Homework
Elizabeth IIDecember 11, 1936 King of Great Britain, Edward VI, abdicates the throne according to the official romanticized version for the sake of love. The conservative British government does not give him permission to marry twice divorced American Wallis Simpson, but there is another reason for the abdication less romantic this is connection of the monarch and his mistress with Nazi Germany. So the new king of Great Britain becomes the younger brother of Edward(Эдуард) George VI. Britain is waiting for him to have a male heir. In the meantime there is a backup option – George’s ten-year old daughter Lilibet who is destined to go down in history as Queen Elizabeth II. Perhaps the most famous Queen in the world today. In 1926 King George V occupied the throne of Great Britain . He is a representative of the German Saxon Cobourg Gothic dynasty. During the First Word War, George renames the dynasty to Windsor to avoid associations with anything German, By the way, the monarchs of Europe are often Germans and are practically and directly related to each other . For example, Nicholas II(the last emperor of all Russia) was Geroge's cousin. George has six children including his two eldest sons, the heirs to the throne David and Albert. Albert affectinately know as Bertie ) Duke of York ,second in line to the throne, is a model of decency; modest and shy but suffers from a nervous tic and stutters, becoming easily irritated and even getting angry. He is married to a worthy aristocrat Elizabeth Bowes Lyon. On the 21 April 1926 in London, they have a baby girl, at the birth the British Minester of the Interior is present. This is a long-standing tradition. So that the child is not replaced. They want to name the girl Victoria in honour of the queen’s great-grandmother. But the last moment before the baptism the father decides to name the child Elizabeth Alexandra Maria in honour of her mother and grandmothers. On strict instructions from her grandmother, the Queen, Elizabeth is taught from childhood not to fidget. She forbids putting her hands in her pockets. They even saw them up on her clothes. Every moment she makes under strict supervision. She gets up at 7:30 in the morning and goes to bed at 19:15. The childhood of the king's granddaughter is not only a drill, there is another side. At her disposal are limousines,palaces,castles, luxurious gifts from relatives and from ordinary subjects who sometimes give their last money on souvenirs for their beloved princess. Lilibet periodically visits her grandfather King George V in Winder Castle or in Scotland's Balmoral and other residences. Strict George gave his beloved granddaughter everything, despite the fact that he was a tyrant. He plays with her like a horse, that is, gets on all fours and she rides him drags him by the beard. Lilibet adores horses. She has had a personal pony since childhood. Also Elizabeth is famous for her sense of humor. In 1930 Elizabeth’s younger sister is born. Unlike her older sister, she will be called a rebel.Their father says that Lilibet is my pride and Margaret is my joy. In January 1933, Elizabeth is 6 years old. At this moment in Germany Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor. One day at home, the princess is fooling around with her mother. They throw their hands up in a Nazi salut. After 82 years in 2015, this film will get into the press and provoke a global scandal. Some British tabloids will accuse the royal family of sympathising with Nazi Germany and will come out with the headlines: like “The Royal Highness”. The palace regrets that film from the personal archive got into the press. The official comment will be like this “ Elizabeth II could not have known the meaning of such a gesture at such a young age. The media will mostly justify the mother and daughter, claiming that they were making fun of their Uncle David, who really had sympathies for the Nazis. David is the eldest son of the King of Great Britain
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Very well done Artem!
Lycurgus’s established the Gerousia-a council of 28 senior elders(gerontes). These were Spartans over the age of 60. Why 28? If you look it up in Wikipedia, you might see the number 30, but because Sparta also had two kings.
Meanwhile, in Greece,another powerful city-state(polis) was emerging: Anthens. Unlike Sparta, Athens operated under very different principles. Moreover, Athens actively purchased slaves from neighboring states, freed them and invited them to join the city. This created an environment where craftsmen,scientists, orators and philosophers flourished.
By 539 BCE the Persian kings had conquered Asia Minor, Babylon,Egypt,Palestine and Syria, creating a vast and powerful empire.Persia had a formidable army and an impressive navy, enabling it to expand its dominion through sheer force. At same time Greece was at its own peak, particularly Athens and Sparta. And 500 BCE. The Greco-Persian Wars began. The Persian invaded Greek territory, with their well-equipped fleet appearing suddenly off the coast of Greece near the city of Marathon not far from Athens.
It’s clear that the Athenians,on their own, were not capable of defeating the Persians. They sent a messenger to Sparta, which by that time had already become legendary thanks to its invincible phalanx. Because Spartans were trained for war from childhood and their laws strictly forbade retreat. The Greeks won the Battle of Marathon, but this did not stop the Persians. King Darius of Persia died, and his successor, Xeroxes-know as the “King of Kings” – took the throne. Xerxes assembled a massive army, not just of Persians but of troops from all the subjugated territories of the empire. He even sent emissaries to all the Greek city-states, urging them to join him in his conquest of Greece.
Athens forged an alliance with Sparta, marking the first Greek coalition. Together they deliberated on how best to combat the Persians. They had two choices. The Spartans favoured land-based combat, relying on their formidable infantry. Themistocles (Athenian general) proposed fighting the Persians at the sea instead. So the Greek began building a fleet, constructing 200 ships.
