Mazower's "The Balkans": "Introduction: Names" - 3

Notes on:  "The Balkans:  A Short History" by Mark Mazower (e-Book, 2007, Random House)

Introduction:  Names (pg 12)

(pg 17) The key challenge of this book is that, against the entrenched historical (both old and recent) approaches and attitudes toward the region -- including, but not limited to, wide-spread pejorative, derogatory names and adjectives -- "...is it possible to take a fresh look at the Balkans, without seeing them refracted through the prism of 'The Balkans'...?"

Crossroads of Cultures, Religions, Ethnicities and Empires
Eastern Europe and The Balkans have seen a rich, volatile overlap of peoples, cultures, religions, ethnicities and polities throughout history.  The great political, ethnic and religious conflicts throughout the region -- in-particular in the former Yugoslavia -- in the 90s (post breakup of the Communist block) demonstrated how these old conflicts (as in "The Holy Land" or Northern Ireland in the 80s), still prove volatile today.

The region has been a crossroads of both peacefully migrant, as well violent and expansionist populations for thousands of years.  Rich in resources:  A region with diverse geography, with moderately high, old mountains, a climate providing moderate rainfall -- the region proved tempting for both types of migrant populations.  (Reading in Mazower, though, the region was not as particularly rich as I have thought.  Apparently the mountains and prevailing weather are such that rainfalls occur outside of the central region -- making the central Balkans somewhat arid and dry (aside from the rivers).  The rivers, themselves, were not readily navigable due to the uneven mountain geography.  Further, the mountains served to make transportation and communication within the region more difficult that the same to the near outside world.  This made early political solidarity difficult -- and the people of the Balkans easy subjects of external conquest (which they were.)  So,... starting, likely, in pre-historic times, for some, it proved so tempting that they decided to stay and make their villages (& eventually, towns and cities) here.  This, of course, proved even more tempting to the war-like and expansionist-minded.

For example, the map below shows the greatest extent of the Persian (or Achaemenid) Empire around 500 BC (from Study.com here).  This included part of Bulgaria known in antiquity as Thrace.

(File from Study.com here:  https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-achaemenid-empire-history-region-timeline.html accessed 1/26/2018)

Earliest Gold Working:  Scythians and Varna Culture
With the reference in the map also to the Scythians, this recalls to me reading about both my older Russian/Soviet reading about archaeological finds the Soviets were very proud of known as the "Scythian Finds."  As I recall, these included works of very early (the earliest?) examples of human gold-working.  Then,... in recent reading about the origins of the nearby Bulgaria, I also read about pre-historic finds there of human settlements that included very early (or the earliest?) examples of human gold-working -- which shows that something about this region made it advantageous for this discovery here (see references to the Varna culture in Wikipedia here and here).

As another example, the map below (from Wikipedia) shows the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in 117 AD at the time of Emperor Trajan's death.  

(File By Tataryn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19625326 published to Wikipedia  here)

This excerpted detail from above shows the region of our "Balkans" maps from previous articles.  The routes of the Danube (Roman "Danubius"), Drau (or Drava -- Roman "Dravus") and Sava (Roman "Savus") can be cross-referenced to the modern countries.  (Note:  Singidunum, where the Savus joins the Danubius, is likely in, or near, the current Belgrade in Serbia -- where the Sava joins the Danube (confirmed!).  Also, it looks like Aquincum is the location of the current Budapest, Hungary (also confirmed!).)

(Excerpted from original file By Tataryn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19625326 published to Wikipedia here)

(From https://www.slideshare.net/marypardee/europe-physical-features-2015 on accessed on 1/26/2018)

As we proceed forward from the Classical (Greek/Roman) era, and as larger, settled political and religious entities formed in-and-around the region (think Byzantium, Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and others), these became the targets of migratory, and often war-like, peoples including the Mongols, Huns, Turks, and Tatars.  Through history, waves of these migratory peoples moved from the plains of the current Ukraine, southern Russia (the Volga region), Kazakhstan, and further east -- all for a variety of reasons.  The impetus for these waves may have been political empire and/or resource access -- but the crude, slow methods of communication combined with poor health and short life spans (i.e. of the rulers) made these over-extended migratory empires all short-lived.  The lasting legacy of these, though, were these migrants who chose to stay.  Some of them loaned their names to the places they chose to stay -- and the language they brought with them:  The Huns to Hungary, the Bulgar Turks/Tatars to Bulgaria.

