Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

167 Alexander S. Zdanevich. The Crisis of Autocracy in Russia (the mid-19th — early 20th С.)... “In the first place, we must remember the historical background fromwhich British sea-power started. German writers seem to consider that the oceans of the world were peacefully opened to the nations till the selfishness and hostility of England stepped in and claimed a monopoly”. 1 Since the moment of summing up the results of the Patriotic War of 1812, public consciousness in Russia has experienced a rise in patriotic feelings, which we understand as the spiritual unity of the people, manifesting itself most clearly in years of hardship and danger. By the end of the 19 th century, the degree of social tension had not decreased at all. The struggle for the freedom of the enslaved, which remained in the minds of people, was superimposed on the heightened sense of justice and the desire to help the “weak”, so characteristic of the Russian people both then and in our days. The ground for this kind of internal evolution of the consciousness of Russian society was provided by practically constant conflicts happened throughout the 19th century both within the Russian Empire and beyond. The confrontation, varied in intensity, was united by the widest geography of geopolitical and economic interests of the Great Powers, striving for the final redistribution of spheres of influence in the world. To varying degrees and at different periods, Russia was forced to become involved in conflicts with the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and France. Quite often the “honor and freedom” of the oppressed peoples were defended by Russian volunteers where and when the confrontation was not direct, but was of great strategic importance. “Patriotic feelings of society and an individual are a complex and multi- faceted psychosocial phenomenon. Its political component, depending on the specific historical situation in society, can vary from full support of the existing political regime to its harsh criticism and complete denial, but at 1 Egerton H. E. British foreign policy in Europe to the end of the 19th century; a rough outline. London: Macmillan and Co., 1918. P.363. URL: https://archive.org/details/britishforeignpo00eger/page/n7/mode/2up (accessed: 27.10.2023).