Xerxes advanced into Greece using a two-pronged approach: his army marched overland, while the Persian fleet moved along the coast. The fleet was delayed due to a storm at sea.
The Greek commanders decided to confront the Persians at the Thermopylae Pass. This was a narrow passage, about 60 paces wide – roughly 60-90 meters. The advantage here was clear: a massive Persian army could be blocked by fortifications, allowing a smaller force to hold its ground. For a long time, the Persians were unable to take the pass. They suffered defeat after defeat, trying various tactics,including archers and stone-throwing, all to no avail. The Greeks, determined to hold their ground, repelled every attack. However, a turning point came when a traitor in the Greek ranks emerged. His name was Ephialtes. He did betray the Greek forces to the Persians. Ephialtes revealed a narrow path that allowed the Persians to bypass the Thermopylae Pass and attack the Greek forces from the rear. This path was guarded by Spartan allies, but the Persians quickly overwhelmed them and began their encirclement. The Spartans were warned that the Persians were coming from behind. King Leonidas then told his allies “you should leave because its pointless to stay. In this pass, they will crush us”. Leonidas decided to remain, along with 300 Spartans. In truth there more fighters- other Greeks also stayed and fought-but the legend focuses on Leonidas and his 300.
The turning point of the Greco-Persian Wars came at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, a decisive naval engagement near the island of Salamis. The massive Persian fleet entered the bay, only to face the smaller, more maneuverable Greek ships, which engaged them in an organized formation. As the battle progressed the sea grew choppy, and the Persian ships began colliding with one another,creating chaos. In the end, the Greeks emerged victorious. These Greco-Persian Wars, which lasted roughly 50 yers, concluded with a complete victory for the Hellenic League – the united Greek states. The Greeks even advanced into Persian territory gaining control over parts of Asia Minor.
This marked the beginning of a period known as the Pentecontaetia or “the fifty years”.
Athens becam the political,cultural and economic center of Greece.
A war erupted within Greece itself. Two alliances formed: the Delian League, led by Athens and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. One of the catalysts for the Peloponnesian War was a Helot revolt in Sparta. Desperate for assistance the Spartans asked Athens for help. Athens sent troops, who, upon arrival, saw that these Helots weren’t some distant or foreign people – “savages” or “barbarians” in the Greek view -but fellow Greeks, treated by the Spartans as livestock.
The war,which began as a result, is decided into two periods. The first is known as the Archidamian War, named after the Spartan King Archidamus. An unexpected ally for Sparta came in the form of the plague. When the Sparta army reached the walls of Athens, a plague broke out among the Athenians, who had crowded behind their city walls for protection. In the confined space, the disease spread rapidly, becoming one of the factors that led to the eventual truce. In 421 BCE the Athenian general Nicolas signed a peace treaty with the Peloponnesian League, ending the first phase of the war in what could be described as a stalemate. Soon after the second phase known as the lonian War began, lasting nearly 15 years. During this phase, the Greeks launched military expeditions against territories allied with or dependent on Sparta but located outside the Peloponnesian Peninsula. One of the targets was Syracuse in Italy. The Athenian fleet sailed to Sicily, but during the Battle of Syracuse, their fleet was completely destroyed.
The Persians provided financial support to Sparta, allowing it to build a fleet capable of defeating Athens at sea. The Persians helped Sparta, enabling them to build a fleet that won them the war. In 411 BCE, Athens experienced a coup, overthrowing its democracy and establishing an oligarchy. Sparta capitalised on this instability and gradually crushed Athens in the war.
This war caused enormous damage to all Greece.
Greece grew weaker, and all the Greek city-states began warring among themselves.
At the same time, another strong power emerged in Greece, forming a third major center alongside Athens and Sparta: Thebes(Фивы). This Greek polis gained influence and eventually clashed with Sparta. Thebes defeated Sparta, but its king is killed. The victory came at a steep cost-the lose of their leader, King Epaminondas. This hard-fought triumph weakened Sparta but also left Thebes in disarray. Greece entered a period where there was no clear leader.
On the periphery of the Greek world a new force quietly rose to power: Macedonia. The Greeks largely viewed the Macedonians as barbarians and paid little attention as they began expanding their trade, travelling more widely and strengthening their state. It was during this time that King Philip II of Macedonia began his conquest of Greece. He marched to the walls of Sparta and famously sent them a note. Macedonian as it began to dominate the region. Philips forces conquered many poleis and subdued Athens. Philip il’s reign ended with his death, giving rise to his son, Alexander Makedonskiy. He launched a campaign against Persia,rallying all the Greek armies under his banner and initiating an unprecedented offensive against the Persian Empire. He went on to Persia and Egypt.
Fast-forwarding into the future, Greece was eventually absorbed into the Roman Empire. Sparta became a kind of tourist attraction.
And so, centuries later, the legacy of Sparta endures. It remains in the legends as an extraordinary nation of warriors – people who never retreated, who were the best at waging war,who lived in poverty and austerity, but who maintained a society of equals. That’s the story of Sparta.
Excellent work Artem!
Cleopatra: the story of the Queen of Egypt.
Not long ago, the popular Netflix _service released its own series about the Egyptian
media streaming
queen Cleopatra. The main role was played by a British actress with African roots, a girl named Adele James. And this series was marked by a huge scandal. Even Egypt expressed a note of protest. More precisely, the Ministry of Antiquities of this country. The reason for the whole scandal was the skin color of the main character. The most famous woman of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra the Seventh, was a Greek from the Ptolemaic family. Perhaps she had an admixture of Syrian blood. That is, the girl was not exactly white-skinned, but she was not African in the classical sense either.
There is a legend according to which Julius Caesar was presented with Cleopatra wrapped in a carpet. This episode is considered the beginning of her story, the very moment when from a mortal woman, albeit a queen, she becomes a living myth.
First, let's figure out what Egypt and Alexandria were like in 48 BC. It is a huge, rich, ancient city. It is located between the sea, the Nile and the desert. These are huge palaces, huge temples, a harbor full of ships. The markets are always full of people. Here they sell and buy goods from all over the ancient world: grain, wine, meat, ivory and gold jewelry, bright fabrics and spices. That is, for its time, it is, of course, a metropolis. Half a million people live here. The wonder of the world, the famous Pharos Lighthouse, 150 meters high, rises above the city. Humanity will not be able to build anything higher until the beginning of the 20th century. The second wonder of the world is also located here - the famous Library of Alexandria, a repository of knowledge, the likes of which are not on the planet at this time and will not be for a very long time. Alexandria is considered the second city of the civilized world after Rome, so as not to offend the Romans who owned a huge army. But in fact it is the
However,
first city in the world, more ancient than Rome, more developed economically, culturally. It is a Greek city founded by Alexander Makedonsky
of Macedon
Oustanding job Artem!!
Diana Francis Spencer - Princess Diana, Lady Dee, Queen of Human Hearts, wife of British Crown
also known as
Prince Charles, who is now Charles 3 - King of Great Britain. One of the 100 most influential people
III
of the 20th century according to the American magazine Time. Every detail of her life has been carefully studied under the microscope and yet Diana is still a mystery to everyone.
Many details of her life, especially her tragic death, are still hotly controversial.
Diana was born on July 1, 1961 in the Spencer family. Spencers are not the surname of some unknown ordinary people. This is a famous aristocratic family. When Diana's mother married John Spencer in 1954, the Queen, Prince Philip, Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Joan were present at the wedding. It is impossible to imagine that the royal family attended some ordinary wedding with such an impressive composition. Of course not! The Spencer family is more than 500 years old, if you look at their roots, it becomes clear that Princess Diana's pedigree is much more English than even her future husband Charles. Let's start with __father. Diana's father, John Spencer,
her
was the eighth Earl Spencer. The first Count of the Spencers was his ancestor John in 1765, and his son Baron Robert Spencer during the reign of King James, the first erased, was the richest man in
Stuart
England. Going further in 1875, the descendant of the first Spencers George Spencer (the fifth Duke
back
of Marlborough) received royal permission to take the second surname. It was Churchill's surname. His descendant is John Winston Spencer Churchill (the seventh Duke of Marlborough), he was the
.He
paternal grandfather of Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, whom we all know. Thus, Prince Charles and Diana were very distant, but relatives on several lines. In particular,
omit
relatives but very distant ones
each of them comes from different daughters of Henry 7. Diana's pedigree came from Margarita
VII (the seventh)
Tudor, who married an alleged Scotsman, and Charles from Mary Tudor and Charles Brendan, the
first Duke of Safu. The history of her whole family is deeply connected with the corona.
Crown
Diana was the fourth child of her parents. To continue the aristocratic family, a male heir was needed, but a year before Diana's birth, the couple lost a long-awaited son. And then Frances gave
omit Then,
birth to a third daughter, Diana. And soon Diana's parents had a boy, but the relationship between
Soon,
the spouses was very bad. It was believed that it was the windy nature of Diana's mother, Frances,
flighty character
who had an affair on the side. And only 20 years after Diana's death, journalist Andrew Morton, author of a biographical book about Diana, published records in which the princess talked about domestic violence. John Spencer was a domestic tyrant who beat his wife. Diana's mother started an affair on the side with tycoon Peter Schound Kidd. In general, nothing is unusual for aristocratic families. When Diana turned 8, her parents broke up. John Spencer received full custody of the children. Diana's mother went to Scotland with her lover Peter Kidd and later married him. Diana's relationship with her mother will be difficult until her death. At the age of 12, Diana enters the elite private school for girls "West Hill". She never passed the final exams, she was left without a diploma. According to the memories of others in the exact sciences, she was weak. She was better at dancing, swimming and drawing. Already at this age, everyone noted her ability to compassion
for
and empathy. In 1975, Diana's father received the title of count, and Diana herself became Lady Diana. John Spencer marries for the second time a Countess of Dartmund named Rain. Spencer's children don't like their stepmother. They ignore her, they don't want to sit at the same table with her, but not Diana. Diana has always been polite to her. Subsequently, Rain was among those who supported Diana after her divorce from Charles. In 1977, before leaving to study in Switzerland, Diana meets Prince Charles for the first time. He comes to the possessions of Spencer Castle to hunt.
takes
__Sixteen-year-old Diana, the heir to the British crown seemed funny. Diana did not last long in
To sixteen-year-old
Switzerland. She is very sad away from home and returns to England ahead of schedule, where she settles in an apartment presented to her for her 18th birthday in the center of London. And there she lives with her friends and gets a job. It was very unusual because every member of the aristocratic family is obliged to work on an equal footing with all other citizens, plus Diana was not the main heir of the Spencers, especially after the younger brother was born. It was Charles Spencer who was the future ninth Earl of the Spencers and the heir of all this huge fortune. Therefore, it was logical for Diana to find herself in some profession.
