A Brief Look at The Mystery of Atlantis

The Mystery of Atlantis

Atlantis has evoked mystery within humanity throughout the centuries and though many would deny its existence, the different interpretations of it are worth exploring.Plato mentioned Atlantis in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias wrote around 360 BC. Plato says it was a land and naval power which had conquered most of Western Europe and Africa in the 10^th millennium BC and that it was an island in front of the Pillars of Heracles. However, Plato suggests after the Atlanteans invasion of Athens failed the city sank into the ocean, leading to its demise. 

                                         A Map of the Atlantean Empire according to Ignatius L. Donnelly

Ignatius L. Donnelly increased interest in Atlantis with the publication of his book Atlantis: The Antediluvian World. He attempted to establish that all known ancient civilisations descended from Atlantis. He also made other connections suggesting the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible was the flood that destroyed Atlantis.  Many of the books theories have lead to the modern day concepts of Atlantis. Donelly himself thought that Plato's account of Atlantis was largely factual. Donelly also suggests other things about Atlantis, such as that the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, Hindus and Scandinavians were simply the kings, queens and heroes of Atlantis. Donelly also suggests the acts attributed to them in mythology  are actually a confused recollection of actual historical events.

Of course all this only applies if Atlantis actually existed. After the theory of continental drift became more accepted the popularity of most 'lost continent' theories began to decline. However, a key argument could be the simplistic idea that the concept of Atlantis proves that the myth comes from some fact. Others, may argue that Plato simply came up with it as a metaphor to show the results of greed, corruption and a decline in virtue. However, this may not be necessarily true. But, what is almost certainly true is that Atlantis remains a mystery.

                                                                                                     

Image Credit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atlantis_map_1882_crop.jpg

Sources:

http://www.atlantisrevealed.com/main.asp

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/atlantida_mu/esp_atlantida_5a.htm

Societas Draconistrarum: A Brief Look at the Chivalric Order

Societas Draconistrarum

The Order of the Dragon was founded in 1408 by Sigismund I of Hungary (who would later become Holy Roman Emperor) and it was similar to other chivalric orders of the time. Its main purpose was to fight the enemies of Christianity, mainly the Turks. However, its enemies also included heretics. Initially, 21 men were inducted into the order ( there was about 24 in 1418). Sigismund later decided to expand the order and between 1431-1437 a second group of inductees were initiated. As the order became larger it began to have two degrees: a superior one and a larger inferior one. The superior degree had the dragon and the cross as its emblem, whereas the inferior one only had the dragon as its symbol. The order became less prominent after Sigismund's death, but its emblem remained on the coats of arms of several Hungarian noble families. The order had quite a number of important members, such as Henry V of England and Vlad II Dracula.

                                                     A Reconstruction of the Order Patch
Henry V of England , famous for his campaigning in France, was inducted into the Order of the Dragon, in exchange for Sigismund being inducted into the Order of the Garter. These inductions came about when Sigismund visited England in hope of making peace between. England and France. Sigismund's plan was to persuade Henry to change his demands against the French. Throughout, Sigismund's visit Henry lavishly entertained him.

 Henry had even intended to crusade for the Order of the Dragon after he had united the English and French thrones, but he died before his plans were fulfilled. The Treaty of Canterbury (1416) sealed an offensive and defensive alliance against France, between Henry V and Sigismund. This was likely due to Sigismund shift away from France and towards England after Henry V's victory  the Battle of Agincourt (1415).

                                                      Sigismund, who founded the Order


Vlad II Dracul (the father of Vlad III Dracula) received this surname in 1431, after being inducted into the Order of the Dragon. He took on the sobriquet in reference to his induction. 'Dracul' derives from the Latin 'Draco' which means 'The Dragon'. His son Vlad III signed some documents using 'Dracula' which literally means 'Son of Dracul' or 'Son of he who was member of the Order of the Dragon'.

The Order of the Dragon seems rather mysterious in a sense, but it could have just been a simple chivalric order. After all, it there were and are other chivalric orders with similarities. The Order of the Dragon itself was modelled after the Order of St.George to some extent. However, the Order's almost disappearance from history, after a point, makes the Order even more intriguing.

