A Bulgarian Student in Early XX Century Ukraine: Study, Lifestyle and Challenges

Author(s): Аndrii Chutkyi / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2021

The paper discusses the life of Konstantin Nikolov, a Bulgarian from the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa, during his study at the Kyiv Institute of Commerce (1909 – 1915). The very “insignificance” of this person allows for some wider generalizations, given the fact that precisely such people best reflect the society as a whole. For this reason, the study of ordinary people’s biographies has become an important focus of modern historiography. Nikolov’s student years illustrate some aspects of contemporary Bulgarian history and exemplify the experience of Bulgarian students in the Russian Empire before and during the World War I. The present study is based on archive materials previously untapped by scholars. It also involves some documents relative to Svitozar Drahomanov, who was of Ukrainian origin but spent his childhood in Bulgaria and studied at the Kyiv Institute of Commerce along with Nikolov, as well as documents regarding a trip to Bulgaria by Czesław Madej, another student of the same institute. The study demonstrates that archives of different Kyiv-based higher educational institutions should be explored for more valuable materials regarding Bulgarian born students, which may help draw a fuller picture of Bulgarian-Ukrainian relations in the field of education and culture. This, in turn, will contribute to a deeper understanding of the history of Ukrainian higher education in the early 20thcentury. It will also provide a wider perspective on the phenomenon of Bulgarians studying abroad before and during the World War I, including the life situations of the students during this period which proved crucial for the whole European civilization.

A century of ethnic changes in the Romanian territories united with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918

Author(s): Ionel Muntele,Costel-Cosmin Sîrbu,Raluca Ioana Horea-Șerban,Dorin Lozovanu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

The objective of the study is to clarify to what extent the alienation of a territory and the dynamics of the urbanization process may affect the evolution of the ethnic structure of the population within the time span o f a century. The year 1918 was an essential moment in the territorial evolution of the Romanian state which, in a short time, passed from the imminence of the total occupation by the Central Powers to the resolutions of the 1919-1920 peace treaties that sanctioned the unification of all the regions inhabited predominantly by Romanians. The evolution of the ethnic structure of the population in these territories recorded different tendencies, depending on the political and historical context. The territories that continued to belong to the Romanian state experienced a continuous strengthening of the majority ethnic component, including in urban centres. However, in the territories occupied by the Soviet Union, the territorial fragmentation, the assertion of an artificial national identity (the Moldovan one) and the favouring of Eastern Slavic communities produced complex effects, from marginalization and isolation in rural communities (the case of the territories assigned to Ukraine) to an identity crisis in the Republic of Moldova. The post-communist period registered the same trends in the territories of north-western Romania while being significantly disturbed in the ex-Soviet territories. The results of the study prove the importance of integrating predominantly Romanian territories into the unitary Romanian state.

A companion to Kazimierz Twardowski

Author(s): Ewelina Grądzka / Language(s): English Issue: 72/2022

There have been many significant publications on Kazimierz Twardowski. Jacek Jadacki intends to add to this list another book Rozum i wola. Kazimierz Twardowski i jego wpływ na kształt kultury polskiej XX wieku. In the review it is appraised whether it can be called “a companion to. . . ”. It provides introductory information that can help readers better understand the role of Twardowski in Polish philosophy and culture. Updated findings by contemporary scholars are also included. The quality of the articles is guaranteed by such authors as J. Woleński, R. Kleszcz, A. Brożek and J. Jadacki. However, new authors are also present as well as less common topics like Twardowski’s influence on the Polish School of Philosophy of Medicine and his roles as political scientist, educational theorist, and historian of Ancient philosophy. The authors manage to convince the reader that Twardowski is “a classic” worth knowing, in consequence the book can be treated as a “companion to Twardowski”. It also inspires readers to further investigate the works and accomplishments of the Lvov philosopher.

A Critique of Alexander Samoilovich (1880– 1938) and the Process of an “Imperial Visitor’s” Evolution

Author(s): Anton Ikhsanov / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2020

The modern epoch is connected to the increased pace of intercultural interaction. In numerous spheres of human activity, the communication field between representatives of different cultures has become a part of everyday life. The necessity to provide an academic study of this phenomenon has led to the emergence of a specific branch of science titled “intercultural communication” and has changed the direction of anthropological studies, the methodology of history, and sociology. However, the basis for this change of approach was not only a “cultural turn” and an attempt to enrich the “toolkit” by the newest methods of social sciences. One of the foundations for this shift to a new field of studies was self-reflection by historians and anthropologists. According to Maria Todorova, the ability to acknowledge the possibility of a scholar’s self-transformation by contact with the Other (and the dual nature of this process) is an ultimate indicator of this development by any branch of science. Asian and African studies are not exceptions.

