Dr. Ewa Thompson’s new article, Non-Germanic Central Europe: Key to European Stability or Periphery of Empires?, has been published in delibeRatio.eu,

The author is analysing Poland’s role in Europe, trying to demonstrate that Sienkiewicz was right in his book The Knights of the Cross (“Krzyżacy”).

The publication in which the article appeared, delibeRatio.eu, is also worth recommending, Dr. Thompson says!

A few years ago, I had an opportunity to read the first English translation of treatises by a Polish Catholic bishop and lawyer Pawel Włodkowic (1370-1435). The treatises were written in Latin and had never before been translated into Polish or English. Among others, they contain Włodkowic’s speeches at the Council of Constance (1414-1418), in which he participated as a member of the Polish delegation. Włodkowic argued that, based on natural law, nations have the right to exist in peace even if they are not Christian. Conversion by force should not be practiced or encouraged. He argued for recognition of the rights of nations and for institution of international law that would oblige European powers to stay within the borders of their states and abstain from starting wars with their neighbors to enlarge their territory, under the pretext of converting them to Christianity.