No 2 (2015): 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

On the basis of a number of historical sources, memories of both Soviet and German military commanders and politicians, the author plays chronicling the events of 1941, when the operation «Typhoon» was launched by Nazi Germany (known as the Battle of Moscow in Soviet sources). In October 1941, the Wehrmacht troops have created a direct threat to Moscow. However, transfer to Moscow of «Siberian» divisions, coordinated work on the front and rear foiled the plans of the Nazi aggressors. Already on Dec. 8, 1941, Hitler issued a directive № 39 on the transition to defense on the Eastern Front. Starting from the defeat at Moscow German generals at the front began to doubt the correctness of the assessment of the military potential of the Soviet Union. The first major offensive of the Red Army had not only military but also moral and political significance. The defeat of the Wehrmacht divisions tens of Moscow had resonance throughout the world. One of the important consequences of the victory of the Red Army near Moscow was proclamation of allied relations between the Soviet Union and Great Britain and reach an agreement with the United States on the principles applicable to the common struggle against Germany.

The author examines the international context of the Soviet Union and today's Russia during and after the World War II. Relations between the allies (the USSR, the US and the UK) shortly after the end of World War II «gave a crack». Particular attention is paid to the development of the American nuclear program in an international context and objectives of the nuclear bombing of Japan, the expansion of NATO. The author concludes that the problem of military and economic development in the post-war period were largely dictated by the difficult international situation at that time. The Soviet Union was forced not only to establish a peaceful life, but also to take steps to create its own nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, strengthening the country's defense. After the troubled times of the second half of the 1980s and 1990s, in the XXI century Russia again began to strengthen its international position. The author proves the need for a consistent foreign policy.

The author considers the role and importance of the region of the Middle East and North African theater of operations during World War II, not only the battles occured in the region are analyzed, but also the diplomatic efforts of the allies, related to the region. Author shows the role of the North African theater of operations in the context of other battles, parses the Allied landing operation called «Torch». Particular attention is given to the Conference of the three Allied leaders during World War II - Stalin (USSR), Roosevelt (USA) and Churchill (UK), which was held in Tehran on November 28 - December 1, 1943. The author focuses on the psychological aspects of the conference, emphasizing that it was in the nature of the meeting of equal members of one family. The article also dismantled symbolic importance of presenting to the people of Stalingrad, on behalf of King George VI and the English people specially made sword on November 29, 1943 in the conference hall of the Soviet embassy in Tehran. According to the analysis, the author emphasizes the special importance of the region of the Middle East as a place to search for compromises on the way to the future world order.

This article provides a historical analysis of Bulgaria's liberation from the Nazis by the Soviet Army, as a result of its peaceful transition through the country. Special attention is paid to the meeting of Soviet soldiers with the Bulgarian partisans in the sea capital Varna and its implications for relations between the USSR and the USA and the UK, which could radically change the course of the war. During these events, the leaders of the great powers strictly followed the mutual observance of the Tehran Agreement of 1943, which provided for the division of spheres of influence in Europe as well as the inadmissibility of the Sovietization of the countries that were exempt from the Nazis by Soviet army. Therefore, any violation of the agreements became an occasion for diplomatic notes and was fraught with serious cooling of relations between Moscow, London and Washington. In view of the impossibility of publicly tell the truth about what happened on September 8-10, 1944, the participants shared their memories of these events with only close friends and in informal meetings. The first who dared to show footage of what really happened and to explain to them, was the director of Varna, a graduate of VGIK, assistant of Mikhail Romm, Vylchan Valchanov.

The article is dedicated to life and activity of Charles de Gaulle, outstanding French statesman and commander. It was patriotism and aspiration for a national greatness of France that appeared brightly in de Gaulle’s personality. De Gaulle became a symbol of French Resistance, he saved the prostrate France and made it one of the states that won a victory in the II World War. The author demonstrates the role of de Gaulle in the formation of 5 th Republic and points out that Gaullism became a cornerstone of France’s rebirth and the largest ideological and political tendency in Europe in XX century. The article shows the relationship between Charles de Gaulle and the leaders of the «Big Three» - Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, W. Cherchil. The official visit of the French delegation, led by Charles de Gaulle to the Soviet Union in November-December 1944, as well as the visit of the Soviet delegation headed by Nikita Khrushchev in France in 1960 are described. The author analyzes the main reasons for Ch. de Gaulle for the start of a reform of France's colonial empire, as well as its efforts to ensure the France more influence within NATO.

The article is devoted to the examination of the focal areas of the international, socio-political, humanitarian, cultural and research activities of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the in the latter half of the 20th - beginning of the 21st centuries. Main aspects and realization principles of the Foundation’s diplomatic activities and its role in the German foreign policy making are under analysis. Activities of the fund are illustrated by the case of participation in the process of the unification of Germany, as well as participation in the internal political process of the German Democratic Republic, which developed towards the institutionalization of the opposition of the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) unions and movements. Scientific and expert study of Germany's foreign policy aimed at inclusion and full participation in Western European and trans-Atlantic system of global security are also described. Based on this analysis the authors identify the main problems in the activities of the Fund, including sharp fluctuations in the key areas of foreign policy activity, following in the wake of the political situation of the Christian Democratic Union.

Nowadays the Balkans probably can be considered as one of the most problematic and unstable regions that causes instability and threatens regional security. The region presents a significant sphere of interest not only for the European Union and Russia, but also for the United States. This complexity might probably indicate one of the main causes of ongoing and not so successful attempts to establish peace in the region. It can be said that one of the most recent concerning issues in the Balkans, that attracted attention of leading international actors and caused strong antagonism is the case of Kosovo independence. This essay will consider why Kosovo case presents such a complicated problem and raises so strong contradictions. Process of disintegration of Yugoslavia and creation of new states will be examined together with paying attention to inter-ethnic relations in the region and the role of international actors in the events.

Interview with Professor N. Kosolapov is devoted to the most urgent and complex problems of modern international relations and world politics, reveals the current state of political psychology in Russia and abroad, as well as the evolution of the science. As estimated by N. Kosolapov, the viability of political-psychological projects in Russia has fallen sharply compared to 1990's. They are not fully used in the development of political strategies, as well as in the process of operational decision making and its realization. In the interview are marked the obstacles to the emergence of theoretical and applied research in Russia, as well as key milestones for future development of political psychology. It also touches upon the most important questions of psychology of leadership within the framework of modern Russian and international practice, the political process as a whole, shows the differences in the approaches of European and Russian scientific schools in the analysis of political leadership. The author’s vision of key issues of contemporary international relations is of particular interest: we are witnessing the fact that American global leadership is experiencing an acute crisis, which contributes to the escalation of inter-state conflicts. However, the positive effect of the international crisis for our country is that it led the elites to reconsider their own ideological guidance with respect to Russia's role in world politics and forced to fight for the «new position».