Image Credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dragon_order_insignia.jpg
www.museum.hu 
Sources:
http://www.rodoslovlje.com/medieval_serbia/eng/history-dragon.htm
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/dragon.html

A Brief Summary of The Khmelnytsky Uprising

The Khmelnytsky Uprising

The Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648-57) was a Cossack rebellion in Ukraine, which turned into a war for freedom against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The uprising saw the end of Polish influence over the Ukrainians, but soon saw them under the influence of the Russians. The Uprising was also part of the Deluge, a period which saw the golden age of the Commonwealth come to an end. Bohdan Khmelnytsky , who lead the uprising, was born to a noble family and was generally well respected among the Cossacks. But, when Aleksander Koniecpolski, heir to the Hetman’s magnate estate attempted to seize his land and the Polish authorities did not help him, he had to turn to his fellow Cossacks for help.  When he tried to gather support throughout Ukraine he raised the suspicions of the Polish authorities and eventually he was arrested. However, Polkovnyk (Colonel) Mykhalio Krychevsky helped him in his escape. The Cossacks were already close to uprising, as plans to fight the Ottomans had been been cancelled by Sejm (The lower house of the Polish parliament). The Cossacks had been unable to carry out lucrative raids on the Ottomans, due to treaties between the Commonwealth and Ottoman Empire.The plans to fight the Ottomans would have allowed the Cossacks to raid once again, but learning that they could still not due to the Polish Sejm must have angered them a lot.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky

 For the uprising Khmelnytsky , allied with the Khan of Crimea to help him overcome the powerful Polish. On the 25th January 1648 Khmelnytsky arrived at Zaporizhian Sich. He quickly took out the guards and repelled the Commonwealth attempt to retake it, as the Commonwealth tried to retake it more recruits joined him in his cause. The Cossack Rada ( a general Cossack meeting, often military in nature) elected Khmelnytsky Hetman by the end of the month. From this point onward he gained great victories at the Battle of Zhovti Vody, where much of the enemy defected to his cause, and at the Battle of Korsun, at which the Commonwealth's armies were routed. What made matters worse was that the Polish had lost King Władysław IV Vasa, when he died in 1648. Khmelnytsky made demands to the Polish due to his success. However, peasant uprisings turned his uprising into a fight for a autonomous state. However, John II Casimir, was elected King of Poland and he sent a letter to Khmelnytsky granting privileges to the Cossacks and all those of the Orthodox faith. In return, Khmelnytsky was to stop his campaign. However, the hostilities soon resumed and the Cossacks suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Berestechko in 1651 (it was also the largest land battle of the century). However, they won a battle, at the Battle of Batoh, a year later. However, the loss of so many casualties at Berestechko was so devastating Khmelnytsky was forced to stay under the Commonwealth's influence or make an alliance with the Russians. In 1654 the Treaty of Pereyslav was signed , which allied the Cossacks with the Russians. The Polish influence had ended, but as time went the Cossacks became more and more intergrated into Russia.

Image Credit:

http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com

Sources:

http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404900593.html

Dominium Maris Baltici, Part 3: The Decline of the Swedish Empire

The Decline of the Swedish Empire

In 1700 the Great Northern War began when an alliance consisting of Denmark-Norway, Saxony-Poland-Lithuania (though Poland-Lithuania was officially neutral at first) and Russia launched an attack on Sweden (The Danish invaded first). The Polish, Danish and Russians had all suffered at the hands of the Swedish Empire, during its age of expansion. King Charles XII of Sweden, aided by the English and Dutch, rapidly forced the Danish into peace with the Peace of Travendal. During, the period when the Swedish and Danish were fighting. Augustus II the Strong of Saxony had invaded Livonia, but when Charles XII moved his army there ( from Denmark) Augustus swiftly withdrew his men. Charles XII then move to engage the Russians in Narva and Ingria. At Narva, Charles would prove that he was a skilled military commander when he attacked the Russian besiegers there. The Swedish had 10,000 men and were almost outnumbered by four to one by the Russians, however Charles XII of Sweden attacked under the cover of a blizzard and effectively split the Russian army in two. The battle was a great success for the Swedish, who only lost 667 men, while the Russians lost nearly 10,000 men. Charles then decided to campaign in Poland and by 1704 Stanislas Leszcznyski became the puppet King of Poland. During 1706, the Russians and Saxons were forced out of Poland and Augustus II recognised Stanislas as King of Poland. After so much success for the Swedish it is hard to see how the war ended with them no longer being a great power, the war's tide was about to change.