She returns to London and gets a job as an assistant teacher in a kindergarten. In addition, she helps organize parties, works as a nanny for expats from the United States, and even at some point works as a ballet teacher.
At this time, the royal family decides a very important question: how to make the press and society forget about Crown Prince Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. They met in 1970 and immediately had an affair. When it became known, no one approved the novel. The queen didn't
omit
like Camilla. First of all, she was not an aristocrat. The relationship had to be interrupted and Charles was sent to serve in the navy. And in 1973, Camilla got married, but the romance resumes.
The _____rating of the royal family begins to roll down. resumed again.
popularity go
Charles was the heir to the crown. He received the title of Prince of Wales, and his wife was to
The Crown
become the Princess of Wales, which means that one day she will become the wife of the king and
King
the Queen consort. This question was completely in the hands of the queen, who was guided both
Consort Queen
by her ideas about the ideal and by how the country would react to the choice. No one even considered Camilla. She did not belong to any titular family, unlike the Spencers. The Spencers were perfect. Elizabeth first wanted to give Charles to Diana's older sister - Sarah Spencer. But she
, , but
did not want to associate her life with such duties. Then Diana's parents offered to consider the candidacy of her second daughter, that is, Diana.
their
With Elizabeth's approval, Charles began to invite Diana on dates. The girl immediately attracted the attention of the press. Then she was called "modest Dee" because of her characteristic tilt of her head. But it was not modesty, she was just very tall about 178 cm, so she lowered her head to make it more convenient for people to talk to her. In February 1981, at an official dinner at Buckingham Palace, Diana receives an offer __ ____ from Charles. The wedding day was declared
of marriage
a national holiday. For the first time in hundreds of years, the future monarch married an Englishwoman. Usually, British monarchs married representatives of German dynasties. The last marriage when both spouses were British was concluded in 1660 between Anna Hyde, daughter of Charles 2's adviser, and the heir to the throne James 2. After centuries, only Princess Diana
II's II.
managed to do it.
The Crown is making a big bet on the media of this event. Diana and Charles' wedding became the most expensive in the history of Great Britain. The wedding cost the treasury three million pounds sterling. In the 80s, it was a huge amount of money. Even the design of Princess Diana's wedding dress was kept in the strictest secrecy. A spare dress was made to keep the intrigue until the end. On July 29, 1981, a global television and radio broadcast of the wedding, that is, a giant live
th
broadcast, was organized at the Paul Cathedral in London. Diana's speech against traditions began
St. Paul's
on the very day of the wedding. From the wedding oath after discussing with Charles, Diana excluded the part about the promise of obedience to her spouse, replacing it with words to love, comfort, honor and protect. The wedding in the cathedral was attended by 3,500 people. The creme de la creme of royal families from all over the world, English aristocrats and other top personalities. The TV broadcast of the cathedral, which was shown live by the BBC, was watched by more than 28 million viewers. About 750 million people around the world watched the live broadcast on TV screens. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Britons watched the live wedding, who lined up from the cathedral to the Bukenham Palace. A large-scale wedding turned Diana into
omit Buckingham
a modern Cinderella in the eyes of people, but in fact everything turned out to be not fabulous at all. The queen's hope that young and beautiful Diana could not make Charles break off relations with Kamila. After returning from their honeymoon, Diana and Charles settle in Kensington Palace,
Camila
but Charles prefers to spend his free time with Camila. There is no confirmation that in the first years of marriage this connection was something more than friendly. Nevertheless, Diana was sad, suffered from bulimia and depression. The interest of the press in Diana was huge. Not only is this the first Englishwoman in hundreds of years, but she also received the title of Princess of Wales for the first time in 80 years. The previous one was Maria Tek grandmother of Queen Elizabeth 2.
II.
For one picture of Diana driving a Mercedes, the reporter received 28 thousand pounds sterling. The situation was considered scandalous, because ideologically the British princess should not even touch the non-English machine. But it cannot be said that Diana somehow resisted this attention of
omit
the press. Throughout her life, we will continue to observe how she herself constantly added fuel to the fire, __ Draining information about her location and details of her personal life. And as a result,
by leaking Ad
she herself became completely vulnerable and dependent on their attention.
