Madhesi people regarding their identity issues, it is argued that historically evolving geopolitics of the centralTarai and the contingent Madhesis’ self-consciousness have provided the cause and context for organizing and mobilizing them for the assertion of distinct collective identity. The strategic geopolitical location and significant cultural distinction and economic strength of the central Tarai provided Madhesi people a leverage in the struggle for the recognition of their distinct identity.

Customs War of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Habzburg Monarchy at the beginning of the 20th century

After gaining independence at the Berlin Congress, Serbia became the center around which all the surrounding Serbs gathered, seeking final liberation and unification. The great difficulty for a small Serbia was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which in every way was trying to influence the Serbian internal and foreign policy. In doing so, she succeeded to a large extent during the reign of King Milan, even after his abdication, until the beginning of the XX century. The change in the throne after the May uprising led to the emancipation of Serbia from the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the influence of other powers, in particular France and Russia. On the other hand, Serbia is increasingly independent in foreign policy and tries to connect with other Balkan states as if it economically strengthens to carry out a national unification mission. That is why the Austro-Hungarian conflict with Serbia on the economic plane, the Customs War, was inevitable. At the same time, this conflict has shown the strength and weaknesses of both countries. Serbia's victory in the Customs War showed her great economic rise, and Austro-Hungary became its fatal enemy.