The Battle of Narva

While Charles XII had been campaigning in Poland, the Russians had made incursions into the parts of the Baltic controlled by Sweden and established St Petersburg. Charles XII wanted to permanently put an end to Russia being a threat to Sweden and so in 1707 his invasion of Russia began. However, Peter had reformed the Russian army, partially based on the Swedish army which it was about to face. After, winning the Battle of Holowczyn, Charles marched on Moscow, rather then trying to take St Petersburg. However, the Swedish were forced to march to Ukraine as harsh conditions set in. In 1709, the Swedish would face the battle that changed history, Poltava. The Ukrainian Cossacks aided Charles, as they sought independence. However, Charles had been wounded and was in a coma, so he could not lead the Swedish forces. The Russians decisively won the battle and they forced Charles into exile into the Ottoman Empire.

                                                                       Charles XII of Sweden 

Charles XII was unable to return to Sweden and so Sweden's enemies once again proved to be dangerous. The Danish were rebelled, but Russia continued to invade Sweden's Baltic lands and Finland. In Poland, Stanislas fled and Augustus returned. Charles was initially welcomed by the Ottomans and even provoked them into war with Russia. But, his scheming eventually made him into an unwelcome guest and he soon rode across Europe to Straslund, and then later moved on back to Sweden. In 1716 Charles invaded Norway, as part of his plan to attack Denmark. However, he failed to take the Akershus fortress, despite occupying Christiania and he was forced to retreat. He then invaded again and besieged Fredriksten, but once again he was forced to retreat. He lead one final invasion and once again besieged Fredriksten. On the 11th December 1718 Charles was struck in the head by a projectile and killed. It is unknown if he was killed by enemy fire or by one of his own men. The Great Northern War would end in 1721, with Sweden no longer being a great power and Peter the Great proclaiming Russia an empire. The Russian Empire was a great power following the end of the war.

Image Credit:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Charles_XII_of_Sweden.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Victory_at_Narva.jpg

Sources: 

Greatly,

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/great_northern_war.htm

Dominium Maris Baltici, Part 2: The Consolidation of the Swedish Empire

The Consolidation of the Swedish Empire

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) helped to consolidate Sweden's status as a great power. However, Queen Christina's reign ended when she abdicated in 1654, in favour of her cousin, who would become Charles X Gustav. She may have abdicated due to her conversion to Catholicism and also due to her financially wasteful ways. Charles X Gustav had inherited a nation that was on the verge of turmoil, therefore, he spent his early  reign trying to save Sweden from bankruptcy. He also had to improve his relationship with the nobility, as they had not supported Christina's choice of him becoming King, not to mention that the relationship between the crown and the nobility had already been strained during Christina's reign. However, Charles X was soon at war, when he invaded the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1655. He may have invaded as John II Casimir of Poland still claimed the Swedish throne. Throughout the Second Northern Wars, other nations intervened, such as Denmark and Russia. In 1660 Charles XII fell ill and later died of an illness. As his son was young, a regency council took control of Sweden. They signed several peace treaties throughout the regency. The Treaty of Oliva (1660) saw John Casimir withdraw his claim to the Swedish throne. Despite,some losses it seemed that Sweden had benefited from the conflicts it had faced around this time. However, the regency council that followed Charles X's death made an alliance with France in April 1672 (Despite, Sweden being part of the Anti-French Triple Alliance of 1668, until it broke down in 1670).

                                                         Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles XI's reign was characterised by the Scanian War, which had come about due to the Swedish alliance with France, and his transformation of Sweden into a semi-absolute monarchy. He assumed full control of the monarchy during the Scanian War, as he thought the country needed a strong leadership throughout the war. However, when the Scanian War ended (the war had seen Sweden lose a lot of possessions, only to be regained through the treaties which ended the war) Charles XI was unwilling to give up the nearly absolute control he had over Sweden. Despite, this Charles XI's reign saw the longest period of peace for the Swedish Empire and reforms of the military, economy and government. After, the Scanian War, Charles XI kept Sweden out of foreign affairs and made into a neutral power. However, Charles died of stomach cancer in April 1697. In 1700 Sweden would once again find itself at war, as the Great Northern War began. Charles XII, son of Charles XI, would face a reign that was nearly all took up by war against an Anti-Swedish alliance.