Mazower's "The Balkans": "Introduction: Names" - 2

Notes on:  "The Balkans:  A Short History" by Mark Mazower (e-Book, 2007, Random House)

Introduction:  Names (pg 12)

As I dive in, my first misconception (which is, apparently, one among many misconceptions, and points of contention, about the region and its peoples) is in the geographic definition of "The Balkans."  In my previous post, based on supposition only, I included Romania and Hungary as possible candidates for inclusion.  From both the book and the detailed, excellent Wikipedia article here, there are three basic geographic definitions of "The Balkans":

1. The first is based on the history and meaning of the word itself. The diverse possible origins of the word include Ottoman Turkish (and related words found in other Turkik languages) which may have come earlier from Persian.  At the origin of the use of the term "The Balkans" in common European use in the 19th century, the term implied wooded mountains and/or a wooded pass through mountains.  Combine that with the Britannica topographic map and you can see that this region includes the mountainous Adriatic coastal region countries of the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece and Bulgaria.
   
   Bringing this concept further in time, from the other excellent Wikipedia article on "The Balkan Mountains" here, the Bulgars in the 7th century applied this term (meaning "mountain") as the name for the east-west mountain range through central Bulgaria to the north of Sofia -- which it retains today.
   
   
   (Image Published to Wikipedia here)
   
   
   (Image Published to Wikipedia By Bulgaria-geographic map-en.svg: IkonactBalkangebirge Balkan topo de.jpg: RosarioVanTulpe~commonswikiderivative work: Rowanwindwhistler (talk) - Bulgaria-geographic map-en.svgBalkangebirge Balkan topo de.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45687543 here)
2. The second geographic definition is based on the series of rivers extending from the head of the Adriatic east to the Black Sea.
   
   (Image published to Wikipedia By Captain Blood~commonswiki - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=675499 here)
3. And the third geographic definition "The Peninsula's most extensive definition, bordered by water on three sides and connected with a line on the fourth"
   
   (Image published to Wikipedia here)

Mazower's "The Balkans": "Introduction: Names" - 1

Notes on:  "The Balkans:  A Short History" by Mark Mazower (e-Book, 2007, Random House)

So,...  I've read variously that taking notes on material that you are studying is a good way to improve retention of the material, make connections with previously learned facts, ideas and concepts -- and thereby build and reinforce a strong network of memories for future recall.  I've played around with a number of electronic note-taking methods -- none of which has really proved better and more feasible for me (I usually get hung up on the minutiae of the technology) than just good ol' paper-and-pencil.  In fact, recent studies with college-age students showed that the mental and physical processes involved in actually WRITING to take notes improves connecting with and retaining material.  Because of that, I hope to transition to stylus-based writing and note-taking in the near future -- but for now, I'm just typing.

Table of Contents:
The Balkans:  A Short History
Introduction:  Names
1.  The Land and Its Inhabitants
2.  Before the Nation
3.  Eastern Questions
4.  Building the Nation State

Pre-Notes...  What do I already know?

First, what do I think of when I think of "The Balkans?"

Geographically, I think of the area sandwiched between the Adriatic and the Black Sea.  From my upbringing in the Cold War of the 70s and 80s, I think of the countries "behind the Iron Curtain" -- I think of Bulgaria, Albania, Romania, what was then known as Yugoslavia, and, maybe, Hungary, and also, maybe, what was then known as Czechoslovakia (though both of these may be too far north to really be "Balkan").  Poland, Germany, Austria, Greece (let alone Italy or the rest of Europe) -- definitely NOT geographically "Balkan."  Here's the map of Eastern Europe and "The Balkans" that I grew up with (Soviet Union in yellow at the upper-right, Turkey in green at the lower-right, with the Black Sea in blue to the right of Bulgaria and Romania):

...and here is, I believe, a current (~2017/2018) map of that region (also including Germany and Poland for reference).

Historically, I think of the beginning of WWI with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo -- which provided the spark that ignited the war.  With my background in Russian language and literature, I also think much of Bulgaria -- as the source of the Cyrillic alphabet used in Russian (and Bulgarian, and a number of other Slavic languages) -- credited to the Byzantine missionaries (and, later, Orthodox Saints) Cyril & Methodius.  Then, as indicated above, I think of the cold war "Iron Curtain" that enclosed and isolated all of these "Balkan" countries (as well as many others).

From my high school and college history classes, I also recall hearing the terms "balkanize" or "balkanization."  These terms were used in pejorative to indicate the fragmentation or break-up of something.  During those relatively stable (for the Balkans, anyway) times of the 70s and 80s, I had the sense that the term also represented something possibly wild, chaotic and, possibly, violent (thinking mostly of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand).

