Parlamentarizem na Slovenskem v zgodovinski perspektivi: ob tridesetem jubileju prve konstitutivne seje Državnega zbora in Državnega sveta Republike Slovenije, Ljubljana, 28. in 29. 11. 2022

Author(s): Špela Chomicki,Petra Grabrovec / Language(s): Slovenian Issue: 1/2023

The scientific conference deals with the development of parliamentarism in Slovenia from the Middle Ages to the foundation of the National Assembly of the independent and democratic Republic of Slovenia. Its central purpose is to shed light on hitherto lesser-known aspects of this process and to bring new scientific knowledge, but at the same time to contribute to an in-depth public debate and awareness that the parliament is not just an institution, but a reflection of cultural life in the broadest sense of the word.

Mazāk zināmais par Ulža Ģērmaņa publikāciju tapšanu un likteņiem

Author(s): Viesturs Zanders / Language(s): Latvian Issue: 35/2017

The records on writer and historian Uldis Ģērmanis (1915–1997) at the Academic Library of the University of Latvia reveal the origins of the most important publications, as well as their resonance in the exile community and later also in Latvian society. The documents that can be found here and in other repositories allow following the creation of Uldis Ģērmanis’s works and their echoes in the exile community. The essay Latviešu strēlnieku vēsturiskā nozīme (The Historical Significance of Latvian Riflemen) written by Jukums Vācietis and commented by U. Ģērmanis that was published in the book Pa aizputinātām pēdām (1956) gave rise to intensive exchange of ideas for the opportunity to publish a text in exile written in the Soviet Russia and to the debates on the role of Latvian riflemen in the fight for the statehood of Latvia. Furthermore, the book by U. Ģērmanis Latviešu tautas piedzīvojumi (The Adventures of Latvian Nation, 1959) offers a new approach in attracting the interest of youth to the history of Latvia. The correspondence of U. Ģērmanis shows a dilemma of a Latvian intellectual between the desire to have an academic career and the necessity to get actively involved in the social life in exile. It shows the different opinions of U. Ģērmanis and other intellectuals in exile concerning the contacts of Latvian cultural and academic circles with the exile community that were controlled by the Soviet security institutions, which led to tensions in their relationship or even the loss of contact with several friends and colleagues of U. Ģērmanis. The research of the epistolary heritage of U. Ģērmanis attests to his long-term engagement in the creation of monthly magazine Brīvība, as well as provides so far unknown information about the circulation of information between Latvia and exile communities in the years of the Soviet occupation.

Българският септември 1923 година: документите срещу митовете

Author(s): Rositsa Stoyanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2023

Przemoc i okrucieństwa wojny w średniowieczu Wojna Dwóch Róż jako przykład zaniku etosu rycerskiego

Author(s): Andrzej Niewiński / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2023

The 15th century was a period during which knightly culture as a whole, and not just in England, faced a series of challenges and changes. Chivalry remained a popular benchmark for behavior and a cultural model of masculinity and nobility. These assumptions, however, were often undermined by increasingly brutal battlefield experiences that, along with changes in warring practices, revolutionized the way warfare was conducted. The article focuses on the aspect of violence during warfare and presents a specific erosion of the chivalric ethos, using the Wars of the Roses as an example. The evidence presented in this paper indicates that this experience of carnage led to a surge in violence throughout England during this period, including unchivalrous behavior. Moreover, the relationship between warfare and knightly culture has been thoroughly documented among others in numerous chronicles.

Artyleria Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego w latach 1700–1717

Author(s): Mindaugas Šapoka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2023

The article discusses the state of the Lithuanian Artillery Corps in the early years of the 18th century. The findings are mainly based on a report prepared for the Lithuanian Fiscal Tribunal that concerned the corps’ income and expenses 1710–1717. The tribunal took place at the end of 1717 in Grodno. The Lithuanian Artillery Corps was practically non-existent in 1710 due to the losses incurred during previous wars, and the presence of both a demographic and financial crisis in Lithuania at the time only added to the problem. In the following years funding was insufficient. This is evidenced by the fact that 1710–1717 funding for the corps amounted to Polish zlotys 96,000, whereas its expenses amounted to no less than Polish zlotys 170,000. Despite the lack of funds, by 1716 the condition of the corps had improved significantly, although no attempts were made to conduct a thorough reform of its financing during the period in question. Between 1716–1717, the artillery was able to supply the infantry and dragoons of the Lithuanian army with only a few field guns and ammunition. The Silent Sejm of 1717 did not increase the funding of the corps, which could now field up to 10 cannons, a satisfactory amount considering the size of the Lithuanian army at the time, i.e. approximately 6,100 soldiers. The available sources show that the Lithuanian Artillery Corps was quite small – in total about 30 soldiers served in its ranks, most of whom were born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Materiały dotyczące konsultacji na temat prowadzenia studiów operacyjnych Zachodniego Teatru Działań Wojennych z wybranymi armiami państw Układu Warszawskiego w latach 1970–1976

Author(s): Jacek Jędrysiak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2022

In recent years, significant progress has been made regarding our understanding of various aspects of operational planning in the Polish People’s Army. The establishment of the Military Historical Bureau in 2016 contributed to facilitating access to archival materials. Thanks to this, many detailed issues have become the object of analysis by historians, but they require continuous and in-depth research. An example of such an issue are the operational studies of the Western Theater of Military Operations. The subject matter concerning them has so far become the object of wider interest to only a few researchers. In the context of the task carried out by the First Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Polish Army, it is still difficult to reach a consensus as to its importance and role in the overall operational planning of the Polish People’s Army. There is no doubt that from the moment studies were initiated in 1957, the Polish side attached great importance to them, disproportionate to the interest shown by other members of the Warsaw Pact. This resulted in numerous requests for consultations and a comparison of the ways in which studies were carried out. This article uses four reports that document consultations on operational studies carried out by the Polish side with the „fraternal” armies of Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and Hungary between 1970–1976.

Legia Litewsko-Wołyńska w powstaniu listopadowym Organizacja i formowanie (luty–kwiecień 1831)

Author(s): Kamil Zdrojewski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

The article discusses the process of forming and organizing the LithuanianVolyn Legion during the November Uprising until it became subordinated to Governmental War Commission in April 1831. The preserved source materials allowed for a detailed analysis of the problems that arose during the implementation of the project. Considerable attention is devoted to political issues that ultimately led to the establishment of the formation and the role of officers who were personally involved in all activities for the benefit of the unit. The issue of uniforms and supplies for the soldiers of the Lithuanian-Volyn Legion is also discussed. Finally, the actual participation of the formation during the Battle of Grochów on 25 February 1831, is presented, evidence for which was obtained through an analysis of reports from the Polish commanders and the diaries and accounts of the combatants.

Problemy organizacyjne kobiecego ruchu kombatanckiego w II Rzeczypospolitej

Author(s): Marta Sikorska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

The article discusses the activities of the female veteran’s movement in the Second Polish Republic. Organizational problems associated with the activities of the movement are analyzed, with particular emphasis being placed on internal ideological disputes that existed within the movement, which intensified after 1926. Issues surrounding Polish representation on the international stage are also analyzed. One of the most important aspects concerning the organization and functioning of the female veterans’ movement was the establishment in 1925 of the Fédération Interallié des Ancies Combatttants Auxiliaire (FIDAC Aux.). Poland was initially represented at FIDAC Aux. by organizations associated with the political movement Endecja. This situation changed in the early 1930s, after the Piłsudski camp gained control of the veteran’s movement. Between 1932–1933, the Polish female representation in FIDAC Aux. was restructured to include organizations associated with the Polish Legions that fought during World War I, with Aleksandra Piłsudska and General Roman Górecki playing a key role in these transformations.

Kampania polska 1939 r. w historiografii III Rzeszy Wprowadzenie bibliograficzne do tematyki

Author(s): Waldemar Rezmer / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

The article presents the historiography of the Third Reich thematically related to the Poland campaign 1939. The bibliography published in London in 1950 contains a list of 280 publications concerning this campaign, edited in the Third Reich in 1939–1945. There are 128 in the collections of Polish libraries. The publications were supposed to justify German invasion, glorify victory and create the myth of invincibility of the Wehrmacht. However, even amongst them it is possible to find works, which, after being subjected to severe critique, constitute an important source of information about the hostilities and the people who participated in them. They have a significant informative value. There are interesting photographs of soldiers, weapons, equipment and battlefields included in them. After 1945 German historians showed little interest in Poland campaign 1939. As a result, few scientific publications on that subject were prepared.

Kulisy dekonspiracji siatki wywiadowczej mjr. Andrzeja „Gardy” Czaykowskiego

Author(s): Tomasz Krok / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

This article discusses the activities of the communist security apparatus, which led to the breaking of the intelligence network of the émigré intelligence center that operated in Poland between 1949–1952 and the arrest of Major Andrzej „Garda” Czaykowski. The author attempts to establish a direct link between Czaykowski and the intelligence center. The article also looks at the actions taken by the former head of the Offensive Counterintelligence Division of the Intelligence Department, Major Rudolf Plock, who in the latter stages of the investigation into Czaykowski’s cell identified his secret contact with London.

Wywiad na Niemcy oczami kierownika Referatu „Zachód” Oddziału II Sztabu Głównego Wojska Polskiego 1932–1939

Author(s): Tadeusz Dubicki,Robert Majzner / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2022

The article is a critical analysis of major Adam Świtkowski’s opinion concerning the functioning of military intelligence against the Third Reich, which was documented in 1943 as an expression of protest against the falsifying of history and the depreciation of the achievements of „Western” intelligence before 1939. The biggest asset of the document in question is the fact that it was written by the longest serving head of the „West” Department, who was also in charge during its most important period, i.e. between 1932–1939. Świtkowski’s opinion was drafted to complement an interrogation commissioned by a Navy Court Martial in London, within the framework of an investigation into captain Jerzy Niezbrzycki and major Tadeusz Nowiński, who were accused of defaming the then head of the Information-Intelligence Department of the Commander in Chief ’s Staff. The document focuses on two matters, i.e. the consequences of the „In.3” affair with regards to intelligence gathering against Germany, and the department’s role in preparing the country against any aggression from its western neighbor. At the same time, it provides the reader with a lot of supplementary information concerning the structure and modus operandi of the military intelligence service and the effects of its operational activity.

Sąd Obywatelski Polski Walczącej w II Rejonie VII Obwodu „Obroża” Armii Krajowej

Author(s): Bartłomiej P. Szyprowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2022

The article details the creation and functioning of the Civil Court of Fighting Poland, established at the beginning of January 1944 in Region II „Celków” of Warsaw District VII „Obroża” of the Home Army, which was in operation until July 1944. The court was a judicial institution that dealt with criminal offenses of a lesser quality that did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Military Court of the Home Army or the Special Civil Court of the Government Delegation for Poland. The existence of the above court was previously unknown to the vast majority of historians, because until recently there were no known documents related to the functioning of this court. The recently discovered source documents made it possible to take a closer look at the organizational rules of the court and its rulings. The author introduced the principles of the court’s functions and their assessments in legal terms and tried to present the profiles of its constituent and issued judgments, and the manner of their enforcement. The article also attempts to indicate that the establishment of the court was aimed at ensuring quick and effective penal punishment against people acting to the detriment of the local population and local military units, and that its location at the low level of the Home Army positively built public trust in the structures of the Polish Underground State.

Życie i działalność Floriana Siwickiego w latach 1925–1968

Author(s): Paweł Sztama / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2022

Florian Siwicki was born in the Polish Eastern Borderlands and was the son of a Polish professional non-commissioned officer who served in the army of the Second Polish Republic. After the outbreak of World War II, the Siwicki family was deported deep into the USSR, where they survived several difficult years. The article traces the life of Florian Siwicki from the moment of his birth, through the period of the Second Polish Republic and World War II, and concludes in 1968 when he became the commander of the 2nd Polish Army. Siwicki was initially enlisted as a soldier by the soviets in 1942, he then became an officer of the so-called Polish People’s Army. He gradually climbed through the ranks, serving initially during the Stalinist period and later under the leadership of Władysław Gomułka, during which time he held various positions. In 1968, he became the commander of the 2nd Polish Army, which he led during the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces.

Artykuł recenzyjny monografii naukowej Aleksandra S. Puczenkowa pt. Первый год Добровольческой армии. От возникновения „Алексеевской организации” до образования Вооруженных Сил на Юге России (ноябрь 1917 – декабрь 1918 года)

Author(s): Michał Patryk Sadłowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2022

Review of: Artykuł recenzyjny monografii naukowej Aleksandra S. Puczenkowa pt. Первый год Добровольческой армии. От возникновения „Алексеевской организации” до образования Вооруженных Сил на Юге России (ноябрь 1917 – декабрь 1918 года) Александр С. Пученков, Первый год Добровольческой армии. От возникновения „Алексеевской организации” до образования Вооруженных Сил на Юге России (ноябрь 1917 – декабрь 1918 года) (Санкт Петербург: Владимир Даль, 2021), ss. 813.

DOCUMENTARY TYPOLOGY IN THE PRESS FROM THE PERIOD OF THE GREAT UNION – THE BULLETIN

Author(s): Mihaela Racovițeanu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 32/2023

The topic of the study „Documentary typology in the press from the period of the Great Union –The Bulletin” was established considering the field of librarianship and the objective consists in the research of serial documents by exploring the advertising in the press from the period of the Great Union for the bulletin, as a bibliographic unit. The period after the First World War and the unification of the country is also the beginning of Romania's modernity, when political, economic and social measures of great impact on the country were taken, with the aim of consolidating the union and what was gained through it. Therefore, the period 1918-1921 can be called the Period of the Great Union. The popularization of culture was also done through editorial products, with the book playing an overwhelming role, but it is important to find out if the bulletin also had a role in the process, if there was a promotion of this type of document in the press and how the promotion was done. The info-documentary study includes the most representative newspapers from the period 1918-1921: the dailies Adevărul 1919-1921 and Universul 1918-1921. The way in which the bulletin as type document was reflected in the press, 100 years ago, provides information regarding the process of popularization of culture and a certain perspective of the era, from a socio-cultural point of view.

MIĘDZY POLITYKĄ A ORIENTALISTYKĄ AHMET ZEKI VELIDI TOGAN (1890-1970)

Author(s): Marek M. Dziekan / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2022

Ahmet Zeki Velidi Togan was a Turkish political activist and scholar of Bashkir origin. The aim of the article is a presentation of this multidimensional fi gure, little known in Poland, yet important both to politics and to Oriental studies. From 1915 to 1920, Velidi Togan, as a politician, attempted to cooperate with various powers which might guarantee the Bashkirs at least autonomy, if not independence—this caused fl uctuations in his position towards the Soviet government. However, although he soon realized that the Muslim tendencies he represented would not be welcome by the Russian authorities, he is sometimes called the father of Russian federalism. The political views of Velidi Togan, called Validovshchina (a form of the so-called nationalist deviation), are variously interpreted in contemporary Russia, and he is not infrequently considered as an extremist Bashkir ideologist and politician. After breaking with the Bolsheviks, he continued his activity initially in Turkestan, and then, from 1924, in Turkey. Academically, he was associated primarily with the University of Istanbul, and, before the Second World War, temporarily, with universities in Austria (he earned his doctorate from the University of Vienna) and in Germany (in Bonn and in Göttingen). The research output of Velidi Togan and its value have never been questioned. His main focus was history and he authored many important books on the history of the Turkic peoples. His most important accomplishments include the discovery of the manuscript relating the journey of the Arab traveler Ibn Fad.lān (922) to the country of the Volga Bulgarians. Last but not least, there were Polish links in the biography of Velidi Togan, since he kept contact with representatives of Prometheism, a political movement in the interwar Poland.

Банкарско-индустријски конзорцијум као пример плутократизације српске политичке елите 1918–1944.

Author(s): Vesna S. Aleksić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2023

The paper deals with one of the largest covered-up financial affairs in Serbia between the two world wars, that was carried out with participation and knowledge of the very top of the political establishment at that time. The aim of the article is to contribute to the previous efforts to empirically prove how large-scale corruption worked, that is, how the plutocratization had shaped the political elites in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Through an analysis of the establishment and operation of banks and companies that were grouped into a large consortium called the Dragiša Matejić concern, the paper explains the mechanisms of hitherto uninvestigated financial malfeasance, cover-ups, and deliberate violations of the law by the highest state officials, as well as to what extent the principle of nepotism and cronyism prevailed in the business world.

BANGLADESH’S EVOLVING BALANCING STRATEGY: FROM TWO-WAY TO THREE-WAY?

Author(s): Mufassir Rashid,Nishat Tasnim,Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy PROMA / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

Bangladesh has followed a balancing approach in its external relations historically. Over the last five decades, the balancing behaviour has undergone qualitative change due to Bangladesh’s evolving national interest and power dynamics. Bangladesh has been striking a balance between India and China for a while now. However, the situation has changed since the announcement of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the revival of QUAD and the inking AUKUS pact. To counter the growing Chinese presence, a US stake has become visible in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. As a result, Bangladesh is now directly balancing the interests of three superpowers, India, China, and the USA. Existing literature cannot explain this new balancing scenario. This paper aims to explain Bangladesh’s evolving balancing strategy. To do so, this paper will look at Bangladesh’s foreign policy from a historical perspective and focus on the latest development in the Indo-Pacific region. To overcome the limits of existing literature, this paper will attempt to develop a new balancing framework, Three-Way Balancing. This paper will also focus on how Bangladesh can maintain its tradition of neutrality amid heated geopolitics between these three states. This paper will follow a qualitative approach and analyse secondary literature.

ONLINE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN ROMANIA’S ELECTIONS (2016-2020). A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Author(s): Ștefan Maroșan / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

The extent that social media has taken in the last decade in building social life (information, interaction, and group-building) has allowed political parties to interact directly with voters during political campaigns. This article focuses on how the literature has chosen to analyse the involvement of politics in social media during the electoral campaigns in Romania in the period 2016-2020. Based on a systematic literature review, this study aims to identify possible new perspectives for analysing election campaigns in social media.

Strategic Autonomy of The EU. Is it „Unreachable Star”?

Author(s): Andrzej K. Koźmiński / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2023

Let me start with historical reflection. At the very beginning of the century in the year 2000 we were hosting here Annual Conference of the EFMD (European Foundation of Management Development). In search of a motto of the Conference we coined a phrase: “One Europe One World”. It represented our hope for order and rationality both on the European and global level. At that time one of the most quoted book was Fukuyama’s deadly wrong “The End of History”. In this part of Europe these were the times of “big hopes” for the European quality of life at the end of the Soviet imposed crude life styles