Image Credit: http://www.slideshine.de/12660, Sébastien Bourdons
Sources:
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/wasa.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/charles_x.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/charles_xi_of_sweden.htm

Dominium Maris Baltici, Part 1: The Rise of the Swedish Empire

The Rise of the Swedish Empire 

The term Dominium maris baltici refers to the establishment of a Baltic Sea dominion. After, the Kalmar Union broke up in 1523 establishing a Baltic dominion was one of the main goals of the now independent Swedish nation. Sweden would came very close to achieving its goal, but the Great Northern War (1700-1721) put an end to its ambitions. However, during its height the Swedish Empire was one of the greatest powers in Europe. Traditionally, the empire began during Gustav II Adolf's reign. Gustav II Adolf of the House of Vasa ( also known Gustavus Adolphus) ascended to the throne in 1611 and throughout his reign made notable victories for Sweden, despite inheriting three wars from his father (against the Danish, Russians and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). He ended Russian access to the Baltic with the Treaty of Stolbovo (1617) and  he gained the province of Livonia from the Polish after the Truce of Altmark (1629). The conflict with the Danish was less successful, after Sweden was forced to pay a large ransom for the Fortress of Alvsborg, when the Treaty of Knäred was signed in 1613.

 Gustavus Adolphus changed the course of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) when he intervened in 1630. His intervention may have been for economic gains and the defense of the Protestant faith,which was being suppressed by the Habsburgs, throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Gustavus Adolphus won a great victory at Breitenfeld, in 1631, the victory ensured Sweden's continuation in the Thirty Years War and  it hampered Imperial and Catholic forces. However, the reign of one of Sweden's greatest kings, came to quick end at the Battle of Lützen (1632), when he died in battle. Despite, his death the battle was a Swedish victory and the Swedish Empire would continue to expand for the years to follow.

 
The Swedish throne was inherited by Gustavus Adolphus' only legitimate child Christina. However, she was underage, so Maria Eleonora (Adolphus' wife) and the King's ministers assumed control of the government, until she took control in 1644. She also gained several possessions throughout her reign by seeking peace with Denmark. The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended the Thirty Year's War and it considerably favoured Sweden. The treaty gave Western Pomerania to Sweden and changed its name to Swedish Pomerania. The treaty also gave other territorial gains to Sweden and 5,000,000 Riksdaler. However, the Peace of Westphalia did not bring an end to the struggle for control over the Baltic. Sweden would remain a great power and an important political player in Europe for many decades to come.

   Image Credit:http://reformationsa-org.win07.glodns.net/articles/GustavusAdolphus.htm
    Sources: Greatly,
    http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gustavus_adolphus3.htm
    

The Battle of Tours: A Quick Look at The Battle that Changed History

The Battle That Changed History

                                                                        Image Credit: http://nobility.org/2011/10/20/battle-of-tours/

The Battle of Tours of 732 (or Poitiers, but not be confused with the battle in 1356) involved Charles Martel leading a force of Merovingian Franks against the Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyad's had conquered the Iberian Peninsular in the early 700's. They then set out to invade southern France, but were repelled by the Duke of Aquitaine, Odo the Great, at the Battle of Toulouse (721). However, ten years later the Umayyads returned and crushed Odo's forces at the Battle of the River Garonne . Duke Odo looked for aid from Charles Martel. However, Martel only promised aid if Odo submitted to the Franks. Martel knew he had to raise a professional army to defeat the invaders, rather than using conscripts. Martel tried to remain undetected as he marched, so he could choose where to position his forces. He ended up positioning his forces between Tours and Poitiers. Abdul Rahman al Ghafiqi, leader of the Umayyad forces, was shocked when Martel's 30,000 men were positioned in a square on top of  terrain unfavourable for a Umayyad attack. Abdul Rahman' pause for a week while he gathered all his forces (up to 80,000). This pause allowed Martel to gather more veteran infantry at his position. However, a week later the pause ended and Abdul Rahman sent his cavalry into battle.

Martel's infantry held against wave after wave of cavalry. Eventually, the Umayyad cavalry broke through, but Martel was still saved, as his guard repelled the assault. However, the battle changed dramatically when some of Martel's men started to free prisoners in the Umayyad camp. Martel had sent the men out earlier. A large portion of the Umayyad force believed their plunder from the campaign was in danger and so the raced back to try and save it. Abdul Rahman was surrounded and killed by the Franks, when he tried to stop the supposed retreat.The Franks pursued the Umayyads for a short time. The Umayyads fully retreated and as a result they fled the whole of France, back to Iberia.

It seems the battle changed history, in the sense that it halted the advance if Islam into France. However, in 735 the new governor of al-Andalus, 'Uqba b. Al-Hajjaj moved into France to avenge Tours. Up until 739, the governor carried out raids on places such as Lyon, Burgundy and Piedmont. However, Charles Martel saved the day again with two campaigns, one in 736 and 739 . However, the Umayyads were still not defeated yet. But, in 759 Pippin the Short finally expelled the Umayyads out of France after the fall of Narbonne. The aftermath of the Battle of Tours reveals the Battle of France was far from over after Tours. This leads to one final question, did the Battle of Tours change history ? In my opinion, I think if the Umayyad's won the battle,  they would have advanced even further into France and possibly secured some land for a long period. However, the Franks won the Battle of Tours, and so now I shall say my opinion on what historically happened.  I believe, regardless of the Battle of the Tours, the Umayyads could have eventually finished their invasion of France successfully. It was the campaigns that followed that truly ended the Ummayad threat and therefore, in terms of the Umayyad's not winning Tours, I think the battle did change history, but in terms of the Franks winning, the battle did not change history greatly.

Sources: Greatly, 

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/tours.htm

The Greatest Ottoman Sieges in History

The Great Sieges

Throughout, history there have been many sieges, some of these have altered the course of history, while others have been on a spectacular scale. Regardless of this, there have been many sieges that can be called great. One empire, the Ottoman Empire, participated in many great sieges. Below is a brief description of some of the greatest sieges the empire participated in.

The Siege of Constantinople (1453)

 

                                          Image Credit:from http://everyhistory.org/1400constantinople1.html, by Jean Chartier

The siege of Constantinople took place between the attacking Ottoman Empire and the defending Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine, or East Roman, Empire had been declining for centuries and by the time of the siege of 1453 the empire had reduced in size,drastically. There were around 10,000 defenders of the capital of the Byzantine Empire and about 100,000 attackers led by Sultan Mehmed II. The siege began on the 6th April 1453. At the beginning of the siege the Ottomans seized the last few Byzantine strongholds and also heavily bombarded the Byzantine walls for 12 days. However, the Byzantine troops easily defended a breach in their walls. When, Genovosi ships broke through the Ottoman fleet and passed the chain placed across the harbour and resupplied the city. Mehmed II decided he needed control of the Golden Horn. Therefore, Ottoman ships were dragged overland and 30 ships were in the harbour by the 22nd of April. Over the next weeks of the siege the Ottomans launched several assaults on the city, whether by breach, ladder, tower or by  trying to dig tunnels under the walls. However, the Byzantines held. However, on the 29 May 1453 the city finally fell in a final assault, in which Emperor Constantine XII Palaiologos was killed. The city likely fell because the defenders were heavily outnumbered, tired and low on supplies. The siege changed history as it opened Europe up to the Ottoman Empire.

The Siege of Vienna (1529)
                                           

