History / What connects Poland with Vlad Impaler or to say Vlad Tepes or simple Dracula [43]


Unfortunatelly this is where reality takes a huge turn towards fantasy. Those aren't real. The only method he used was impaling - he wanted a method to not discriminate (in the sens that he wanted a method all men would fear - the method wasn't used only against Ottomans but against any comon criminal as well and against the boyars - boieri (ro). There is a legend about this for which he is much remembered with nostalgy). You mentioned about the merchants of Brasov. The problem was that he wanted the same rights for the merchants from Wallachia in Transylvania as those in Transylvania (Brasov in this case) had in Wallachia. They agreed at the table to met the requirements and give them pass but the Brasov merchants caught the Wallachian caravans and slaughtered them. Vlad got angry and took raids against Brasov and impaled the merchants. From there on, there were a series of letters from the Hungarian and German merchants who circulated across Europe, trying to depict Vlad Tepes as the cruelest man possible, attributing him the most inimaginable of crimes, trying to remove from him the support against the Ottomans so that he will eventually be removed from throne. Those letters were the basis of Bram Stoker's novel. The letters were preserved, and most of them are in Hungary nowadays.

History / Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Serbia- segmented. Who is next? Poland? [90]


I think it was very well represented later at the International Court of Justice. You should read some of the pro-Serbian arguments of the delegations, they are quite interesting

icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=1&k=21&case=141&code= kos&p3=1
I can hardly wait for the rulling. I have my eyes on the ICJ's website all the time. I was really sorry that Poland pleaded for Kosovo.

History / Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Serbia- segmented. Who is next? Poland? [90]

You're exagerating by believing that it has something to do with "slavic" nations. Somehow, EU has the opposite effect of what was expected of it, and somehow encourages "micro-nations" and separatism in many countries. I guess that on a larger scale it's easier to deal with small entities and subdue them, that with bigger one. The classic divide and conquer.

(I wonder who's more "paranoic" between the two of us :D).

Genealogy / Why anyone would think I'm from Poland? Ethnic iD, and perception. [25]

That was my point exactly. When you're mistaken for something that you are clearly not, it all comes down to the experiences the person doing the mistaken part, has had in time. It's as subjective as it can be.

Genealogy / Why anyone would think I'm from Poland? Ethnic iD, and perception. [25]


Some gypsies do color their hair and put some eye lentils, but this doesn't make them less gypsies. There are other aspects they are recognised by. Thus having red hair and blue eyes for example, doesn't prevent anyone from mistaking someone for a gypsy if he's a bit "tanned".

What you have passed for, depends on the people you come in contact and their experiences with other nationalities.
I usually pass for a Russian though I am very far from it.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]


Both actually.

Due to the bilateral treaty, offered military support (refused by your gov.) and took in refugiees and the government.
Due to simpathy, remained deaf to Nazi threats. Something very little known: international law at that time, carried that a neutral country can take in officials as refugees, but only if they renounce their official positions, otherwise they have to be treated as prisoners and delivered to the other side involved in the conflict. Your government though it knew what the international laws demanded, when they saw themselves at safety, they started making declarations and requesting for the other nations (implicitely France and UK) to keep to their promise and come to their aid. The Romanian lawyiers somehow managed to avoid that and respond to Nazi demands and ultimately threats to surrender the Polish government. The deal and our obligation would have ended the moment your government started their declarations, but that was when the sympathy took over.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

Interesting....

Some of you complained about the lack of gratitude shown by Germans and Austrians considering your help in the battle of Wien, yet you show the same short memory of gratitude.

Now, depends what you understand by help. Pilsudski and Gafencu realised what was to happen and tried to form an alliance that would actually back itself. However, in the alliance of Poland and Hungary, Hungary didn't want Rumunia, in the alliance of Little Entante, Czechoslovakia didn't want Poland thus those states couldn't bring themselves to a bigger alliance.

You asked who helped? The Romanian bridge was prepared, troups were stationed to help or take in refugees, the Romanian ports were open and ready to receive Polish navy. When Nazi Germany invaded, there was an offer to help with troops, but the Polish politicians blinded by their trust in a near future military help from Britain and France especially, refused, thus Romania remained neutral. It was this neutrality that helped abrid Polish refugees, the government and the thesaurus of your country.

and for those that want source, since I am not a fan you wikipedia and also that you could search for yourselves, how about that:

bukareszt.polemb.net/index.php?document=306

(It is a small resume of the Polish Embassy in Bucharest - unfortunatelly it isn't in English, so at best you could use a Google translation, or you could just take my word for it).

But you know what? With regret I see a tendency in all countries from the Eastern Europe to forget about close allies and to look upon West and US as some sort of saviours.

If Poland, Romania, Hungary and if possible others countries would have managed to actually have a working alliance the things would have stood somewhat different.

Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

Can someone please ellaborate a little on the Russian Studies post-graduate programme in UJ?