Kutischev, A.V. Cutural and civilization aspects of wars of late feudalism

Abstract: The center of attention for the studies was formed with war and military arts before the Enlightenment epoch as a formation of civilization and cultural diversity. The dominantly materialistic approach to history and economical element are only partially manifested in military reality. In most cases they are overshadowed by more powerful motives, such as dynasty interests, class estate vestiges, religious bias. Cultural and mental formations of late feudal society (the atmosphere of the court, estate ethics, moods and intrigues) were infl uential factors of military and political activities. An important attention is paid to the subjective factor and personal ambitions of politicians, ruining the image of rational, step-by-step and successive policy of states, which was formed in XIX – XX centuries. The article provides comparative analysis of attitude to war in various classes of Western European and Russian society. Comparison of the existing factual materials allows to draw a conclusion on differences in the roles of common people in the Western Europe and in Russia in regard to waging wars and bearing its costs. The European military culture is regarded as a symbiosis of professionalism, military law and the code of knight and nobility honor. Russian military service is regarded as an authentic mix of the state “yoke”, general land business and moral debt. Attention is paid to the defi ning infl uence of climatic and natural factor upon the military culture. All of the above predefi nes the differences in character of wars in the East and in the West of Europe and their refl ections in the public conscience. War in a historical and philosophical discourse have for a long time been a matter of political and economic formations in the world. The article provides comparative analysis of wars of the epoch from the standpoint of civilization– cultural pluralism, allowing to show new dimensions of military arts, and to take a look at traditional forms from a different angle. The European community before the Early Modern Period shows a gradual transition from the negative attitude to war to the indifferent one. The Europeans got used to wars regarding them as normal, and it becomes a gradually more and more notable matter in the European culture. Infantile character of the common people in combination with the militant mentality of the nobles, material interest of trading and producing bourgeoisie allows the modern researchers to state that “civilization was culturally predisposed to war”. Russia shows the opposite tendency. In the Russian cultural tradition of the late feudalism war is a hard ordeal for the people. It brings pain and suffering, destruction, loss, hunger and death. Moreover, images and associations of the wars of the Early Modern period only strengthen the anti-war moods. Strong opposition to wars becomes more and more dominant mental and moral element of the Russian culture.

Keywords: