HUNGARIAN IRREDENTA IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL SITUATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE (YEARS 1929 – 1938)

Author(s): Milan Olejník / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2014

The paper is analyzing causes and character of irredentist activities of Hungarian governments in relation to Czechoslovakia during the monitored period. Principal aim of irredenta was to establish an alternative to the direct annexation of Slovakia, or at least of part of the Slovak territory inhabited by the Hungarian minority. The goal of irredenta, besides other, was also to reinforce ethnic awareness of the Hungarian population in Slovakia, to cultivate a historic legacy of Hungary and to eliminate integral processes, which could weaken connections of members of the Hungarian community toward their kin country. Parallel with the increase of political instability during the second half of thirties, intensify also irredentist activities among ethnic Hungarians. The status of majority of Hungarians living in Slovakia was dramatically changed after the annexation of the majority of Hungarians to Hungary.

REFLEXIA SITUÁCIE RUSÍNOV V 20. ROKOCH 20. STOROČIA V SLOVENSKEJ ODBORNEJ LITERATÚRE PO ROKU 1989

Author(s): Marián Lukáč / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 4/2014

The year 1989 marked a new stage in the Slovak historiography which allowed a new reinterpretation of the previous research and opened up topics which were considered taboo until then. This article discusses the results of scientific research in the field of Rusyns' history in the twenties of the last century. This later research showed that it was a crucial period for them. On the one hand, in this period began divergent development that separated Rusyns of eastern Slovakia from their countrymen in Ruthenia. On the other hand, while this development was initially perceived negatively, it is argued that of the entire homeland of Rusyns in the Carpathian Mountains, Rusyns in eastern Slovakia have probably the best prospects for their further national development.

K vývinu česko – slovenských vzťahov v Bratislave (1918 – 1945)

Author(s): Daniel Luther / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 3/2018

The article deals with the development of Czech and Slovak relations in Bratislava during the inter-war period, disrupted by the autonomist radicalisation of Slovak society that resulted in the establishment of the totalitarian regime of the Slovak state. The incorporation of the predominantly German and Hungarian city in the new Czecho-Slovak Republic in 1918 resulted in mass immigration of Czechs and Slovaks. The mutual relations developed under the difficult conditions of the new state and multi-ethnic city. I focus on the contribution of Czechs at the stage of Bratislava’s transformation into a Czechoslovak city and on its economic and cultural development which brought Slovak citizens to the fore, becoming the most numerous ethnic population group. It is not my ambition to provide an analysis of the entire 20-year period; my intention is to generalise the social consequences of some key events.

The Capture and Trade of Captives by Hungarian Soldiers during István Koháry’s General-Captaincy in Szécsény and Fiľakovo

Author(s): Štefan Szalma / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2022

The trade of captives was part of everyday life on the Ottoman-Hungarian borderland during the 17th century. Despite the peace between the Habsburgs and Ottomans in the years 1606–1663, frequent looting expeditions and constant skirmishes occurred between the two empires. The local trade of captives also flourished, which included raiding expeditions for the sole purpose of acquiring captives, negotiations regarding ransom and standards for keeping and redeeming captives. Interest was so great on both sides such that in the 17th century, an extensive system of customs and unwritten rules existed, largely accepted by both Ottoman and Hungarian rulers. The focus of this article is on the involvement of Hungarian soldiers in the field of captive trading during the time of the general captainships of István I. Koháry Cases examined concern primarily the garrisons of Fiľakovo, Szécsény, Balassagyarmat and to a lesser extent, other surrounding castles, all sourced from the fund of the Koháry family archive located in the Banská Bystrica State Archive. Attention is centered on cases where people were taken captive from the ranks of the civilian population (mostly subjects of Ottomans), and not explicitly Ottoman soldiers or dignitaries. The aim here is a study of the behavior of soldiers towards the general population in the abovementioned territories, and an observation of the application of specific customs connected with the trade of captives in practice.

Одисеята на един документ, или пактът Молотов–Рибентроп в обятията на политиката

Author(s): Petya B. Dimitrova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

The study covers one of the most discussed in the recent years events related to World War II history – the August 23rd 1939 signing of the non-aggression treaty between Germany and the USSR, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and especially the secret additional protocol to it. The story of its actual signing on the eve of the war, of its copy‘s discovery among German diplomatic documents at the end of World War II, of its promulgation in the West, and of the „search“ for it for a full 50 years in the East are intended to show that at any given moment all the players in the field of international relations handled the protocol only in the context of their own political aims. The Soviet leadership signed both the pact and the secret protocol guided by the desire to guarantee the security of the country through territorial gains and expansion of its influence range. This not only betrays an inherently geopolitical mindset, but also frames the Soviet foreign policy as ‚rational and practical realpolitik‘, which moreover is developing under a deep-seated suspicion of a possible armistice between Britain and Germany. The USSR’s Western allies, who were quite well aware not only of the existence of the secret protocol but also of its contents, were not at all bothered by it, guided by their own political interest and pursuing their own goals. After the war, the wartime allies became irreconcilable enemies and the existence of collusion between Hitler and Stalin became a powerful weapon in the hands of the West in the political and ideological confrontation during the Cold War. At the same time, Moscow’s denial of the existence of a secret protocol (also politically motivated) proved to be an extremely unfavorable strategy. Acknowledging its existence in the last days of 1989, when not only the Eastern bloc was rapidly collapsing, but central forces within the Soviet Union itself were also intensifying, could not stop both the destructive processes in Eastern Europe and the struggle of the nations directly affected by the protocol. As a result of this prolonged and assertive struggle of the already independent in terms of international relations subjects, years later the political decision was taken to name the USSR as one of the main culprits in the outbreak of World War II.

POLEMICA ÎNTRE TRADIȚIE ȘI MODERNITATE: ROLUL SĂU ÎN CONTURAREA IDENTITĂȚII ROMÂNEȘTI

Author(s): Dennis Deletant / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 27/2024

The development of Romanian national consciousness in the 18th century hinged on concepts of “nation” and “national identity”. Influenced by the Enlightenment and Latin heritage, intellectuals in Transylvania promoted Romanian identity, sparking a lasting debate between tradition and modernity. This continued through Romania’s interwar period, where avant-garde and traditional currents coexisted, tempered by introspective self-criticism and, later, nationalistic excess. This article discusses this debate in its reinterpretation received in the final decades of national communism.

CONSIDERAŢII PE MARGINEA VIEŢII ŞI ACTIVITĂŢII UNUI LUPTĂTOR PENTRU DREPTURILE ROMÂNILOR TRANSILVĂNENI, IULIU CEZAR VLĂDUŢIU (1846–1918) DIN TURDA

Author(s): Răzvan Mihai Neagu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 27/2024

The purpose of this study is to present the life and activity of a national fighter less known in specialized literature, Iuliu Cezar Vlăduţiu. Very schematic research on it has been undertaken before, but until now there is no material, article or study dedicated to him. That’s why we set out to fill this void and bring to light (again) a great personality of Turda, an illustrious and valiant fighter for the national rights of Romanians from Transylvania, who made a remarkable contribution to political, national, social, economic and cultural life of the old city on Arieş. It can be said without error, that Iuliu Cezar Vlăduţiu was a forerunner of the Great Union. He came from an illustrious Greek-Catholic priestly family. He studied had an intellectual training in legal sciences, acquired in Cluj, but despite all this he was not able to practice law. He settled in Turda, where he became a close friend of the Raţiu family and contributed significantly to the cultural and material upliftment of the Romanians in this town. He was a man of distinguished moral qualities, regarded with great respect by his compatriots. Also, tireless work was one of the characteristics of his life. With honor, Iuliu Cezar Vlăduţiu represented Turda-Aries county at the national conferences in Sibiu, getting involved in the Transylvanian Memorandum movement. At the local level, he was a virilist, a member of the county general congregation, the most important positions he held were those of executive director of the “Ariesana” Bank (1894–1911) and director of the Turda Division of the ASTRA association (1905–1913).

UN ISTORIC AL IOBĂGIEI DIN TRANSILVANIA: DAVID PRODAN

Author(s): Cătălin Cozma / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 27/2024

This article traces the evolution of David Prodan’s researches in the fields of social and economic history, using both his works and documents from the Cluj County Directorate of National Archives. A student of the Romanian University in Cluj, David Prodan has shown a special interest in social history studies since the very beginning of his career as a historian. Among the reasons behind this particular interest were his peasant ancestry and his desire to reconstruct the socio-economic foundations of the Transylvanian rural universe. Starting with a couple of studies about a few little-known agrarian terms, Prodan continued his researches in the sphere of social history with a new topic, that of serfdom in Transylvania. To his credit, the historian foresaw the importance of the significant gap in the Romanian historiography caused by the lack of adequate studies regarding one of the most important institutions in the socio-economic history of Transylvania. This subject was also of great importance for the history of the Romanians in this province, as the serf communities were mostly made up of Romanians. Prodan’s efforts, spanning over five decades, in researching the phenomenon of serfdom have materialized in numerous articles, studies, and monographs, appreciated by both Romanian and foreign historians.

Regionalna saradnja na Balkanskom poluostrvu početkom XX i XXI veka: sličnosti i razlike

Author(s): Dragan R. Simić,Dragan Đukanović,Dragan Živojinović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 10/2021

The authors of this paper highlight the main trends in the origin and development of regional initiatives in the Balkans since the beginning of the XXI century (the Balkan Pact and the Little Entente), as well as the similarities and differences with today’s dominant forms of multilateral cooperation in this region of Europe (particularly the Regional Cooperation Council, the Berlin Process and the “Open Balkans”). Therefore, the authors will indicate the international influences on the configuration of regional cooperation in the Balkans over the aforementioned periods, as well as how much it is affected by the complexity of relations between the regional states and their internal circumstances. Furthermore, they will discuss how the historical divisions among the Balkan states are reflected in the dynamics of regional cooperation. In this regard, they point out certain parallels between the organizational forms of cooperation in the region, their working methods, and internal procedures around the turn of the century and the previous century.

Гръкоосманизъм срещу панславизъм: Власис Гавриилидис и неговият поглед върху руската балканска политика

Author(s): Slaveya Kotova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2025

In the years following the Crimean War, a segment of the Greek elite recognized the incompatibility between the so-called “Great Idea” of Greek unification and Russian imperial ambitions regarding the Straits and the Ottoman capital. On an ideological level, the rise of Pan-Slavism also posed a threat to Greek claims of cultural supremacy over the Orthodox Slavic populations in the Balkans, fueling Russophobic sentiments within Greek society. Against this backdrop, the Bulgarian- Greek church dispute erupted, reinforcing fears of a Slavic conspiracy orchestrated by Russia. It was in this context that Vlasios Gavriilidis’ text Greece and Pan-Slavism appeared in 1869. The present article critically examines the historical overview of Russian eastern policy as presented by the author.

XI Дриновски четения

Author(s): Mihail Stanchev,Sergey Strashniuk / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2025

Prizonierii de război români aflaţi în captivitate otomană

Author(s): RADU TUDORANCEA / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 23/2024

This article examines a lesser-known dimension of Romania's participation to the First World War: the fate of the Romanian prisoners of war held in captivity by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. The research combines archival sources with memoirs and war journals of former combatants who survived WWI captivity. The analysis focuses on several factors: contemporary international legislation on rights and duties regarding the POW status; the context of their captivity; the conditions in POWs camps; official initiatives to improve the status of the POWs (including payments for the officers according to their rank); the involvement of international humanitarian and relief organizations (e.g., the International Red Cross and the International Prisoners of War Agency); and, the process of repatriation. The contribution shows that the initial harsh conditions in the POWs camps gradually improved due to bilateral negotiations between Romania and the Ottoman Empire (mediated by the Royal Legation of Spain in Constantinople), and because of the intervention of international relief organizations. The latter offered support to the POWs by facilitating correspondence with families at home, by providing food supplies, and by offering medical assistance.

Cazul Silviu Brucan: de la contestare la revoluţie (1987-1989)

Author(s): Mioara Anton / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 23/2024

This article analyzes the role played by Silviu Brucan in the overthrow of Nicolae Ceauşescu’s regime. Even though he did not manifest any prior opposition and he enjoyed a preferential regime, S. Brucan’s attitude changed after the workers’ revolt in Braşov in November 1987. He called for the reevaluation of economic policies, statements taken up by the international press. The remarks irritated the leadership in Bucharest, which reacted by placing him under house arrest. Nevertheless, the regime tried to use Brucan’s links with personalities in the United States of America to preserve its trade status of most-favoured-nation. As British documents show, Brucan was a valuable source of information about what was happening in Romania during the late 1980s. Brucan considered the „Letter of the Six” as a test to show whether or not there was a critical mass in the party to reform the system. The alleged meeting with Gorbachev in 1988 does not clarify whether there was a plan to overthrow Nicolae Ceauşescu. Despite the incomplete and distorted information, Brucan remains a key figure for the last years of communism in Romania.

Politica în „Epoca stagnării”: consemnări în jurnalul lui Leonid Iilici Brejnev

Author(s): Simion Gheorghiu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 23/2024

The article addresses a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues faced by the Soviet Union during the period of stagnation, as reflected in Leonid Brezhnev’s memoirs. Published in a limited edition after nearly a decade of sustained editorial efforts, and accompanied by a critical apparatus based largely on previously unpublished archival material, specially declassified for this project, Brezhnevʼs memoirs is a unique source in its own way.For researchers interested in the history of the USSR in its final period of existence, Brezhnevʼs autobiography is an important resource. It not only reconstructs the general framework of the era but also provides direct insight into the events experienced and influenced by the Soviet leader.The article summarizes the information from the three volumes of the memoirs, focusing on the Soviet Unionʼs relations with the United States, China, and the member countries of the Warsaw Treaty Organization. The contribution also dwells on issues pertaining to Soviet-Romanian relations, which drew the attention of the Moscow leader.

O reflecţie asupra polarizării şi violenţei politice. Lecţiile pentru România

Author(s): Alexandru Muraru / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 23/2024

Violence is the next step after severe social polarization or division. The article proposes a comparative reflection on the lessons of past extreme political brutality (i.e., assassinations of political leaders) in Romania and the United States of America. It also explores current trends, pointing to slippages that could potentially bring about the return of such violence. The recent assassination attempt on newly elected US President Donald Trump offers a crucial lesson for Romania: the safeguards of democracy weaken significantly when law does not penalize excessive political aggression.

Програмите на Kорпуса на мира в България (1991 – 2013): цели и реализация

Author(s): Simona Samuilova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

The purpose of this article is to examine the activities of the Peace Corps in Bulgaria as an instrument of US “soft power”. It is based on research and analysis of documents from the archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, annual reports and evaluations of the effectiveness of the volunteer organization during the period of its activity in the country (1991-2013). Using a chronological and thematic approach, the objectives of the organization are outlined. They combine a complex balance between the commitment and voluntary two-year service of thousands of Americans to promote „peace” and „understanding” among nations and the organization’s strategic goals of supporting US foreign policy interests in Central and Eastern Europe after the end of the Cold War. In Bulgaria, these are to promote economic reforms in the transition from a planned to a market economy (economic), to increase American influence (geostrategic), to promote democracy and to strengthen the pro-Western orientation of the younger generations (political).