A Csehszlovák Légió etnikai dimenziói

Author(s): Zsolt Jončev / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 4/2018

The Czechoslovak Legions occupy an almost legendary place in history. The Czechoslovak Legion were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs with a small number of Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I in pursuit of an independent Czechoslovakia. Their goal was to win the support of the Allied Powers for the independence of Bohemia and Moravia from the Austrian Empire and of Slovak territories from the Kingdom of Hungary, which were then part of the Austro–Hungarian Empire. The Legion in Russia was established in 1917. The study analyses literary works of Slovak writers who participated in the Legion, and presents the Slovak–Czech and Slovak–Czech–Hungarian relations, mainly conflicts within the Czechoslovak Legion.

A Database Model for Social History: Historical Data Grinder and the Transylvanian Society of 19th and 20th Centuries

Author(s): Angela-Cristina Lumezeanu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2019

A Database Model for Social History: Historical Data Grinder and the Transylvanian Society of 19th and 20th Centuries – The study presents a new model for building a historical database, namely, the Historical Data Grinder (HDG). It is based on the EAV design model developed in bio-medicine and it offers some advantages for the historian especially when dealing with a large variety of heterogeneous sources. The database is very flexible and has a simple architecture, with fewer tables and relations when compared to a relational database. The HDG database has the possibility to store any kind of historical information with no limitations regarding the time period, geographic area or thematic range to which reference is made, and is also suitable as a teaching and experimental tool.

A DIRTY WAR: THE ARMED POLISH-LITHUANIAN CONFLICT AND ITS IMPACT ON NATION-MAKING IN LITHUANIA, 1919–23

Author(s): Tomas Balkelis / Language(s): English Issue: 121/2020

This article discusses the armed Polish-Lithuanian conflict during 1919–23. It flared in May 1919 when the first open clash between Lithuanian and Polish troops took place. It gradually escalated into an undeclared war and lasted until late November 1920 when, in Kaunas, both sides agreed to stop fighting along the neutral zone established by the League of Nations. However, there was no final peace agreement signed, only a truce, and low-scale paramilitary violence continued unabated in the neutral zone until as late as May 1923. The author argues that the conflict involved various paramilitary formations which terrorised the civilians in the disputed borderland. For the Lithuanian government, the war against Poland provided an opportunity for total mobilization of the Lithuanian society. The fact that, during the entire interwar period, the conflict remained open-ended, ensured that the paramilitary structures and military laws that emerged during it would remain in place for much longer.

A disturbing revisiting for the Centenary. My reply to Mr. John Zametica

Author(s): Danilo Šarenac / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2022

This text presents a reply to the article published by John Zametica and his critique of the volume Sarajevo1914. Sparking the First World War.

A Fifth Year of Independence: Lithuania, 1922 and 1994

Author(s): Tomas Venclova / Language(s): English Issue: 02/1995

The Declarations of 16 February 1918 and of 11 March 1990 have much in common. Both declarations of independence were made under conditions of occupation. Foreign powers holding Lithuania under their rule-in the first instance Germany, in the second the Soviet Unionwere playing an intricate game with its society. Initially, Sajudis and its leadership, like the Council of Lithuania in 1918, were acting with the connivance and even with a kind of approval of the occupying authorities. Pursuing their own goals, far from identical with the Lithuanian interest, neither occupying power objected to a limited Lithuanian selfrule, but were strictly opposed to any aspirations for full independence of the country. In both cases, the liberation process quickly slipped out of their control. Lithuania, whose leaders were better able to anticipate the course of events than their adversaries and who succeeded in aptly exploiting the inner divisions and weaknesses of the regime, won the game. [...]

A főhatalomváltás „első felvonása” Érsekújvárban 1918–19191

Author(s): Dávid Bencze / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2020

The historical event of “Trianon” is the most neuralgic point in the history of the Carpathian Basin. This period (1918-1920) means the disintegration of “Historic Hungary” and the separation of nationalities from Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The results of the national-aspirations of independence was the establishment of new “nation states” in the Carpathian Basin. Czechoslovakia as a multiethnic nation state was also created in 1918. The professional historians today agree that the Treaty of Trianon has many factors and different precedents. The new minority-communities had a “traumatic experience”, because they separated from Hungary and they became citizens of the new states. The paper explains this problem – the empire-changes – as a longer process. The study focuses on the progression of “Trianon” in Czechoslovakia. In the frame of our research we examine a South-Slovakian city – Érsekújvár. The aim of this paper is to present events which happened in the city during the end of 1918 and the beginning of 1919. After the empire-changes, Érsekújvár became an ethnically mixed (Slovakian-Hungarian)city. In my research I use archival sources from the Archive of District Office in Érsekújvár and press materials, more specifically, a regional newspaper Érsekújvár és Vidéke [Érsekújvár and its region] and some state newspapers. I also examine remembrances.

A Ganz és az Egyesült Izzó a nemzetközi porondon 1867–1949

Author(s): Péter Macher / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2019

Mária Hidvégi: Anschluss an den Weltmarkt. Ungarns elektrotechnische Leitunternehmen 1867–1949. (Transnationale Geschichte Band 10.) Vadenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen, 2016. 414 oldal

A Jászi-féle nemzetiségi minisztérium 1918 őszén

Author(s): Gábor Sztancs / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3/2021

Wilsonianism, the principle of the self-determination of nations, which appeared in the last years of the First World War, quickly spread among the politicians, intellectuals and nationalities of the later victorious great powers, the small nations that emerged victorious, and at the same time the politicians, intellectuals and nationalities of the defeated countries. The first Hungarian People's Republic was born after the defeat of the war, and the Károlyi government and its minister for nationality affairs, Oszkár Jászi, sought to ensure the integrity and independence of the country. In order to preserve these, they put the "ideal of self-determination of nations" on the battlefield. Jászi believed that the ceded territories would be interpreted as a fait accompli" in the peace negotiations and that it would not be possible to enforce the right of the Hungarian side to a referendum. To avoid a fait accompli, he formulated a Hungarian interpretation of "limited national self-determination." At the end of October and beginning of November 1918, the ministry in charge of coordinating the self-determination of the nationalities living in Hungary was quickly organised, given the circumstances. The ministry was very active in propaganda, both at home and abroad, especially in relation to the areas and nationalities that wished to secede. It launched propaganda campaigns in the country quite early in favour of preserving Hungarian integrity and applying the principle of plebiscite for the internal separation of nationalities. Most importantly, the Ministry of Nationalities from the outset embraced and encouraged the organisation of regional plebiscites to decide on the affiliation of territories. Gragger's signature-gathering campaign, impressive even in its torso, played an important role in formulating Jászi's plebiscite ideas. From the outset, the idea of a plebiscite for the inhabitants of Hungarian and German-majority areas played an important role in the Hungarian government's preparations for peace. In the final Hungarian peace document, Albert Apponyi also put forward this idea as one of the most powerful arguments for saving the Hungarian majority areas that were condemned to annexation in the draft peace treaties.

A katolikus felvilágosodás a német nyelvű történetírásban

Author(s): András Forgó / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2014

In the first part of his paper the author casts a rapid glance over the appearance of the term Catholic Enlightenment in German historical writing, then summarises the debate on its usage and understanding from the end of the 19th century to the post-World War II period. The article concentrates on the most important German language publications of the most prominent scholars of the fi eld. Relying on the most recent German scholarship the author presents the state of the art research of Catholic Enlightenment. In the second part of the article he discusses possibilities for further inquiry in the fi eld with reference to Abbot Anselm Densing’s (OSB) most significant historical work, the Auxilia Historica. Special attention is paid to the Hungarian aspects of Densing’s work and their possible sources. In the third part of his article, Forgó, in connection with the Piarist Order’s activity in Hungary, attempts to show the potentials of the research of Catholic Enlightenment in Hungary. The author lays emphasis on the connection of enlightenment and politics, which he considers an important feature of the whole question.

A liberalizmus mint bűnbak. A Tanácsköztársaság létrejöttének antiliberális magyarázatai a Horthy-korszakban

Author(s): Péter Csunderlik / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2-3/2020

A magyar parlamenti pártok vezetői az 1917. februári orosz forradalomról

Author(s): Tibor Hajdú / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 03/2018

The Russian revolution of February 1917 exerted a great influence on Hungarian public opinion. It was a general hope that the war would end, peace come and the menacing regime of the Tsar collapse. Yet the reactions of the politicians diverged. Since prime minister István Tisza saw no sign of the revolution’s potential spread to Hungary, he refused to change his political course. It were the opposition politicians who draw attention to the danger of the revolution’s contaminating effect, and used it as an argument in their urging for the extension of suffrage rights.

