MAGILINA I.V. The Political Significance of “Muscovy” as Assessed by Anthony Shirley in His Treatise “Peso politico de todo el mundo” (1622)

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.1.18

Inessa V. Magilina,

Candidate of Sciences (History), Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Political Science, Volgograd State University, Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation,

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https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8221-0332

Аbstract. Introduction. The article examines the political treatise “Peso politico de todo el mundo” (The Political Weight of the Whole World), written in 1622 by an English nobleman in the service of the Spanish monarchs. Introduction. The treatise “Peso politico de todo el mundo” was introduced into historical circulation by Xavier-André Le Flores, using a handwritten text from the personal library of Philip IV. Methods and materials. The treatise consists of 27 chapters; the 12th chapter is devoted to the description of the Russian state – “Muscovy,” where Shirley spent six months in 1600. Using hermeneutic and historical-critical methods, the author attempted to recreate Shirley’s intentions regarding the prospects of “Muscovy” in the international arena after the Time of Troubles. Analysis. The overall tone of the work is quite objective; the description of Muscovy contained fairly complete information about the state and political capabilities of the state, from the point of view of European politics of the early 17th century. Results. Shirley presented the Spanish government with a ready-made project designed to crush the dominance of Spain’s two main enemies – England and the Netherlands – not by force of arms, but by breaking their trade monopolies. In a sense, the treatise represents a summary of numerous Spanish projects of the time, proposing a revival of the former might of the Iberian Empire. “Peso politico de todo el mundo” is a global geostrategic project for international, trade, and economic relations, centered on the interests of the Spanish monarchy. Analyzing the capabilities of various global powers based on their socioeconomic potential, Shirley reveals the likely benefits for the Spanish crown, including distant “Muscovy.”

Key words: political treatise, Anthony Shirley, Muscovy, international politics, Spanish crown, economic potential.

Citation. Magilina I.V. The Political Significance of “Muscovy” as Assessed by Anthony Shirley in His Treatise “Peso politico de todo el mundo” (1622). Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2026, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 213-222. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.1.18

This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)  

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