Suchergebnisse

This is the first complete account of the diplomatic relations and military steps leading to Estonia's, Latvia's, and Lithuania's forcible absorption into the USSR in 1940. David Crowe--making use of recently opened archival sources--traces the Baltic states' relations with the Soviet Union, Germany, Poland, Great Britian, France and with one another from 1917-1940. He starts with an overview of 1917-1936 and then offers a detailed description of the diplomatic maneuvering that marked Europe's collective slide toward war. Crowe covers the Sudeten and Memel crises involving German communities in 1938, the German-Soviet Pact in August 1939, the mutual assistance pacts between the Baltic States and the USSR, the Baltic German migration, Soviet use of Estonia's military installations during their assault on Finland, and the subsequent Soviet occupation of the Baltic states. The story ends with the election of new, Soviet-sponsored legislatures that sought admission into the USSR as Soviet republics in 1940--a step that most Western countries never recognized, and one that the Baltic states finally reversed when they regained their independence fifty-one years later in August 1991.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Gypsy History in Germany and Neighboring Lands: A Chronology Leading to the Holocaust and Beyond -- 3. The Romani Pořajmos: The Nazi Genocide of Gypsies in Germany and Eastern Europe -- 4. Albanian Gypsies: The Silent Survivors -- 5. The Gypsy Historical Experience in Romania -- 6. Damnation of the Outsider: The Gypsies of Croatia and Serbia in the Balkan Holocaust, 1941-1945 -- 7. The Gypsies of Czechoslovakia -- 8. The Gypsies in Hungary -- 9. The East European Roots of Romani Nationalism

"In this sweeping, definitive work, leading human rights scholar David M. Crowe offers an unflinching look at the long and troubled history of genocide and war crimes. From atrocities in the ancient world to more recent horrors in Nazi Germany, Cambodia, and Rwanda, Crowe reveals not only the disturbing consistency they have shown over time, but also the often heroic efforts that nations and individuals have made to break seemingly intractable patterns of violence and retribution--in particular, the struggle to create a universally accepted body of international humanitarian law. He traces the emergence of the idea of 'just war, ' early laws of war, the first Geneva Conventions, the Hague peace conferences, and the efforts following World Wars I and II to bring to justice those who violated international law. He also provides incisive accounts of some of the darkest episodes in recent world history, covering violations of human rights law in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, the Iran-Iraq war, Korea, Tibet, and many other contexts. With valuable insights into some of the most vexing issues of today--including controversial US efforts to bring alleged terrorists to justice at Guantánamo Bay, and the challenges facing the International Criminal Court--this is an essential work for understanding humankind's long and often troubled history."--Publisher's description

Crowe reviews 'Gypsies: An Interdisciplinary Reader' by Diane Tong.

There have been Roma or Gypsies in Hungary for over 650 years. Historical records indicate that they entered Hungary between 1416 and 1417 from Transylvania during the reign of King Sigismund (1387–1437), though linguistic evidence indicates that they had begun to settle there earlier. In 1423, Sigismund granted the Gypsy leader, Ladislas, and his followers, certain rights of transit, and they began to flock to Hungary. Most settled in the outskirts of villages or towns, and became prominent in some parts of the country as blacksmiths.From the outset, the Gypsies were subjected to varying degrees of discrimination. In the 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa (1740–1780), after Pope Clement XIII granted her the right to become Apostolic ruler of Hungary, adopted policies designed to force the Roma to assimilate into Hungarian society. She outlawed use of the word Cigány and decreed that Gypsies in the future be called "new citizen," "new peasant," or "new Hungarian." In 1780, the government placed 8,388 Roma children in schools where they became wards of the state, and another 9,463 in foster homes. Within a few years, all of them had run away from these institutions or the families. The Gypsies responded with some outbreaks of violence in certain areas, though in most instances they simply left Hungary for other parts of Europe.