A MÁRAMAROSSZIGETI REFORMÁTUS JOGAKADÉMIA „ÁTTELEPÜLÉSE” MAGYARORSZÁGRA

Author(s): József Kerekes / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2022

The law academy in Máramarossziget, founded in 1837, was shut down in 1854 by Minister of the Interior Bach because of its participation in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It reopened its gates to the students only in 1869.The law-academy flourished in the 20th century, having more than 120 students. It received support and sponsorship from the Prime Minister himself. However, the Great War sealed its fate. Two thirds of the whole faculty and most of the students were enrolled in the army. This tragedy was followed by an even greater one: the Spanish flu epidemic. Also, the Russian army ravaged the land, followed by the regime change. After the Peace Dictate, the law academy became part of the Romanian Kingdom’s territory. The faculty accepted the invitation of the town of Hódmezővásárhely and relocated itself to Hungary in 1921. Unfortunately, because of its unfavourable financial state and the decision of the Reformed Diocese of Tiszántúl, the Minister of Cults and Education closed down the academy for good in 1923. This was the last law academy founded by the church. Its rightful successor became the law academy of Kecskemét, one that was acknowledged nation-wide by the Reformed Church of Hungary.

A marosludasi telep konszolidációja (1901–1915)

Author(s): Mária Orsolya Tóth / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2022

This paper examines the agricultural minister’s annual reports in charge with the 20th century colonization. These accounts describe the political economy of Luduș Colony in the first 15 years (1901-1915), recording the period of accommodation and consolidation of the colonists. The colonization, the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and the newly colonized families contributed to the development of a new era on the local level as well. Beside the ministerial reports, the paper reveals 6 accounts of the local administrator (Luduș Colony) and 8 of the territorial head chief (Cluj-Napoca), found in the National Archives of Budapest. These archival documents are processed for the first time, so they reveal some so far unknown features about the communication between the state and the families established near Luduș, giving a new perspective on the anthropological and politico-economic research.

A montenegrói külpolitika dilemmái a 19. század második felétől az első világháborúig

Author(s): Radoslav Raspopović / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3/2017

This paper discusses the foreign policy of Montenegro from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the World War I, as well as the changes in its definition and practical realization. The analysis was carried out by taking into account foreign policy priorities in the separate stages during this period, as well as by considering the change in the choice of the country’s main foreign partners among the great forces. The proclamation of the Montenegro for the principality in 1852 is the beginning chronological point of this paper, not only because of the change in the form of the government in Montenegro, but also because, after the introduction of secular power in the country, a period followed by the crisis in the political relations with Russia began. This crisis was significantly less dramatic and less common in the earlier relations between these two countries, as well as between 1878 and 1903. By gaining sovereign status in 1878, Montenegro changed its foreign policy actions in order to align its own goals and instruments of actions with political interests of the main political subjects in the international community. Analysis of the foreign policy of Montenegro has showed inaccuracy of the widespread opinion that the Russia had the absolute influence on the foreign policy of Montenegro from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the World War I. In addition to France and Austria– Hungary, especially after 1903, Italy was also very active in the international life of Montenegro. Author concludes that with the start of the Balkan wars, and especially World War I, Montenegro, not only lost Russian influence, which was very strong in certain periods, but also significantly narrowed the list of possible foreign partners between other great forces, and after 1916 the Russian influence was lost.

A nagy exodus

Author(s): Gábor Gyáni / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 03/2021

As a clear sign of globalization nearly fifty million Europeans moved to the United States between the mid-19th and mid-20th century. Hungarian citizens also took a part in the process during the decades of the late 19th and early 20th century. Their number, according to the data of turnover, could be around one million and three hundred thousand. Since every third outmigrant had finally returned, and a great number of them did the distance several times between America and Hungary, the actual human loss of the country could be at best nine hundred thousand. The extent of overseas migration, however, was much less than the interregional one happening within the boundaries of the country and/or Europe. The migrants were recruited mainly from the poor agrarian population, and the non-Hungarian nationalities. The geographical distribution of the movement was also highly selective: the emigration centers coincided with a few marginal areas (counties and groups of villages).

A Nagy Háború szürke zónája. A váci civil internáló-tábor működésének története

Author(s): László Somogyi / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 03/2020

When, in the summer of 1914, the declaration of war happened among the parts, according to plans made previously, rounding up foreign citizens living on the territory of Hungary in special camps started. These subjects, who were completed with Hungarian citizens belonging to minorities and being suspect in the eye of the authorities, became internees who were guarded in camps created especially for foreigners. Vác was one of the members of this camp system, where the local hussar-barrack had been transformed into an internment camp. Documents that came into being during the operation of the camp completed with documents from foreign archives sources and the local press news can help us to get an insight into the captivity model used during the First World War that is called internment.