Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System

The issues of peace have always been important for historical science. However, in recent years, international historiography began to pay attention to Peace congresses' symbolism and socio-cultural design. The symbolic power of "special days" whether it is a Christian holiday or an e...

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Main Author: L. I. Ivonina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MGIMO University Press 2021-12-01
Series:Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta
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Online Access:https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/3029
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author L. I. Ivonina
author_facet L. I. Ivonina
author_sort L. I. Ivonina
collection DOAJ
description The issues of peace have always been important for historical science. However, in recent years, international historiography began to pay attention to Peace congresses' symbolism and socio-cultural design. The symbolic power of "special days" whether it is a Christian holiday or an event of exceptional significance allowed people of early Modernity to express their attitude to reality and power. An analysis of the choice of the dates for the conclusion of Peace by adversary states within the Westphalian system demonstrates three persistent variants of the dates. The first is signing a peace treaty on Saturday, Sunday, or a Christian holiday. The most striking example of this option is the signing of the Peace of Westphalia itself (treaties in Münster and Osnabrück on October 24, 1648), on Saturday the day before the second Sunday after Trinity. The second option involves a reference to an important event in the past. For example, the Peace in Passarovitz between the Holy Roman Empire and Porta (1718) and the Russian-Turkish Peace in Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi (1774) were signed on the same date July 21, the date when Istanbul and Peter the Great signed the Prut Peace Treaty in 1711. Since the age of the Enlightenment, when the "Right of Peace" began to compete with the "Right of War" in political theories, the date of Peace could be directly determined by the end of negotiations. Sometimes the conclusion of the Peace became a Christian holiday. Peter the Great decided to consecrate the day of the conclusion of the Nystad Peace Treaty by transferring the relics of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to the new Russian capital St. Petersburg. Conclusion of the Peace was used as a tool of social constructivism, implemented through modeling. The political idea was symbolically grounded in significant historical or religious dates. Combining the historical precedent, the Christian holiday and the end of the war emphasized the sacred nature of Peace as the highest social value.
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spelling doaj-art-1df2b0c07c9a4f98ad79dd7ec6eeed2a2025-01-30T12:16:16ZengMGIMO University PressVestnik MGIMO-Universiteta2071-81602541-90992021-12-0114614015210.24833/2071-8160-2021-6-81-140-1522437Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian SystemL. I. Ivonina0Smolensk State UniversityThe issues of peace have always been important for historical science. However, in recent years, international historiography began to pay attention to Peace congresses' symbolism and socio-cultural design. The symbolic power of "special days" whether it is a Christian holiday or an event of exceptional significance allowed people of early Modernity to express their attitude to reality and power. An analysis of the choice of the dates for the conclusion of Peace by adversary states within the Westphalian system demonstrates three persistent variants of the dates. The first is signing a peace treaty on Saturday, Sunday, or a Christian holiday. The most striking example of this option is the signing of the Peace of Westphalia itself (treaties in Münster and Osnabrück on October 24, 1648), on Saturday the day before the second Sunday after Trinity. The second option involves a reference to an important event in the past. For example, the Peace in Passarovitz between the Holy Roman Empire and Porta (1718) and the Russian-Turkish Peace in Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi (1774) were signed on the same date July 21, the date when Istanbul and Peter the Great signed the Prut Peace Treaty in 1711. Since the age of the Enlightenment, when the "Right of Peace" began to compete with the "Right of War" in political theories, the date of Peace could be directly determined by the end of negotiations. Sometimes the conclusion of the Peace became a Christian holiday. Peter the Great decided to consecrate the day of the conclusion of the Nystad Peace Treaty by transferring the relics of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to the new Russian capital St. Petersburg. Conclusion of the Peace was used as a tool of social constructivism, implemented through modeling. The political idea was symbolically grounded in significant historical or religious dates. Combining the historical precedent, the Christian holiday and the end of the war emphasized the sacred nature of Peace as the highest social value.https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/3029westphallian systeminternational congressrepresentation of peacesacred symbolism of dateschristian holiday
spellingShingle L. I. Ivonina
Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta
westphallian system
international congress
representation of peace
sacred symbolism of dates
christian holiday
title Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
title_full Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
title_fullStr Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
title_full_unstemmed Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
title_short Sacralization of Peace by the Choice of Dates for Conclusion of International Treaties within Westphalian System
title_sort sacralization of peace by the choice of dates for conclusion of international treaties within westphalian system
topic westphallian system
international congress
representation of peace
sacred symbolism of dates
christian holiday
url https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/3029
work_keys_str_mv AT liivonina sacralizationofpeacebythechoiceofdatesforconclusionofinternationaltreatieswithinwestphaliansystem