Claudiu Lucian Topor
project manager
The areas of expertise of the project manager cover the history of international relations and research of diplomacy from a pluridisciplinary perspective, bringing into play the evolution of political concepts, ideas and trends, forms of state affairs, i.e. directions that provide both an adequate specialization in the field of the proposed theme as well as a base for relating to the existing international historiographic environment.
The research he carried out as part of his doctoral program focused on the issue of Romanian-German relations during the Balkan wars. Besides the component of political inter-relations, the research also scrutinized the visibility of diplomatic connections, negotiation strategies and the foreign diplomats’ interactions with the top local decision makers. The research went on to include in-depth excursions resulting in studies whose topics also support the running of the project at hand: Deutschland, Rumaenien und der Bukarester Frieden (1913), in the volume East-Central Europe and the Great Powers Politics (19th -20th Centuries), edited by Veniamin Ciobanu, 2004, p. 160-181; Germania si criza raporturilor romano-austro-ungare / Germany and the crisis of Romanian-Austrian-Hungarian relations (1912-1913) /, in „Anuarul Institutului de Istorie A.D. Xenopol”, Tome XLI, 2004, p. 295-310. Once this project manager’s PhD thesis, Germania, România şi războaiele balcanice /Germany, Romania and the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), was published by the “Al. I. Cuza” University Press (2008), the research on the Romanian-German diplomatic relations continued as part of a postdoctoral grant (project POSDRU/89/1.5/S/49944) on the topic; Germania, Romania si Marele Razboi (1914-1918). Discurs istoric, metafora politica si instrumente ale diplomatiei /Germany, Romania and the Great War – 1914-1918. Historical discourse, political metaphor and diplomatic instruments. More studies and papers have been presented over the past two years, including two on diplomatic approaches also dealt with as part of the project: Germany, Romania and the July Crisis (1914) in the “Valahian Journal of Historical Studies”, in No.14/ 2010, p. 263-279; Germany’s policy and the diplomatic agenda of Romanian neutrality (1914-1916). The Prospect of a plan for an alliance with Sweden in Revista Română de Studii Baltice şi Nordice, Vol. 3, Issue 1 (2011): pp. 131-144.
The project manager has also been equally interested in the history of diplomacy and gave due importance to such matters as the organisations of formal visits (Vizita tarului Nicolae al II -lea la Constanta (1914). Ecouri in presa europeana / The visit of Tsar Nicholas the 2nd to Constanta (1914). Echoes in the European press, in Anuarul Institutului de Istorie A.D. Xenopol, Tome XLVI, 2009, Bucharest, Romanian Academy Press. ISSN 1221-3705; Romania, Austro-Ungaria si razboiul din Balcani. Vizita la Bucuresti a generalului Conrad von Hoetzendorf, 28-30 noiembrie 1912/Romania, Austria-Hungary and the Balkan war. General Conrad von Hoetzendorf’s visit to Bucharest, 28-30 November 1912, in „Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii Al. I. Cuza”, History, Tome LI, 2005, p. 189-200); international conventions of diplomats (Pacea de la Bucuresti (1913) si relatiile Romaniei cu Puterile Centrale / The Bucharest Peace (1913) and Romania’s relations with the Central Powers, in „Anuarul Institutului de Istorie A.D. Xenopol”, Tome XLII, 2005, p. 349-363; Romania si Conferinta ambasadorilor de la Londra (Decembrie 1912 -August 1913) / Romania and the London Conference of Ambassadors (December 1912-August 1913), in „Analele Universitatii din Craiova, Seria Istorie”, XIV, Nr. 1(15) / 2009, p. 201- 211; imagological perceptions (Imaginea ministrilor romani in corespondenta diplomatica germana. De la razboaiele balcanice la razboiul mondial (1912-1916) / The image of Romanian ministers in German diplomatic letters. From the Balkan Wars to the World War (1912-1916), in the volume Diplomatie si destine diplomatice in lumea romaneasca /Diplomacy and diplomatic destinies in the Romanian world , coordinated by Paul Nistor, Adrian-Bogdan Ceobanu, Târgoviste, „Cetatea de Scaun” Publishing, 2011, p. 101-113; The War in Images. The Romanians and Bulgarians in 1913, in the Valahian Journal of Historical Studies, No. 12/ 2009, Targoviste, Cetatea de Scaun Publishing, p. 79 – 88; Romanian diplomatic missions and overseas accredited ministers (Diplomaţi români în vremea Marelui Război. Legaţiunea din Berlin şi politica lui Alexandru Beldiman / Romanian diplomats during the Great War. The Berlin legation and Alexandru Beldiman’ politics, in „Revista istorica”, Tome XXII, 3-4, 2011 p. 313-326). Moreover, the field of the history of international relations has not ceased to have a significant role, and continues to involve an assiduous introductive effort for this project manager, helping highlight its “disciplinary” identity amongst other branches of history at large.
The underlying concepts, research methodology, and individual analyses were shared to undergraduate and graduate students in lectures and seminars delivered at the History Faculty of the “Al. I. Cuza University” in Iaşi, and also collected in the volume Relatii internationale in lumea moderna (Secolele XVII –XIX) /International relations in the modern world (18th and 19th centuries), “Al. I. Cuza” University Press, Iasi, 2010, 201 p. The visibility of his research has also generated international renown. This project manager has accepted several invitations by European universities for lectures and conferences.
Curriculum Vitae: CV C.L. Topor
Personal website: claudiulucian.blogspot.ro
