Shtiglits, A.N.: The United Kingdom and its Politics in South Africa

Title

Velikobritaniia i ee iuzhnoafrikanskaia politika, Sankt-Peterburg 1901

The United Kingdom and its Politics in South Africa

Keywords

Summary

The book opens with a review of the history of South Africa from its inception to the establishment of the South African Republic. Following a chronological account of such historical events as the foundation of Johannesburg by the “uitlanders” and the Anglo-Boer war, the author analyses them from juridical and political perspectives. The juridical aspect centres on defining the status of the South African Republic in the international community. To support this analysis, a study by Professor Komarovskii of Moscow University (1874), addressing the right of a state to intervene in the political affairs of another state, is referred to. The author points out that British colonial policies have stirred dissent in the international community. For the Russian Empire, the prospect of a large British colony spanning from Egypt to South Africa is viewed as a potential disaster. To counter this, the author suggests that Ethiopia, a natural ally of Russia, should play a key role. The strong diplomatic, political, spiritual, and religious ties between Russia and Ethiopia, including the successful presence of a Russian embassy and doctors, are highlighted. The author contrasts the positive relationship between Russia and Ethiopia with the exploitative dynamics seen between European countries and their African colonies, likening the former to leeches draining the resources of their colonies.

Bio

Aleksandr Shtiglits was a Russian legal scholar and Master of Law. His dissertation was devoted to Great Britain and its colonial politics in South Africa. His scientific interests revolved around the problems of international law and international politics. Among his published works, there are the monographs A Study on the Beginnings of: Political Stability, Legitimism, and Nationality (1889-1892), Italy and the Triple Alliance (1906) and Russia and the Slavs (1907).

Sources

I. Chimbaev, Slavianofil’stvo, Leningrad 1986, p. 42;

V. Grabar’, Materialy k istorii literatury mezhdunarodnogo prava v Rossii, 1647-1917, Moskva 1958, p. 314;

V. Syrykh, “Shtiglits, Nikolai Aleksandrovich”, Pravovaia nauka i iuridicheskaia ideologiia Rossii, t. 1, Moskva 2019, p. 817.

M.E.