From the TOC above, I see that the ideas of "nation" and "nation-state" are of primary importance when talking about "The Balkans."  From the recent history of this region, the question of what does, or should, constitute both a nation or nation-state has had extraordinary importance in the post-Cold War restructuring of the region.  The people of the former Yugoslavia, in-particular, suffered greatly in the transition from the first map to the second map, above!  Much of the 1990s were spent in a state of conflict.  I'm ashamed to say that I failed to pay much attention to the important events of this time period in this region!  I remember the seemingly overwhelming complexity of the ethnic-, national-, and religious overlaps that existed -- for me, unexpectedly -- in what once seemed the more "friendly" (I vividly remember that they even hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, for gosh sakes!) and unified, Communist country of Yugoslavia.  In light of our planned trip to the region, in addition to educating myself generally on the languages, cultures, and history of the region, I plan to make up for my oversight of the history of that time period!

Topographical map from Britannica.com "Balkans" article here:

What I find interesting about this map is the great mass of hills and mountains (some (in dark red) -- particularly to the south of Sofia, Bulgaria -- and along the Adriatic coast, rising above 3,280ft) extending diagonally from the Alps in the upper-left, all the way to Bulgaria, Turkey, and to the Black Sea.  Romania is composed of two regions:  1. The low plain of the  Danube river -- running west-to-east now far from the southern foothills (with the capital of Bucharest) of the Transylvanian Alps (which then curve back to the north and west to form the Carpathian Alps); and 2. The northern elevated plain defined, to the south and east, by the Transylvanian- and Carpathian Alps, respectively.  I also note, almost in the dead center of the map, how the Danube flows from the large plain of Hungary (which also includes the northern part of Serbia -- including its capital, Belgrade) through what is known as "The Iron Gate."  I also note how many of the major cities shown here are located not right in the broad plains, but are either within, or just in the foothills of, the mountains.  This includes, among others, Sofia, Bucharest, Belgrade, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna.

Early Reading and Preparations

From the time I studied German in high school, I found that learning new languages came pretty easy to me.  As a result, I studied Russian language along with a BA in Political Science at the University of Washington.  Even with the new Cyrillic alphabet, I found that I picked up the language quickly and easily -- and native Russian speakers have commented, since, (maybe they were just being polite) that my pronunciation was pretty good for an "Amerikanets."  (I'll have to figure out if I can use Cyrillic with Blogger...)

We've taken a few international vacations -- and I've had the opportunity to take a stab at a number of additional languages including:  French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Greek, and the most minimal start at Japanese (really only learning the first of 3 "alphabets":  Hiragana -- which I love as a written art form in-and-of itself!).

Everywhere we travel, I try to at least learn a little of the language.  First, it's fun for me because it's something I inherently enjoy and am good at.  Second, I think it adds to some additional insight and background on the culture you'll be visiting (Trying to minimize expectations, I always say "I just want to learn enough to read an online newspaper -- I mean,... It's not like I plan to be fluent in just 6 months or anything!"  Of course, with the complexities of every language, just being able to read a newspaper implies some advanced level of fluency -- which, of course, I NEVER attain with only 6 months (or even a year) of VERY part-time study!).  Third, I do it also as an attempted  sign of respect to the people we will meet -- whoever they are!  (After all, I'm the visitor in THEIR country!  Why should I inconvenience them because I don't know their language!  Of course, most everyone around the world is much better at bi-/multi-lingualism -- because, no matter where we seem to travel, everyone from the bellhop to the busboy to the hotel manager to the customs official seems to have a much better grasp of English than I will EVER have of their language!)  Fourth, it gives me some peace of mind that I MIGHT be capable of getting a point across in the event of an emergency (of course, knowing how to ask for a taxi, ask the time, or buy 2 pounds of sausage is of little help in any kind of true emergency -- but it just makes me FEEL better).  Finally, in the most common travel interactions (say, at the hotel front desk, entering a restaurant, etc...), I can usually say "hello," "good morning," "good night," and the like with GREAT confidence!  It usually buys you a couple of "good tourist" points vs.those who make no attempt at all...

So,... all of that is to say that I'm starting my travel prep with a dive into the Czech language (will will definitely be visiting Prague), and plan to do some overview reading on general Eastern European history.  I'm starting out with the following:

• "Complete Czech" by David Short in the Teach Yourself British book series (Paperback, 2015).
• Lonely Planet's "Czech Phrasebook & Dictionary" (Paperback, 3rd edition, 2013)
• "The Balkans:  A Short History" by Mark Mazower (e-Book, 2007, Random House)

I'm going to keep my language-learning to myself (to save myself from the shame...), but I plan to record notes and thoughts on my other reading in this blog -- both for my own ready-reference, but also to solicit thoughts, comments, recommendations from readers.  So,...  Here goes... 

First Blog Post -- Introduction, and Welcome!

We are planning a trip through Eastern Europe this year.  In advance of the trip, the primary purpose of this blog is as a place for me to collect reading notes, notes on things to do, and places to go to and see.  I'm going to make the blog public -- so feel free to browse the topics.  Feel free to chime in with thoughts, suggestions or recommendations on any of the topics in the blog.  Thanks!