What two countries participated in the war between 1617-1618 in order to take Polish pressure off of Russia?
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden
Polish–Swedish War (1617–18)
The Polish–Swedish War (1617–18) was a phase of the longer Polish–Swedish War of 1600 to 1629.
 It continued the war of 1600–11 and was an attempt by Sweden to take Polish pressure off Russia.
 The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was then also fighting Tartars and (on the southern front) the Ottoman Empire.
 Russia and Sweden were at that stage allied, prior to the Ingrian War, part of the Polish–Muscovite Wars.
 The 1617–18 war's cause was a dispute over Livonia and Estonia, and a dispute between Sigismund III Vasa and Gustavus Adolphus over the Swedish throne.
Polish–Swedish wars
The Polish–Swedish Wars were a series of wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden.
 Broadly construed, the term refers to a series of wars between 1563 and 1721.
 More narrowly, it refers to particular wars between 1600 and 1629.
 These are the wars included under the broader use of the term:
France–United Kingdom relations
France–United Kingdom relations are the relations between the governments of the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK).
 The historical ties between the two countries are long and complex, including conquest, wars, and alliances at various points in history.
 The Roman era saw both areas, except Scotland and Northern Ireland, conquered by Rome, whose fortifications exist in both countries to this day, and whose writing system introduced a common alphabet to both areas; however, the language barrier remained.
 The Norman conquest of England in 1066 decisively shaped English history, as well as the English language.
 In the medieval period, the countries were often bitter enemies, with both nations' monarchs claiming control over France.
 The Hundred Years' War stretched from 1337 to 1453 resulting in French victory.
 Britain and France fought a series of five major wars , culminating in the Coalition victory over Napoleon in 1815.
 After that there were some tensions, but peace generally prevailed and as the 19th century progressed, the relationship became better.
 Closer ties between the two began with the 1904 Entente cordiale, particularly via the alliances in World War I and World War II, wherein both countries fought against Germany, and in the latter conflict British armies helped to liberate occupied France from the Nazis.
 Both nations opposed the Soviet Union during the Cold War and were founding members of NATO.
 In recent years the two countries have experienced a quite close relationship, especially on defence and foreign policy issues; the two countries tend, however, to disagree on a range of other matters, most notably the European Union.
 The British press relishes the chance to refer to France and Britain as "historic rivals" or emphasize the perceived ever-lasting competition that still opposes the two countries. 8th Venice International Film Festival (1940)
The "8th" annual (void) Venice International Film Festival was held from September 1 to September 8, 1940, less than three months after Italy had belatedly entered the Second World War as Germany’s ally.
 Together with the 1941 and 1942 it is 'considered void- as if they did not happen'.
 The events were held in places far away from the Lido, and very few countries participated due to World War II and directors that were members of the Rome-Berlin axis.
 In fact the Festival lost its ‘international’ designation that year, as the war had reduced the number of participating nations to just three: Italy, Germany and, in a sparring role, Hungary.
 It became therefore the "Manifestazione cinematografica italo-tedesca", to reflect its Italo-German character.
 The two countries participated with seven feature films each, while Hungary had three. Giovanni Bembo
Giovanni Bembo (21 August 1543 in Venice – 16 March 1618 in Venice) was the 92nd Doge of Venice, reigning from his election on December 2, 1615 until his death.
 His reign is notable for Venetian victories during the War of Gradisca (1617) and for the Bedmar Plot (1618), in which the Spanish ambassador to Venice, Alfonso de la Cueva, 1st Marquis of Bedmar, was unsuccessful in his plans to destabilize the Most Serene Republic. Soviet Union–United States relations
The relations between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991) succeeded the previous relations from 1776 to 1917 and predate today's relations that began in 1992.
 Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established late due to mutual hostility.
 During World War II, the two countries were briefly allies.
 At the end of the war, the first signs of post-war mistrust and hostility began to appear between the two countries, escalating into the Cold War; a period of tense hostile relations, with periods of détente. Malawi–Mozambique relations
Malawi–Mozambique relations refers to the current and historical relationship between the countries of Malawi and Mozambique.
 As Malawi shares a large border with Mozambique, much of the substance of their foreign relations pertain to the border separating the two nations.
 Both of the sovereign states have amicably agreed that lacustrine borders on Lake Malawi remain the largest priority between the two countries, as the exploitation of natural resources within the waters of Lake Malawi remain an issue the two countries continue to resolve.
 The moment considered an act of generosity and sympathy within the two countries relations is when, during the Mozambique Civil War, Malawi housed over one million Mozambican refugees between 1985 and 1995.
 After this gesture, Malawian relations with Mozambique crumbled under the tenure of Bingu wa Mutharika, notoriously reaching a nadir when Malawian police launched a raid into Mozambique's territory. Lithuania–Poland relations
Polish–Lithuanian relations date from the 13th century, after the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Mindaugas acquired some of the territory of Rus' and thus established a border with the then-fragmented Kingdom of Poland.
 Polish-Lithuanian relations subsequently improved, ultimately leading to a personal union between the two states.
 From the mid-16th to the late-18th century Poland and Lithuania merged to form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a state that was dissolved following their partition by Austria, Prussia and Russia.
 After the two states regained independence following the First World War, Polish-Lithuanian relations steadily worsened due to rising nationalist sentiments.
 Competing claims to the Vilnius region led to armed conflict and deteriorating relations in the interwar period.
 During the Second World War Polish and Lithuanian territories were occupied by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, but relations between Poles and Lithuanians remained hostile.
 Following the end of World War II, both Poland and Lithuania found themselves in the Eastern Bloc, Poland as a Soviet satellite state, Lithuania as a Soviet republic.
 With the fall of communism relations between the two countries were reestablished. Russia–Spain relations
Russia–Spain relations (Russian: Российско-испанские отношения Spanish: "Relaciones bilaterales entre Rusia y España" ) refers to the bilateral foreign relations between the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Spain (member-state of the European Union).
 Russia has an embassy in Madrid and a consulate-general in Barcelona, and Spain has an embassy in Moscow.
 Spain and the Grand Duchy of Moscow first exchanged envoys in 1520s; regular embassies were established in 1722.
 Soviet-Spanish relations, once terminated after the Spanish Civil War, were gradually reestablished starting in 1963 and were fully established by 1977.
 Trade between the two countries amounted to two billion Euros in 2008.
 In March 2009, the two countries signed an energy agreement providing national energy companies access to other party's domestic markets. Norway–Russia relations
Norway–Russia relations (Russian: Норвежско-российские отношения or Российско-норвежские отношения ) refers to the bilateral foreign relations between the two countries, Norway and Russia.
 The establishment of diplomatic relationships between the two countries happened on October 30, 1905, four days after the establishment of Norway's independence.
 Russia has an embassy in Oslo and consulates in Barentsburg and Kirkenes, and Norway has an embassy in Moscow, and consulates in Murmansk and Saint Petersburg.