Issue 151 (2)

History Notebooks

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Ahead of print (2024)

Publication date: 2024

Description

The publication was financed by the Jagiellonian University in Kraków – Faculty of History.

Licence: CC BY

Editorial team

Issue Editor Kamil Ruszała

Editor-in-Chief Zdzisław Zblewski

Secretary Dawid Golik, Martyna Grądzka-Rejak

Issue content

Emocje a wojna – wyzwania historyka

Kamil Ruszała

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

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Przedstawiając wroga – etnograficzny i stereotypowy kontekst rzymskich traktatów wojskowych

Łukasz Różycki

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The stereotypical image of Barbaricum was very deeply rooted in the mentality of Roman intellectuals. In their recommendations, authors of military treatises sometimes referred to the stereotypical ethnographic image of the Rome’s opponents. Despite their application of literary topoi, the information given by the authors was largely followed by Roman commanders. At times, military treatises offer basic stereotypes, probably deeply rooted in the collective awareness of Roman intellectuals and military men alike. Notably, these stereotypes could have an impact on the practical aspects of military life.
The approach towards foreign ethnic groups in Roman military treatises was twofold: in the case of regular soldiers, aversion to foreigners had to be stimulated by looking for antagonisms, whether religious or cultural. However, it was done in broad strokes, without indicating any individual national features or referring to topoi from classical literature. The situation was quite different in the sections aimed at military commanders. The strategoi needed the most accurate picture of the enemy, their habits, strengths and weaknesses, ways of fighting and even political organization. This knowledge could be used in the course of fighting, in order to gain an advantage over the opponent. Despite the obvious usefulness of these recommendations for commanders, they were not free from ancient topoi, easy to differentiate from practical guidelines. A soldier had to learn to hate his enemy; a Roman commander had to learn about the enemy, get to know them as well as reasonably possible, so as to achieve victory that much easier. This is an indication that despite clearly identifiable transcultural wars waged by the Empire, the military treatises do not place much emphasis on ethnic aspects.

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Emocje pola walki w żywocie Lucjusza Korneliusza Sulli Plutarcha z Cheronei

Tomasz Ładoń

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The article is divided into two parts. In the first one, the author tries to determine how Sulla influenced the soldiers’ emotions before the battle – he draws attention to Sulla’s emphasizing relationships with the gods, his belief in felicitas and bona fortuna, as well as in signs and dreams. In the second part of the article, the author looks at the way in which Plutarch presents battles and tries to answer the question to what extent he managed to convey the real emotions prevailing on the battlefield.

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Niewczesna brawura na polu późnoantycznej bitwy w ocenie Ammiana Marcellina i Prokopiusza z Cezarei

Michał Stachura

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The subject of this article are three cases, as reported by Late Roman historians, in which the soldiers, overwhelmed by unreasonable bravado, forced their commanders into a risky battle, against their reasonable judgment. This refers to the sortie of the Gallic legions during the siege of Amida (359 AD), described by Ammianus Marcellinus, as well as the battles of Callinicum (531 AD) and Rome (537 AD), portrayed by Procopius of Caesarea as having been forced upon the commanderin- chief, Belisarius, by the enraged soldiers. These events are analyzed in the light of ancient aretalogy (going back to philosophical considerations of Plato and Aristotle), distinguishing between the real fortitude and unreasonable audacity, at the same time trying to uncover the reality that stands behind the biased testimonies of the authors. On the aretalogical level, we see how the initial irrational audacity may transform into a real virtue, if subjected to some reasonable discipline. As for the condition of Late Roman army, we can observe here the role of strong esprit du corps, standing behind these difficult to explain cases of soldiers’ behavior.

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Między honorem a lękiem. Wpływ rycerskiego etosu na postrzeganie emocjonalnych zachowań w średniowiecznych wojnach

Andrzej Niewiński

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The present article addresses the topic of emotions in the context of military action. Fear and anger are considered to be the most common of these emotions. The chivalric ethics developed in the Middle Ages promoted restraining brutality and cruelty in warfare, especially towards the captured enemy, as the propagated ideal of the knight required showing mercy to the defeated. Such examples can be found during the Hundred Years’ War, when the chivalric ethos had a significant influence on the display, perception, and assessment of emotions experienced by soldiers. However, towards the end of the Middle Ages, chivalric culture faced many challenges and underwent significant changes. The erosion of the chivalric ethos became most evident during the War of the Roses, when personal hatred between the two pretenders to the throne and personal vendetta, as well as the use of fear as an instrument of political pressure played a significant role in the final outcome of the conflict.

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„Śmiał się, gdy mu wyrzynali serce”. Etos heroicznej śmierci wikinga a emocje

Renata Leśniakiewicz-Drzymała

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

In the war-centered culture of the Vikings, the ethos of heroic death occupied a special place.The measure of a warrior’s worth was not his victory, but his final defeat and the way he leftthis world, showing no fear or regret, presenting an attitude of cold contempt of pain. Thesource material shows, however, that although the characters, being under the pressure ofcultural pattern, do not openly reveal their emotions accompanying death, they betray themthrough somatic symptoms that are beyond their conscious control, theatrical gestures orsurprising behavior. Feelings such as joy at the upcoming revenge, surprise, grief, anger andenvy for the survivors unexpectedly show the ethos of heroic death and the people of theViking Age in a slightly different light than they are usually perceived in

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Kiedy poniosą emocje – przypadki nieregulaminowych zachowań żołnierzy afroamerykańskich oraz ich karania w okresie wojny secesyjnej w świetle sprawozdań głównych sądów wojskowych

Piotr Derengowski

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

Despite the fact, that it has been over 160 years since the end of the Civil War, this conflict is still causing some emotions among the historians. It is mainly due to its complex character. The war was conducted simultaneously on several levels, and each one was an additional source of emotions. This article will focus on one of them in particular – i.e. in what way the race relations affected the behaviour of black soldiers during the Civil War, and to what extent we should consider discrimination as a contributing factor in cases of violation of army regulations. This issue will be investigated by analysing the proceedings of General Courts-Martial of the 9th Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

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Zamęt emocji i uczuć. Społeczeństwa Europy wobec wybuchu I wojny światowej

Piotr Szlanta

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The purpose of this article is to analyze the feelings that swept through European societies in July and August 1914, during the so-called July Crisis that led up to the outbreak of war and during the first weeks of the conflict. Enthusiasm for the war prevailed mainly among the middle classes (especially the young people) and more so in the cities (especially those in which the universities or high schools were located) than in the countryside. Support for the war stemmed, inter alia, from the conviction that the war was defensive in nature, would be short, would lead to the unification and renewal of the nation, the breaking down of class and political divisions and the birth of a new culture. Representatives of the lower social strata had a more rational attitude towards it. Among them dominated anxiety, fear and depression. The health and lives of the mobilized were endangered everywhere. There was also uncertainty about the future, which was a prevailing feeling. After the outbreak of war, the societies of the belligerent parties were gripped by fear of spies. Irrespective of its scope, war enthusiasm died down as early as September 1914, with the lists of fallen soldiers, transports of wounded behind the frontlines and letters send home from the front lines causing it.

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Reakcje kobiet i mężczyzn na wydarzenia wojenne – ziemie polskie podczas I wojny światowej (na przykładzie dzienników wojennych)

Katarzyna Sierakowska

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

This study examines emotional expression within the diaries of two young individuals amidst World War I: a woman residing in Warsaw and a man from Galicia serving in the royal-imperial Army. Through a comparative analysis, emotions such as boredom, sadness, fear, and joy are scrutinized alongside their respective modes of expression. Findings suggest a convergence of emotional experiences shared by contemporaries within the same temporal and geographical context. The investigation delves into whether gender influences the manner in which emotions are articulated, and if stereotypes pertaining to women’s emotional nature manifest within their diary entries and behavioral patterns. This research contributes to understanding the nuances of emotional expression during a tumultuous historical period and sheds light on gendered perceptions and experiences.

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Od entuzjazmu do gniewu: dynamika emocji podczas I wojny światowej na przykładzie mieszkańców Galicji

Kamil Ruszała

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The article analyzes the intertwining of emotions associated with the beginning and end of the First World War, illustrating their complexity and evolution, with a focus on Habsburg Galicia and its inhabitants during said war. In the context of the war outbreak in 1914, emotions such as contempt, anger, or lack of respect for the state were influenced by both current events and the background of pre-war moods. Rooted in political aspects, these emotions were a result of prolonged national conflicts and politics. In contrast, the conclusion of the war is portrayed as a period of brief wartime experience, triggering social dissatisfaction due to shortages, hunger, and cold. Emotions expressed during protests indicated criticism of economic policies, later transitioning to political aspects related to treaties and peace demands. The evolution of emotions from the beginning to the end of the war sheds light on the changing social and political contexts of this tumultuous period. This article argues as well how the emotions were connected with the community, which makes them more collective than individual.

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Współczesny brytyjski film o Wielkiej Wojnie i strategie wywoływania emocji u widza

Weronika Hanna Kulczewska-Rastaszańska

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

The following text examines the role of emotion and the way it is created in contemporary British historical films about the Great War. Themes, emotions and characters are pivotal in fictional storytelling, and cinematic depiction of historical events is no exception to this. The First World War has made a significant impact on British memory, and this military conflict has been frequently presented in literature, art, theatre, and film. In this paper the author outlines the fundamental challenges associated with the analysis of emotions in film, and then go on to examine specific examples. The following films and TV series were taken into consideration: Private Peaceful (2012, dir. Pat O’Connor), Birdsong (2012, dir. Philip Martin), The Passing Bells (2014, dir. Brendan Maher), Testament of Youth (2014, dir. James Kent), Journey’s End (2017, dir. Saul Dibb) and 1917 (2019, dir. Sam Mendes). The author analyses how, in those movies, the theme of love was interwoven in the cinematic discourse about the war, how the process of identification-projection affects the viewer’s perception of the characters, and what technical nuances (shots, angles, sounds) are frequently being used by filmmakers to achieve particular emotional effect or mood.

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Niepewność, krzywda i żal. Wojna i wysiedlenia w pamięci Łemków

Mariusz Fornagiel

History Notebooks, Issue 151 (2), Ahead of print (2024)

This article undertakes an analysis of a curated selection of Lemko memoirs with the objective of examining the portrayal of the First and Second World Wars, as well as the post-war displacement experiences documented within them. The emotive character inherent in these passages prompts contemplation on the intricate formation of the collective memory within the Lemko national group. Of particular significance is the persistent representation of narratives depicting unjust repression and the depiction of one’s own community as a tool manipulated by following administrations’ policies. Consequently, the memory of the injustices endured by the Lemko community during World War I and World War II, culminating in the post-war displacements, undergoes transgenerational transmission originating from individual recollections. The camps at Thalerhof and Jaworzno emerge as emblematic symbols of this narrative. By analysing the emotional dimension of these memoirs, the article seeks to elucidate the process of shaping the collective memory of a minority group contrasted against the prevailing narratives constructed by the majority groups.

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Słowa kluczowe: Late antiquity, military treatises, ethnography, Strategicon, Sulla, battle, emotions, Plutarch of Chaeronea, Late Roman Empire, military history, history of mentality, Ammianus Marcellinus, Procopius of Caesarea, bravado, Middle Ages, Prisoners of War, Chivarlic Ethos, Medieval Creativity and Literature, Emotional Experience of War, Vikings, heroic death, emotions, Old Icelandic literature, African Americans, racial discrimination, General Court-Martials, Civil War, First World War, social reactions, fear, enthusiasm, July Crisis, emotions, World War I, diaries, gender history, Austria-Hungary, Galicia, First World War, war crisis, war emotions, demonstrations, the Great War, emotions, film, memory, World War I, war, Lemkos, Operation Vistula, displacement, deportation, memory, emotions

Funding information

The publication was financed by the Jagiellonian University in Kraków – Faculty of History.