                                                         Image Credit: http://apippas.wordpress.com

Since the Siege of Constantinople (1453) the Ottoman Empire had grown even stronger. In 1529, as it besieged Vienna, the empire reached its height. The Siege marked an end to the rapid expansion of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. In May 1453 the Ottoman Army of  around 120,000 men left Constantinople for Vienna. However, unusual downpours of rain affected the Ottoman march, for example the Ottomans had to leave their heavy cannons behind. However, on September 29th the Ottoman Army reached Vienna.  The Ottomans quickly surrounded the city, but the Holy Roman Emperor,Charles V was away fighting against France. There just over 20,000 men defending the city. Suleiman had obviously expected the city to surrender, which he also wanted, as only then would he get the full treasures of Vienna according to Islamic Marshal Law.  As the rain had prevented the Ottomans from bringing there larger cannons they had to use small ineffective cannons. However, their main use was to incite fear in the populace of Vienna. The Ottomans dug tunnels and tried to place explosives under the walls. However, on the 28th September it rained and the black powder for the explosives was soak. On October the 9th the rain stopped and the Ottoman explosives were detonated. However, the breach was easily defended by the Landsknecht. A final assault on October 14th was easily repelled. The siege marked the beginning of the long decline of the Ottoman Empire, as it would never reach the same heights again.

The Siege of Malta (1565)

  

                                          Image Credit:http://www.historynotes.info/place-to-visit-malta-804/

On the 18th May 1565 the Ottoman armada arrived at Malta. The Ottomans wanted to gain a foothold in the Mediterranean, to use as a position to use to gain more power. The Ottomans once again had a sizeable army of around 40,000, while the defending Knights Hospitalier only had 600 Knights. However, they did have the support of some mercenaries and some Maltese irregular troops. In total, the defending force summed up to about 8,000 men. Jean Parisot de Valette,Grand Master of the Order of Malta, was in charge of the defenders. The Ottomans began their siege by assaulting the Fort St Elmo, Valette was hoping to hold on until promised relief from Sicily came. However, within a week the fort was nearly reduced to rubble. Despite, Valette still supplying the fort, it eventually was overwhelmed on the 23rd of June. The Ottomans assaulted more and more Maltese positions, but each time they were repelled. Sometimes, the Ottomans nearly won the siege, just to be driven away again. In the beginning of September, the Ottoman commander, Mustafa Pasha, ordered his men to take Mdina. His idea was to go through the winter there. However, on the 8th September the Ottomans had gave up and were preparing to leave the island. But, the day before a relief force of 8,000 men arrived on the island. After much pursuit, the Ottomans left Malta on September 11th.

Sources:

http://www.historytoday.com/tony-rothman/great-siege-malta
http://apippas.wordpress.com
http://everyhistory.org/1400constantinople1.html

A Brief Look at the History of Antarctic Politics

The Politics of Antarctica

Several nations lay territorial claims to the Earth's southernmost continent. Seven of the continent's eight territories have been claimed by various nations. However, in general, these claims are not universally recognised. Regardless of this, these claims have been somewhat postponed due to the Antarctic Treaty, which came into force in 1961. The Antarctic Treaty allows no more claims to be made on the continent, while it is in force. Also, it does acknowledge or challenge any of the claims that were made to the land before the Treaty came into force. The Treaty also defines Antarctica as a place of peace and international scientific benefit.

                                               Image Credit: http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/9_claims.php



Above is a look at what Antarctic land is claimed by the various nations that have claimed land there. As you can see, some of the claims overlap each other, in particular the claims laid by the United Kingdom, Argentina and Chile. Despite, The Antarctic Treaty officially 'delaying' these claims, there has still been disputes over them. A recent example was in late 2012 when the British Government named 169,000 square miles of  the British Antarctic Territory after Queen Elizabeth II as a 'gift' for her Diamond Jubilee. Argentina saw this as a provocation,as the British Antarctic Territory overlaps Argentine Antarctica. What made this worse was that tension had already been created after a recent dispute over the Falkland Islands, another British Overseas Territory. However, on the 27th December 2012 Russia called for the the responsible compliance of the Antarctic Treaty, which states that no activities,which take place when the treaty is in  force, can assert or deny a nation's claim on territory in Antarctica.

One nation, Brazil, has not officially claimed land in Antarctica, but has declared 'a zone of interest'. Meanwhile, Peru,Russia,South Africa and the USA have reserved their rights to claim land in Antarctica. Does this mean in the future their could be more political tension over Antarctica ? It seems that there will be no major disputes over territory in Antarctica. However the possibility is still open, even for minor disputes.


Sources:
http://www.neurope.eu/article/russia-issues-statement-queen-elizabeth-land
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/9752856/Part-of-Antarctica-named-Queen-Elizabeth-Land-as-gift-for-Diamond-Jubilee.html
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk