This article is an attempt to present a generally understood opinion of the Serbs and their various groups, both in Serbia itself and scattered all over the world, about the unilateral Albanian proclamation of independence of Kosovo on 17 February 2008. The author thoroughly examines the Serbian government’s official standpoint, the individual politicians’ opinions as well as positions of the main political parties, the Orthodox Church, numerous organisations, associations, representatives of academic and media circles, etc. The analysis ends with the beginning of December 2008 when Kosovo’s independence was recognised by 54 countries all over the world. The major thread of this paper, i.e. very strong Serbs’ opposition against the aforementioned proclamation of February 17 has been shown against the background of Serbian -Albanian relationship on the turn of the 20th and 21st century with particular emphasis on the years of 2007 -2008. Another factor that the author presents is a vast description of the process of gradual acceptance of Kosovo’s independence by more and more countries and their political and economic motivations in view of legal and political actions undertaken by Belgrade in order to question the legality of the secession act.
In the article, the author has analyzed some myths, controversies and inaccuracies concerning the genesis, course and results of the armed expedition by Grand Vizier Kara Mustapha Pasha against Vienna in 1683. Some of them came into existence almost immediately after the victory at Vienna John III Sobieski, others were created or retained for various reasons later, especially in the Polish literature of the subject. One of the main purposes of the article is also the analysis of the media and film image of the Battle of Vienna. The article is an attempt to answer some research questions and some hypotheses on the basis of such written sources as the Turkish chronicles and the available literature of the subject.
The battle of Kumanovo traditionally passes as the most important clash of the Serbian and the Ottoman armies in the First Balkan War. The analysis of the military potential of both parties to the conflict, the weapons used by both armies, the positioning of forces, the battle plans and their realizations made possible a new interpretation of the course of the battle and its real meaning. In the light of recent studies, as it turned out, the command of the first Serbian Army not only did not predict the fight to take place near Kumanovo, but it was also unaware of the military operations happening near Kumanovo until the end of the first day of the battle. The ultimate success of the Serbian Army in the battle came more as a result of a lucky coincidence and the actions of the commanding line officers, rather than conscious military operations of the Serbian command, which did not join in the battle until its final stage. As a result of the battle of Kumanovo, the Ottoman Vardar army commanded by Zeki Pasha, which was the strongest one at the site, indeed suffered large losses and was forced to retreat, however, it was not the ultimate defeat. The later battles of Kratovo and Kočani and especially of Prilep and Monastir proved to be decisive. The myth of Kumanovo as a decisive battle of the war served as dynastic propaganda for the Karađorđević and namely, for the current heir to the throne, Aleksander, who formally, assumed command of the fighting troops. The myth was established, though, and also nowadays, the battle of Kumanovo is treated as a symbol of Serbian victory, as, among other things the ceremonies held in 2012 at the 100th anniversary of the battle prove.
PL
The battle of Kumanovo traditionally passes as the most important clash of the Serbian and the Ottoman armies in the First Balkan War. The analysis of the military potential of both parties to the conflict, the weapons used by both armies, the positioning of forces, the battle plans and their realizations made possible a new interpretation of the course of the battle and its real meaning. In the light of recent studies, as it turned out, the command of the first Serbian Army not only did not predict the fight to take place near Kumanovo, but it was also unaware of the military operations happening near Kumanovo until the end of the first day of the battle. The ultimate success of the Serbian Army in the battle came more as a result of a lucky coincidence and the actions of the commanding line officers, rather than conscious military operations of the Serbian command, which did not join in the battle until its final stage. As a result of the battle of Kumanovo, the Ottoman Vardar army commanded by Zeki Pasha, which was the strongest one at the site, indeed suffered large losses and was forced to retreat, however, it was not the ultimate defeat. The later battles of Kratovo and Kočani and especially of Prilep and Monastir proved to be decisive. The myth of Kumanovo as a decisive battle of the war served as dynastic propaganda for the Karadjordjević and namely, for the current heir to the throne, Alexander, who formally, assumed command of the fighting troops. The myth was established, though, and also nowadays, the battle of Kumanovo is treated as a symbol of Serbian victory, as, among other things the ceremonies held in 2012 at the 100th anniversary of the battle prove.
The goal of this article is to analyse the military aspects and the tactics employed during the cycle of Bolesław III Krzywousty (Wrymouth’s) campaigns in years 1102/1103– 1121/1122, which set out to conquer West Pomerania. The base source for the author was Gallus Anonymous’ Gesta principum Polonorum, the life of St. Otto of Bamberg and assorted literature on the subject. The author also attempts to present the political, economic and military goals the Piast state and its elites set in regard to Pomerania. Bolesław III Krzywousty (Wrymouth’s) Pomeranian wars, aside from their military features, were portrayed from the perspective of an ideological clash which served as a substitute for the Crusades. The text provides analyses of the more significant battles and campaigns conducted during the Pomeranian wars (attacks on Białogard, Kołobrzeg, Czarnków, Ujście, Wieleń, Wyszogród and several other cities). One of the most significant elements in this article is the analysis of the battles for Nakło nad Notecią (Nakel) in 1109 and 1112/1112; the article also touches on the issue of the clash at Naclam in 1121 – assumed to be a town near Gryfice or the previously mentioned city on Noteć – as well as campaigns for Szczecin. The author discusses the ways of conducting raids on the rear of the enemy’s forces as an element of manoeuvre warfare, siege operations and field combat. In addition, the author makes an attempt at reconstructing the military potential of both sides of the conflict and analysing the ultimately decisive factors from a military perspective. The article constitutes for a broad description and an analysis of the key episodes and the efficiency of Duke Bolesław’s wars against the Pomeranians, as well as the methods of maintaining political control and the evolution of the offensives. The individual battles are analysed in the broader context of the reality of the medieval battlefield, the role of the terrain, winter warfare and command tactics.
PL
Celem artykułu jest analiza pod kątem militarnym i stosowanej wówczas taktyki cyklu wypraw wojennych Bolesława III Krzywoustego, podjętych w latach 1102/1103– 1121/1122, mających na celu podbój Pomorza. Podstawą źródłową stały się dla autora „Kronika polska” Galla Anonima, żywoty św. O ttona z Bambergu i zgromadzona literatura zagadnienia. W publikacji autor podjął się także próby przedstawienia celów politycznych, gospodarczych i militarnych państwa Piastów i jego elit politycznych wobec Pomorza. Wojny pomorskie Krzywoustego, oprócz kwestii klasycznie militarnych, zostały przedstawione również w aspekcie starcia ideologicznego, które stanowiło namiastkę trwających od końca XI wypraw krzyżowych. W artykule przeanalizowano ważniejsze bitwy i kampanie prowadzone w toku wojen pomorskich (wyprawy na Białogard, Kołobrzeg, Czarnków, Ujście, Wieleń, Wyszogród i kilka innych grodów). Jednym z istotnych elementów w artykule jest analiza walk prowadzonych o Nakło nad Notecią w 1109 i 1112/1113 roku oraz kwestia starcia pod „Naclam” z 1121 roku – uważanym za miejscowość pod Gryficami lub wspomniany gród nad Notecią, i wyprawy na Szczecin. Autor omawia też sposób prowadzenia działań o charakterze rajdów na tyły przeciwnika jako element wojny manewrowej i działań oblężniczych oraz starć w polu. Uzupełnieniem jest próba rekonstrukcji potencjału zbrojnego obu stron konfliktu i analiza czynników, które przyniosły ostateczne rozstrzygnięcie pod względem militarnym. Artykuł stanowi obszerny opis i analizę kluczowych epizodów i skuteczności sposobu prowadzenia wojen księcia Bolesława z Pomorzanami, jak również metod utrzymania politycznej kontroli i ewolucji kierunku ofensyw. Poszczególne bitwy są analizowane w szerszym kontekście realiów średniowiecznego pola walki i roli ukształtowania terenu, działań w porze zimowej oraz taktyki dowodzenia.
The basis for the current analysis and the case-study method applied herein is provided by press reports, scholarly articles and books, both in the paper and online forms, containing the positions and statements by politicians from Sweden and elsewhere, the media community, public service officials, as well as average residents of Sweden who had encountered problems that resulted from the 2015 refugee crisis and the uncontrolled influx of migrants and refugees, especially those hailing from the Islamic world. Some of the research questions posed by the author are which Swedish political forces and circles supported this influx and which were against it, and how this was reflected in the political and media discourse. Other research questions concern the attitudes towards refugees and migrants presented by the country’s native residents and by persons of other origins who have lived there for a long time, as well as the factors influencing the media portrayal and the existing evaluation of events, in relation to the escalation of violence that occurred in some Swedish cities in the years 2016 and 2017. This issue is examined through an analysis of various statements made by residents of the Kingdom of Sweden: political figures, scholars, and ordinary people. The closing caesura is the year 2018 and the state of affairs after the parliamentary elections, in which the right-wing Sweden Democrats achieved a significant success. The analysis of the events of 2015–2018 as reflected in the media and political discourse, which is presented in the article, indicates how the massive influx of migrants and refugees has changed the sense of social security of the Swedes and what effects this “clash of civilisations” has already had and may have in the future.
For many years of his academic career Professor Tadeusz Białecki has frequently dealt with the problems of the medieval Western Pomerania. Still as a student of the Warsaw University and shortly after graduating he investigated the subject of fortifi ed towns (gords) in that region. Later, especially in the years 1958–1966, he wrote a few articles (published in the ‘West-Pomeranian Materials’ and in the ‘West-Pomeranian Journal’) on the medieval onomastics and settlement in the vicinity of Szczecin and Pyrzyce, and on the settlement base of Koszalin in the 13th century, when it was located. For many years Professor Białecki concentrated his attention on the history of the Western Slavdom, especially the Slavic past of Połabie, Western Pomerania and Szczecin. Another keynote (also treated in a popularising way) were the medieval monuments of Stargard and in its vicinity and the ones of Chojna, and the heraldry of West-Pomeranian towns. In spite of his involvement in the investigations into the demographic changes of Western Pomerania after WW2 and into the displacement of the Germans before the 1950s, questions concerning the Middle Ages appeared from time to time in Professor Białecki’s works (especially at the end of 1980s and afterwards) in the form of articles and monographs concerning Szczecin and the changes in onomastics and demography within the Szczecin region and in other towns and in the whole area of Western Pomerania. For many years Professor Białecki’s teaching activity (fi rst as an independent investigator at the History Institute of the Higher School of Pedagogy, and since 1985 at the Szczecin University) was connected with medieval questions. His interest in the Middle Ages and especially the history of Western Pomerania resulted in several monographs of towns or West-Pomeranian subregions (some of them written by Professor Białecki and some edited by him); in most cases they dealt with the post-war times but somehow they referred to the times of the Duchy of Pomerania. Some medieval threads may also be found in the commentaries to the Polish edition of Thomas Kantzow’s Pomerania, published together with E. Rymar and other authors. In spite of his enormous knowledge of the Middle Ages, his keen interest in that epoch, and in spite of being Professor Aleksander Gieysztor’s disciple, Tadeusz Białecki has never become a classical medievalist. Although the Middle Ages are visible in his works, they have never become the main thread of his academic production.
The article focuses on the history of the Pomeranian Hospitallers of St John after such an important period for them as taking over most of the estates and properties of the Knights Templars in Pomerania and Neumark after the order was dissolved by the pope in 1312. For better understanding, it is necessary to present in a concise way the history of houses of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Western and Central Pomerania (at Stargard, Copam, Suchań Sławno) before they acquired the former estates and possessions of the Templars. Because only then it is possible to see such elements of the Hospitallers’ everyday life as: financial transactions between the Hospitallers and members of feudal elites in Pomerania, their new gains, but also some losses of financial substance suffered by the knights at some later time. A greater number of preserved sources than in the earlier period made it also possible to study contacts between local officials of the Order and the local inhabitants of Pomerania. Of special interest is also the history of former Templar commanderies taken over by the Hospitallers (Rurka, Czaplinek/Tempelburg, Chwarszczany). Their management was very difficult, also due to claims of Pomeranian dukes to the lands that formally were to be taken over by the Hospitallers after the Templar Order was dissolved. This gave rise to many problems and bitter conflicts, occasionally aggravated by fights between the Pomeranians and Brandenburgians or Poles. All this was accompanied by disagreements over the ownership rights to the town of Banie or the establishment of a commandery at Kolin and dissolution of the Hospitaller posts at Czaplinek and Drahim at some later time. The rich history of the Hospitallers in medieval Pomerania is also evidenced by conflicts not only between the Knights of St John and the dukes of the House of Griffin but also with Pomeranian nobles. A good example of those is a dispute with a mighty family of the Wedels in 1373–1377. The Wedels invaded Rurka belonging to the Hospitallers whose diplomacy tried to gain the support of the papacy or the emperor himself. Those conflicts forced the Knights to attempt to establish their new houses in Pomerania. After Rurka was plundered and destroyed, the Hospitallers decided in 1377 to build a new, well-fortified seat at the village of Swobnica (Wildenbruch) located in a small island in the marshes between Bania, Trzcińsko (Schönfliess) and Chojna. In November that year the building plans were approved by Dukes Świętobór I and Warcisław VII. In 1382 the commander moved ceremoniously to his new seat and Swobnica (Wildenbruch), besides Suchań and Kolin, became one of the most important places of the Knights in this part of the Reich. Another acquisition of the Hospitallers of those times was a castle at Pęzin (Pansin) near Stargard, bought in 1382 by the preceptor of the Knights Bernard von Schulenburg from the Borka family of Strzmiele (Wulfsberg, Stramehl) near Łobez. All in all, after various events of the first and part of the second half of the fourteenth century, the Hospitallers succeeded in keeping to the early modern period and the Reformation only a few commanderies in the territories of the Duchy of Pomerania and borderlands of Neumark, namely: Suchań, Kolin, Swobnica, Pęzino (to 1493), Chwarszczany and the town of Banie, as well as a certain number of villages belonging to them.
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