Abstract
This paper examines the political and historical identity of King Charles I of England. The author stresses his role prior to and during the English Civil War. The author evaluates the extent to which he was directly responsible for the outbreak of war.

Abstract
The English and the Dutch fought three wars in the seventeenth century of which the first two were about trade and the third about King Charles II and his attempts to gain power. This essay outlines these wars and the impact they had on the trade, politics and religion of Europe at that time. It also allows us to understand better the motives and drive behind the English king engaging in various treaties, alliances and of course battle. Great detail is paid to historical fact.

From the Paper
"The Dutch naval wars have been viewed as having lesser historical importance than many other events of the same time period, such as the English civil wars and the restoration of Charles II. However, these wars had a great impact on the trade, politics and religion of seventeenth century Europe. Three wars were fought between England and the Dutch Republic, the first two about trade. The third war, on which focus has been aimed, dealt with the monarch of England, Charles II, and his attempts to gain power. The third Dutch naval war failed to enhance Charles II's power because the war went badly and caused the treaty of Dover to backfire."

Tags:Charles, Dutch, England, history, naval, navy, war

Abstract
Charlemagne, the name given to Charles, King of France and the first Emperor of the western Christian Empire, lived and ruled during the eighth and ninth centuries, A.D. Over the course of his career as a leader, the Holy See, as its foremost defender and enforcer recognized Charlemagne. Under his rule, Christian Europe was effectively consolidated under one guiding political and religious body as had never been accomplished before. Over the course of this paper, his direct influence and control over the Church will be discussed.

Abstract
The paper proposes that following the First English Civil War in the years 1646-1649, King Charles was ultimately to blame for the failure to reach a settlement. It examines his aims and actions, his duplicity and attempts to play his opponents against each other. It assesses the role of the New Model Army, and discusses the increasing radicalization of the Army, and its impact on a weakening Parliament.

From the Paper
"The period following the end of the First Civil War was one of increasing radicalization in politics. It saw the rise of the Army as a new force in the political life of the country, primarily at the expense of Parliamentary authority. It saw the decrease in power of the Parliament which was eventually reduced through outside pressures to the Rump of late 1648. It also saw the final steps to the trial and execution of a reigning monarch on charges of treason against his own subjects. Time and again Parliament attempted to reach a settlement with Charles; their attempts were consistently thwarted both by the intransigence of the King and by the desire of the Army for a resolution of the crisis which would satisfy their own political demands."

Tags:agitators, cromwell, engagement, heads, holles, ireton, levelers, model, new, proposals, putney, rainsborough

Abstract
This research paper discusses the collapse of the Soviet Union and its empire in 1989-91 and the future of Eastern Europe after Soviet domination. The paper concludes that the events of 1989 marked the end of the communist revolution. For more than forty years, the West had contained the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain, while the inherent faults of Soviet communism, embodied in the flawed policies of its leadership, brought about the inevitable collapse of the Soviet empire. The author discusses the fall of communism which presented humanity with a historic chance to progress a few feet forward. The author argues that only when democracy and capitalism reach the roots of society, however, can these ideas blossom into true positive change in the post-communist world.

From the paper:

"What happened in 1989 was not a revolution itself, but actually the final nail in the coffin of a revolution. The fall of the Soviet Union represented the end of a forty-year challenge to democracy and market capitalism, both of which had already been established as the status quo (at least of Europe, the main battlefield" of the Cold War). The revolution of western democracy and capitalism began in 1642 in England where the first popular rebellion against a monarchy brought about the execution of King Charles I. Less than a decade later, Thomas Hobbes, at least partially inspired by the upheaval in England, published his famous work Leviathan. Although he advocated submission to the absolute supremacy of the state, Hobbes was not concerned whether that state was ruled by a king or a parliament, and this non-commitment to monarchy laid the intellectual foundations for the development of democratic political theory. John Locke soon bridged the gap between Hobbes' realism and what would become liberalism with the ideas of majority rule, natural rights, property rights, and the responsibility of the state to uphold these ideals. Montesquieu added the issues of separated and balanced governmental powers, and Rousseau defended self-determination and civil liberty. Adam Smith introduced the world to comparative advantage and put forth the belief that the ability of every citizen to make his own economic choices created the most prosperous economy. The ideas of these philosophers, along with Madison, Jefferson, Ricardo, and "the rest," inspired more revolutions in America in 1776, France in 1789, across Europe in 1848, and again in American in 1860."

Tags:1989, berlin, cold, curtain, east, eastern, europe, iron, soviet, union, wall, war

Abstract
This paper examines what is probably now the best known of O?Connor?s works, the short story ?The First Confession?, examining three different critical perspectives on this story that help us to understand both its individual merit and its importance as an example of O?Connor?s style and wit and the larger place that short stories (and particularly Irish short stories) have held in the literature of the English-speaking world since World War I and especially since World War II.

From the paper:

"Frank O?Connor was the literary pseudonym of Michael O'Donovan. But given the quality and breadth of his work, it is hard to understand why this Irish playwright, novelist, and short-story writer who, as a critic and as a translator of Gaelic works from the 9th to the 20th century, served as one of the most important and influential interpreters of Irish life and literature to the English-speaking world would want to hide his light under the bushel of a nom de plume."

Tags:literary, criticism, experience, Gaelic, Irish, Catholic, culture, expression

Abstract
This paper examines the book of the title's depiction of Benjamin Franklin. It observes that the book attempts to encompass the entirety of Franklin's life and, in so doing, must focus on one particular over-arching theme - that of Franklin's personal passions that led him to do everything he did. The author does fail to adequately cite/source his information and thus makes the book read more like a dry historical novel than a biographical text. But, it does achieve its goal - to present Benjamin Franklin's character as one of intense energies, creativity, and passions that, among other things, helped create America.

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses whether the First Crusade was based upon economic motives or upon genuine religious sentiments. The writer highlights that this issue of economic versus religious causes is controversial, but there is a general historical consensus that the First Crusade, initiated by Pope Urban II on November 27, 1095, was primarily motivated by religious fervor and determination to establish Christian control over Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

From the Paper
"For decades, most Western historians considered the First Crusade and subsequent crusades to be colonial ventures based upon economic motives, and dismissed the idea that the Crusades were motivated by genuine religious sentiments. It is only recently that modern scholars have acknowledged that Christian faith may have been the primary motivation, and that the economic advantages Europe gained after the First Crusade were of secondary consideration for the Crusaders."

Tags:the, first, crusade

Abstract
This paper examines the apparent roles and functions of women in William Shakespeare's "King Henry the IV, Part I". Specifically, the paper looks at the impact of women upon other characters and whether or not their roles should have been different and, if so, how they should have been different. The paper contends that Shakespeare accurately captures the gender divisions of his age but fails to highlight the central contribution of Henry IV's first wife, Mary de Bohun, in the establishment of this man as a powerful king over a flourishing empire.

From the Paper
"One other thing that becomes evident is that much of the play is about men seeking power - about them accruing titles or lands, in short. As a result, by as early as Act 1, Scene 3, it is fairly clear, at least as we listen to Hotspur denounce the Prince of Wales and "Bolingbroke" (Henry IV), that power in fourteenth century England is a "man's thing" and that women are only referenced in these matters if they are bearing children who may become lineal descendants to a throne or baronetcy or if the behavior of one nobleman or another is so intemperate that he is described by his colleagues as a "woman" who cannot hold his tongue or think rationally."

Tags:power children, first wife, rogues marginalized