Despite the lack of deep feelings for Diana and the continuation of their communication with
his
Camila, many note that the first years of Diana and Charles were happy. Already in 1982, Diana gives birth to her first son, William, and then she again went against traditions. She became the first member of the British royal family who did not give birth in the castle, but went to St. Mary's
Royal Family
Hospital. By the time the second son was born, the marriage was no longer so strong. In 1984, Prince Harry is born, but after his birth, Diana and Charles split up. Diana and her children move to Kensington Palace, and Charles to the country estate of Hygrol. Kamila moved there with her family.
Camila
In the mansion located 10 minutes drive from the prince's house.
Prince's
By 1984, Diana's popularity among the people was incredibly high.She had everyone to her.
Everyone liked Diana.
People liked her openness, communication style. During travels and charity visits, she always found time for personal communication with people, took them by the hands, hugged children, accepted postcards and flowers. After the birth of her own children, the image of her mother is added to this
as a
image. Diana gave up nannies and spent all her free time with the children alone. She played with them, picked them up from school, took them to charity events and so on. Charity is a separate topic within Diana's personality. With Diana's participation, hundreds of charitable foundations were established in different countries. Diana supported charitable organizations that helped AIDS patients, homeless people and many others. Her travels around the world were associated with visiting homeless people, refugees, people with disabilities, people with HIV. Of course, many in the royal family are engaged in charity - this is one of many duties. Queen Elizabeth, for example, patronized more than 600 charities, but no one did it as beautifully and so media-like as Diana. The
friendly
royal family performed their duties strictly and formally with a minimum of emotions and without
Royal Family
deviating from the protocol at all. Diana was the first representative of the crown, who showed not
The Crown
just emotions, but lively, human compassion. One of the indicative cases was Diana's visit to Middlesex Hospital in April 1987, where the first AIDS department in the UK was opened. At that time, there were many rumors, fears and myths about the sick. For example, that AIDS is transmitted through touch. Diana first clarified all the details, and then took off her gloves in the department and shook hands with all the sick patients. Photos of Princess Diana shaking hands with an HIV patient flew around the world. No public person in the world has done this before. One of the reporters of the 'people' magazine called this act of Diana the most important of all that the British
People
monarchy has done over the past 200 years. Naturally, not only Charles doesn't like such quotes, but Elizabeth 2 doesn't like it as well. Since then, Diana has been constantly supporting AIDS
II
patients. In February 1989, the princess visited New York where she visited the Harlem Hospital for Children with AIDS.
Diana is friends with many rock and pop stars. Diana is constantly in the spotlight. She actively participated in the fight to ban infantry mines.
Cold and closed Charles, who is used to behaving very restrained in accordance with royal protocols, just like his mother, He loses to Diana in everything. It annoyed him a lot, because Diana
omit
surpassed him in the eyes of the public in everything and had a reputation as a beloved princess. During general visits, people communicated with him less willingly, if Diana was nearby, all the
. If
people ran to her. Besides, the press constantly writes about Diana.
From 1985 to 1986, Barry Mannaki was Diana's bodyguard. He is 14 years older than Diana and was married. NBC is credited with _ an affair. When the novel became known, he was fired, and a
the scoop about the affair
year later he died under strange circumstances in a motorcycle accident. Diana was sure that his death was set up by the British security service, and they are preparing something similar for her.
Diana's next lover was James Hewit, to whom the media attribute the paternity of Diana's son Prince Harry. Hewit was a top polo player and a riding instructor. Almost immediately after Mannaki's dismissal, Diana asked him to become her riding instructor. This novel lasted until 1989, when
affair
Hewit was called up for military service. Hewitt himself claims that the romance lasted until 1991.
Despite all the difficulties in marriage, the spouses do not divorce. It was necessary to get a divorce permit from the queen. And Elizabeth did not want to spoil the impression of such a beautiful story
omit
and insisted that Diana and Charles maintain a partnership for the good of the crown.
Diana's personal secretary Patrick Jackson last year, after 25 years of silence, said that Charles deployed a company against Diana in the media to make her crazy.
On December 9, 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced a friendly breakup of the couple in the House of Commons. The official position of the royal family was: Diana and Charles broke up, but do not plan to divorce. Many people still argue why Elizabeth did not approve of Diana's divorce from Charles at the same time. Maybe she didn't want an even bigger blow to the royal family. In general, 1992 was one of the worst for the royal family. Before that, the family goes through a series of divorces, Elizabeth's two children Prince Andrew and Princess Anna divorced their spouses, in the same year, the royal residence, Windsor Castle, also suffers from a fire. Great
. In
Britain itself in 1992 ___ at the lowest point of economic crisis.
is
On June 29, 1994, Charles gave an interview in which he officially confirmed his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles for the first time to the public. A real war began between Diana and Charles.
Diana gave a big interview in which she said that she does not see Prince Charles as the future king, and she herself would not want to become a queen, but wants to become the queen of human hearts.
On December 20, 1995, Buckingham Palace officially announced that the Queen had sent letters to the Prince and Princess of Wales, in which she advised them to disperse. In fact, the queen's advice meant that the marriage was over. Negotiations and divorce terms and so on, take another six months. As a result, on August 26, 1996, the marriage between Diana Spencer and Prince Charles was officially dissolved. The spouses signed an agreement that prohibited discussing the details of the divorce or the details of their married life. Diana received 22 million dollars and 600 thousand dollars a year for the maintenance of her office and, of course, the freedom to live as she wants. Diana was allowed to retain the title of Princess of Wales, but at the insistence of Charles was deprived of the title of Her Royal Highness. So now she had to bow to her ex-husband and even her children. She still has access to the private planes of the royal family, leaving all the jewels she received during her marriage, including the wedding ring. The former spouses received equal custody rights over their sons William and Harry, Who were 14 and 11 years old then. The boys
who
spent most of their time in the boarding school, and the holidays alternated with each of their parents.
In January 1997, she accepted the Red Cross's offer to support the company against the use of anti-
personnel mines. As part of this company, Diana came to Angola. There has been a Civil War in
went
Angola since 1975. During this time, more than 70 million anti-personnel mines were installed with a population of just over 13 million people, that is, 5 anti-personnel mines per person. Diana visited the hospital with the victims, the most memorable action was her walk through the demined field. A
. The
few days earlier, teenagers who decided to play football died on this field, but the field was not completely demined. Diana took part in the demining procedure, and then put on a bulletproof vest and a protective mask against bullets. That's how I went through the field. In 2019, Diana's youngest son, Prince Harry, repeated his mother's famous walk. He also put on a protective uniform and a helmet and passed the same field as his mother. Of course, I don't understand what Harry was trying to portray after so many years walking through a long-demined field.
In 96 and 97, Diana came to Pakistan twice to help raise money for the cancer center. But perhaps
'96 '97 went
the purpose of the visit was different. In 1995, Diana met Hasnat Khan, a cardiac surgeon from Pakistan. They met at the royal hospital. They started an affair. During that trip, Diana secretly visited Khan's family. In June 97, the novel ended abruptly.
affair
Around this time, Diana started the last romance of her life with. Dodi Al-Faedom. This is the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohammad Al-Faed. Everyone was discussing their romance. On August 30, Diana and Dodi arrive in Paris and stay at the Ritz Hotel. On August 31, after midnight, the BBC reports that Diana and Dodi leave the hotel in a Mercedes with bodyguard Trevor Rees Jones and the security chief of the Ritz hotel, Paul Henri, who was driving. Paparazzi who want even more exclusivity are chasing their car. At about 00:23 at the entrance to the tunnel, a Mercedes snags and at high speed the car crashes into the 13th pillar of the tunnel support. Dodi and Paul died immediately after the impact. In the accident, Diana received a concussion, a broken arm and extensive chest injuries. Then there is a two-hour operation, but it does not help and the princess dies at 4 a.m. on August 31, 1997. Bodyguard Rees Jones was the only survivor. His life was saved , ,
by a triggered airbag. He suffered serious head and chest injuries and was in a coma for 10 days. Surgeons had to restore his face from an old photo. As a result of his injuries, he lost his memory.
There are a huge number of versions and conspiracy theories about death.
Diana's
Very good work Artem!
Outstanding work Artem!
Sparta:How to turn a Society into a War Machine.The Lessons of History
Geographically, Sparta was located in Laconia, and the Spartans themselves called themselves
omit
Lacedaemonians(Lacedemon). That said, much of what we will discuss today comes not so much
from historical records as from historical mythology. After all, we’re talking about events that took
place in ancient times-long before our era. Sparta was a polis-a city-state in Ancient Greece. It was
polis,
one of many such city-states. What is a polis? It’s a city that functions as an independent state. The
term “metropolis” meaning a large polis or a union of several cities forming one state. Sparta was a
classic example of a Greek polis of that era- “classic” in terms of the time period, though not in its
systems of governance customs or societal norms. Sparta was strategically well – located in a fertile
valley. However, when we think of Greece today, we tend to imagine lush fertile lands, which is not
entirely accurate. Greek soil is not all fertile. Wine is produced, olives grow, but not everywhere.
This lack of fertile land is part of why Athens, Sparta’s eternal rival, developed a powerful navy. The
Athenians used their fleet to explore, conquer cities and trade with others across the Black and
Mediterranean Seas. The main reason Athens did this was __ grow wheat and bring it to the
to
metropolis. Sparta it was a state that conduced the majority of its military operations using infantry
omit conducted
formations. They used cavalry rarely, if it all. Strategically, Sparta
rarely
was very well-positioned. It lay in
relatively fertile valley, surrounded on all sides by mountains, which provided a significant
defensive advantage. Sparta was difficult to besiege. The nearest port was about 50 km away, which
was quit far. Where did this warrior state come from? The Spartans arrived in Laconia, conquered
quite
it, subjugated the neighboring territories, and eventually took over Messenia, a region to the west
of Laconia. Nearly all the surviving inhabitants of these conquered lands were enslaved. The
Spartans were divided into three categories. The first were the Spartiates – citizens of Sparta. These
were the warriors trained from childhood for battle, whose sole occupation was war until the age
60. The second group were the Perioeci(периэки). These were free people who did not have rights
of Spartiate citizens. They worked as craftsmen,traders and blacksmiths. The third and largest
category were the Helots – slaves or serves. These were the people captured by the Spartans during
their conquests. The relationship between the Helots and the Spartiates would define Sparta
society throughout its history. Sparta continuously subjugated other peoples, turning them into
slaves and maintaining strict control over their numbers. According to various sources the number
of Helots ranged from 300,000 to half a million. And rebellions among the Helots were a constant
throughout Spartan history. The Helots hated the Spartans for treating them like livestock. One of
the most significant periods in Spartan history was the era of the reforms of Lycurgus. For a long
time, historiography considered Lycurgus a mythical figure-perhaps not a real person but someone
from legend, potentially even a semi-divine being. However, another school of thought believes
Lycurgus was indeed a historical figure. He was likely of royal lineage and served as a mentor to
either a Spartan king or a royal nephew. At some point Lycurgus left Sparta. He traveled
extensively, visiting places like Crete and other regions, gaining wisdom and experience abroad.
When he returned to Sparta, he initiated his famous reforms. Sparta always had two kings. These
kings were from the Heraclid dynasty, claiming descent from the legendary hero Heracles, and they
ruled jointly. According to one legend, they represented two branches of the Heraclid line. Another
version suggests they came from two different ethic groups. The kings had specific roles: they
commanded the army in wartime and served as chief priests to Zeus, the supreme deity. Later,
after Lycurgus’s time-it was decided that during war, one king would remain in Sparta to oversee
the state, while the other led the army, as having two rulers engaged in the same task often led to
disputes. The tensions and rivalries between the kings, combined with the broader instability in
Sparta, laid the groundwork for Lycurgus’s reforms. He approached the task methodically, with one
clear goal: to make Sparta more militarily capable and efficient. What is a military society? It’s a
specific group of people who must always be ready to fight for their country. What does this mean
in simple terms? It means these people should have no peaceful life to speak of. In Sparta peaceful l
life was considered the domain of the unworthy. Lycurgus’s foundational reform was to create a
society of equals. Even the kings were considered equal to the average Spartan. What did this
equality entail? Essentially, everything. First and foremost: no luxury. Spartan society was meant to
be demonstratively poor-and equally so, for everyone. In Sparta, both the king and the average
Spartan citizen were forbidden from dining at home. Meals had to be taken in public mess halls
and the food was intentionally coarse and simple. Clothing was rough and basic. Pottery in the city
was plain and unrefined. Currency was deliberately made inconvenient and impractical- iron coins,
in stark contrast to the gold currency of Athens. Any item associated with luxury was strictly
forbidden. Even when building your own house, you were only allowed to use an axe a saw,
ensuring no elaborate stone architecture could emerge. Everything was meant to be crude and
simple, yet equal for everyone, to prevent envy and discourage any desire for wealth. For a long
time even in Athens, Sparta was viewed as the ideal society of equals. How was the economy of this
radical society organized? All the land was divided into 9000 kleroi – plots of land. By lot, each
Spartiate- a free citizen of Sparta- was allocated one kleros. These plots were tended by Helots, who
plowed the fields, sowed wheat,planted olive trees and vineyards and managed the agricultural
work. The kleros could not be sold, and it couldn’t be sold separately from the Helots assigned to it.
The second category of society the Perioeci were not slaves but free citizens. However, to Spartan
being a Perioecus was considered unworthy. Perioecy were treated as second-class citizens, while
the warrior caste was the true elite. Boys were selected for the warrior caste starting at age six.
Spartan upbringing was famously harsh. It is often said that both boys and girls served in the
Spartan military, but that __not true – only men fought. The position of women in Sparta was
is true,
relatively free. A woman could not be forced into marriage against her will; she had to choose her h
husband herself. Yet, some practices were peculiar. Since marriage and domestic life were seen as
mundane and beneath warrior. It was not uncommon for two brothers to share a wife. At the age of
, it
seven, a boy was taken from his family and placed in a group for training. He was raised with
extreme brutality-beaten,tortured and taught to beat and torture Helots. The Helot was considered
the Spartan’s primary enemy, as they could revolt at any moment. Boys underwent an initiation
ritual that involved a special hunt-not for animals,but for Helots. Slaves would be released into a
hunt,
field or grove and the boys wold hunt them down. By the age of 20 young men received partial
right, and by 30 full rights. Spartans were expected to serve as warriors until the age of 60. Weak
rights
sSpartan children were thrown off cliffs. But this is a myth. During excavations in 20th century it
was discovered that people aged 20-30 were thrown off the cliff. That is criminals were thrown off
the cliff. Sparta’s political structure was also interesting. Sparta always had two kings. Kings did not
mean they wielded absolutely power. After Lycurgus’s reforms, the ultimate authority lay with the
absolute
Apella,a popular assembly. The Apella existed even before Lycurgus’s reforms. Decisions were
made there through a peculiar methods: shouting. Lycurgus’s established the Gerousia-a council of
method
28 senior elders (gerontes). These were Spartans over the age of 60. Why 28? If you look it up in
Wikipedia, you might see the number 30, but because Sparta also had two kings making the number
30.
Meanwhile, in Greece,another powerful city-state(polis) was emerging: Anthens. Unlike Sparta, Athens operated under very
Athens
different principles. Moreover, Athens actively purchased slaves from neighboring states, freed them and invited them to join the city.
If freed slaves became Hellenized, they could stay)
This created an environment where craftsmen,scientists, orators and philosophers flourished.
By 539 BCE the Persian kings had conquered Asia Minor, Babylon,Egypt,Palestine and Syria, creating a vast and powerful empire.Persia had a formidable army and an impressive navy, enabling it to expand its dominion through sheer force. At same time Greece was at its own peak, particularly Athens and Sparta. And __500 BCE. The Greco-Persian Wars began. The Persian invaded '
in
Greek territory, with their well-equipped fleet appearing suddenly off the coast of Greece near the city of Marathon not far from Athens.
It’s clear that the Athenians,on their own, were not capable of defeating the Persians. They sent a messenger to Sparta, which by that time had already become legendary thanks to its invincible phalanx. Because Spartans were trained for war from childhood and their laws strictly forbade retreat. The Greeks won the Battle of Marathon, but this did not stop the Persians. King Darius of Persia died, and his successor, Xeroxes-know as the “King of Kings” – took
Xerxes
the throne. Xerxes assembled a massive army, not just of Persians but of troops from all the subjugated territories of the empire. He even sent emissaries to all the Greek city-states, urging them to join him in his conquest of Greece.
Ellas, Ellines
Athens forged an alliance with Sparta, marking the first Greek coalition. Together they deliberated on how best to combat the Persians. They had two choices. The Spartans favoured land-based combat, relying on their formidable infantry. Themistocles (Athenian general) proposed fighting the Persians at the sea instead. So the Greeks began building a fleet, constructing 200 ships.
Xerxes advanced into Greece using a two-pronged approach: his army marched overland, while the Persian fleet moved along the coast. The fleet was delayed due to a storm at sea.
The Greek commanders decided to confront the Persians at the Thermopylae Pass. This was a narrow passage, about 60 paces wide – roughly 60-90 meters. The advantage here was clear: a massive Persian army could be blocked by fortifications, allowing a smaller force to hold its ground. For a long time, the Persians were unable to take the pass. They suffered defeat after defeat, trying various tactics,including archers and stone-throwing, all to no avail. The Greeks, determined to hold their ground, repelled every attack. However, a turning point came when a traitor in the Greek ranks emerged. His name was Ephialtes. He did betray the Greek forces to the Persians. Ephialtes revealed a narrow path that allowed the Persians to bypass the Thermopylae Pass and attack the Greek forces from the rear. This path was guarded by Spartan allies, but the Persians quickly overwhelmed them and began their encirclement. The Spartans were warned that the Persians were coming from behind. King Leonidas then told his allies “you should leave because its pointless to stay. In this pass, they will crush us”. Leonidas decided to remain, along with 300 Spartans. In truth there more fighters- other Greeks also stayed and fought-but the legend focuses on Leonidas and his 300.
The turning point of the Greco-Persian Wars came at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, a decisive naval engagement near the island of Salamis. The massive Persian fleet entered the bay, only to face the smaller, more maneuverable Greek ships, which engaged them in an organized formation. As the battle progressed the sea grew choppy, and the Persian ships began colliding with one another,creating chaos. In the end, the Greeks emerged victorious. These Greco-Persian Wars, which lasted roughly 50 years, concluded with a complete victory for the Hellenic League – the united Greek states. The Greek even advanced into Persian territory gaining control over parts of Asia Minor.
This marked the beginning of a period known as the Pentecontaetia or “the fifty years”.
Athens became the political,cultural and economic center of Greece.
A war erupted within Greece itself. Two alliances formed: the Delian League, led by Athens and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. One of the catalysts for the Peloponnesian War was a Helot revolt in Sparta. Desperate for assistance the Spartans asked Athens for help. Athens sent troops, who, upon arrival, saw that these Helots weren’t some distant or foreign people – “savages” or “barbarians” in the Greek view -but fellow Greeks, treated by the Spartans as livestock.
Hi Misha!
Merry Christmas!
Today you will tell me all about Russian Christmas and New Year's.
https://www.rbth.com/tag/christmas
Here's an article about the Russian New Year and Christmas. They tell about the singing of Christmas carols called kolyadki in Russian:
https://news.itmo.ru/en/features/life_in_russia/news/7225/
Russiapedia
https://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/ded-moroz/index.html
https://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/old-new-year/index.html
Here's an article about the Russian New Year and Christmas. They tell about the singing of Christmas carols called kolyadki in Russian:
https://news.itmo.ru/en/features/life_in_russia/news/7225/
There's a rule. The rule is that multiple adjectives are always ranked accordingly: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose. Unlike many laws of grammar or syntax, this one is virtually inviolable, even in informal speech.
Hello, my name is Artem. Our small tour starts from the famous Red Square. We will visit the
Kremlin and __museums located on the territory of the Kremlin. Then, we will walk along the theater
the
street and go out to the embankment and turn left. In front of us will be a Gorky park. Where you
omit where
can enjoy nature and sit by the fountain.