The Instapundit links to this Arthur Chrenkoff piece on Poland’s role in the expansion of Democratic governments:
Says Poland’s deputy Foreign Minister, Jan Truszczynski: “Belarus is one of the last bastions of authoritarianism in Europe. The European Union will have to deal with these crackdowns in a more effective way. There should be some form of sanctions imposed on the leadership, including a travel ban.”
Poland is not happy, not just because it doesn’t appreciate a crackdown on its minority in Belarus, but because it historically sees itself as the leader of the pro-democracy forces in the region. Poland has played an important international role in support of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution last year; the presence of a Soviet throwback on its eastern border offends Poland’s sense of historical progress.
Two quick questions:
1.) Several years ago, I read an article about how Poland was history’s unsung hero, having saved the western world and Democracy numerous times (the Miracle at the Vistula, etc.), but that it is never really remembered how important their role has been. Does anyone remember the piece I am talking about?
2.) Any recommendations on a book/website on European history that would primarily look at non-Soviet eastern Europe?
m.croche
Norman Davies’ history of Poland is considered a classic.
Paul Lendvai has a readable, slightly quirky, but considered history of Hungary.
Michael F. Hamm: Kiev a Portrait, 1800-1917. Gives a good feel for the city, more entertaining to read than a standard history of the Ukraine.
Barbara Jelavich’s history of the Balkans is pretty comprehensive.
Czeslaw Milosz writes quite wonderfully about the Poland and Latvia of his youth. He, by the way, would consider Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics and a few other areas to be “Central Europe” not “Eastern” Europe.
m.croche
Make that: “would have considered.” Milosz is dead, of course.
TallDave
The Polish themselves are very blase about the whole thing. I went to college with a girl whose uncles were some of Vaclav Havel’s freedom fighters. Their attitude toward the whole thing was to shrug and say “well, what the hell else could we do?”`