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE FOUNDATIONS AND EVOLUTION OF CODICOLOGY

Author(s): Ştefan Lifa,Alexandru Fodor / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

The article aims to provide a systematic and concise presentation of the main issues related to codicology as an auxiliary science of history. Greater attention is paid to the evolution of codicology as an independent science. Unlike many other auxiliary disciplines, in the case of codicology, uncertainties regarding the definition of its object of study have persisted for a long time. There are two diametrically opposed trends in this regard. One, prevalent until the beginning of the 20th century, included codicology in the field of study of paleography. The interdisciplinary approach that has gained more and more ground in recent decades has made this trend return with force towards the end of the 20th century. The other, in tune with the tendency towards specialization of positivist historiography, has drawn clear demarcations between codicology and paleography, representing the dominant paradigm for most of the last century.

MAJOR GENERAL IOAN CULCER, COMMANDER OF THE ROMANIAN FIRST ARMY DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR (AUGUST 14TH - OCTOBER 11TH, 1916)

Author(s): Andrei Popete Pătrașcu / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

Commander of the 1st Army, during the 1916 campaign, Ioan Culcer was one of the Romanian generals who pleaded for neutrality and did not agree with the idea of engaging the army in war, on two fronts, as its general condition was precarious from the point of view of the effectives, equipment and endowment of the troops. However, he devotedly fulfilled his mission, so under his command, the actions taken by subordinate troops were successful at the beginning of the campaign of this so-called War for National Integrity. Later, due to not having sufficient forces to cover the entire area of responsibility and no close reserves at his disposal, in the face of the offensive responses of an increasingly numerous and well-equipped enemy with weapons and combat techniques, General Ioan Culcer submitted to the General Headquarters a detailed plan that suggested retreating the troops of the First Army, the reorganization of the operative device and the defence on a strongly fortified alignment on the left bank of the Olt. Considering that the retreating would be the equivalent of a defeat, on October 11th, 1916, General Ion Culcer was relieved of command, but the unfavourable evolution of the subsequent military actions in Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea, resulting in the general retreating of the army and all political-administrative institutions in Moldova at the end of 1916, confirmed the correctness of the strategic vision of this important general.

Handbuch der deutsch-polnischen Kommunikation

Author(s): Bastian Sendhardt / Language(s): German Issue: 1/2025

Review of: Handbuch der deutsch-polnischen Kommunikation. Hrsg. von Sylwia Dec - Pustelnik, Peter Klimczak (Teilband 4: Crister Petersen), Arkadiusz Lewick i und Izabela Surynt. (Studien zur Multikulturalität, Bd. 1, 1–4.) Harrassowitz Verlag. Teilband 1: Von Antisemitismus bis Kunst. Wiesbaden 2021. X, 386 S. ISBN 978-3-447- 11718-0. Teilband 2: Von Literatur bis Politik. Wiesbaden 2022. X, 328 S. ISBN 978-3-447-11807-1. Teilband 3: Von Popkultur bis Stereotyp. Wiesbaden 2023. X, 348 S. ISBN 978-3-447- 11962-7. Teilband 4: Von Theater bis Wissenschaft. Wiesbaden 2024. X, 345 S. ISBN 978-3-447- 12107-1. (je € 68,–.).

History and Politics in Polish Jewish Israeli Relation 1989–1995

Author(s): Jacek Stawiski / Language(s): English Issue: 20/2022

After 1989 Poland decided to re-establish diplomatic relations to the State of Israel that were severed in 1967. Poland also opted for the dialogue between Poles and Jews that was very limited during communist period. Lech Wałęsa as President was keen on opening new contacts with the Jewish diaspora and Israel. Wałęsa visited Israel as first ever Polish President and Chaim Herzog visited Poland as well. In the 1990s key anniversary ceremonies were organized commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the liberation of the Nazi German camp Auschwitz. In those years the issues of anti-Semitism and complexity of Polish-Jewish relations, particularly during the Holocaust, were addressed.