American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages

A History of the Croatian People by Francis J. PrevedenReview by: J. M. KirschbaumThe Slavic and East European Journal, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Winter, 1958), pp. 376-377Published by: American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European LanguagesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/305493 .

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376 The Slavic and East European Journal

There is just one more thing I wish to mention: no one reading the author's account of the development of the Unity, particularly in its earlier phases, can miss the astonishing similarity between this movement and the later Anabaptists groups. It seems evident that there must be some connection between the two movements, even though hitherto it has not been completely exposed and documented. To be sure, both Dr. Brock and Dr. R1ian make references to the known contacts be- tween the two groups in Moravia, but do not pursue the subject further. It seems to me that this offers a fruitful theme for further research.

Matthew Spinka Claremont, California

Francis J. Preveden. A History of the Croatian People. Vol. I. New York: Philosophical Library [c. 1955]. 134 pp. + 64 plates.

The first volume of F. R. Preveden's History of the Croa- tian People deals with prehistory and early period (until 1397) of Croatia's evolution into a distinct Slavic entity. The author traces cultural and political achievements and struggles of southern Slavic tribes who occupied former Roman provinces of Dalmatia, Illyricum, and certain parts of Pannonia, and became known as Croats, Hrvati, in their proper language. For twenty- five chapters the work gives a comprehensive picture of Croa- tian early history with interesting references to anthropology, archeology, ethnography, and philology.

Slavic linguists and historians will, however, find it neces- sary to question a number of conclusions and assertions of Pre- veden's book, concerning the origin of Croats, the Slavic mi- grations to South and West of Europe, and some linguistic problems regarding the Croatian language. The author appar- ently did not confront his findings with such works as Dvornik's The Making of Central and Eastern Europe (1949), Les slaves, Bysance et Rome au IXe sibcle (1926),, and Halecki's Border- lands of Western Civilization (1952). The Slavists, as we know, have concluded that the Croats were originally of non-Slavic stock, that they imposed their rule on Slavic tribes which sub- sequently absorbed them and adopted only their language. These problems, which startled many Slavists from H. Howorth, Gregoire, Gumplovicz, and Pogodin in the last century to 2upa- ni', Hauptman, Sobolevskij, Meillet, etc., are treated superfi- cially in Preveden's study. Preveden repeats some inaccura- cies of the nineteenth-century Slavists (Saf irik) and comes up with new assertions, such as Rastislav's execution by Germans, Methodius' trip to Byzantium and his visit to the king of Croatia, the voluntary exit of Gorazd and the disciples of Methodius from Great Moravia, etc., for which no supporting source is men- tioned in his book. On the question of pacta conventa-the con- troversy as to whether Croatia was a conquered territory by Hungarian kings or whether there was a voluntary adherence of the Croats to the kingdom of Arpads as equal partners-the au- thor does not pass clear judgment.

Despite these shortcomings, the work traces the ancient

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Reviews 377

history of the Croats with lucidity and embraces all aspects of their national life. The work is not free from subjectivity and nationalism, but this is a common feature of histories of all Slavic peoples. The book pays author's homage to the country of his origin and reflects his broad knowledge and scholarship.

J. M. Kirschbaum Universite de Montreal

BOOKS RECEIVED

Adamovich, Anthony.. Opposition to Sovietization in Belorus- sian Literature (1917-1957). Foreword A. Dallin. (In- stitute for the Study of the USSR, Munich, Germany.) New York: Scarecrow Press, 1958. 204 pp., $4.00.

Baldwin, Hanson W. The Great Arms Race: A Comparison of U.S. and Soviet Power Today. New York: F. A. Praeger lc. 1958]. 116 pp., $2.95.

Barnett, Clifford R., et al. Poland: Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. (Survey of World Cultures.) New York: Grove Press [c. 1958]. iv, 471, $2.45.

Domger, L. L., ed. Neizdannye pisma A. I. Gercena k N. I. i T. A. Astrakovym. New York: Novyj Eurnal, 1957. 176 pp.

French, A., ed. and tr. A Book of Czech Verse. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1958. 97 pp., $2.50.

Garthoff, Raymond L. Soviet Strategy in the Nuclear A . New York: F. A. Praeger [c. 1958] xvi, 283, $4.50.

Grampovian, Janko. Berilo in Bearla: Historic Research into Origin of the Slavic Language. Trst, 1958. 109 PP.

Hofmann, Modest, and Andre Pierre. By Deeds of Truth: The Life of Leo Tolstoy. Tr. from French by Ruth W. Fermaud. New York: Orion Press [c. 1958]. Dist. by Crown Publishers. x, 268, $4.00.

Horecky, Paul L., comp. East and East Central Europe: Pe- riodicals in English and Other West European Languages. Washington: Library of Congress, 1958. v, 126, $0.95. [Available for purchase from Card Division, Library of Congress, Washington 25, D.C.]

Ivanov, Georgij. 1943-1958 stixi. Introd. Roman Gul'. New York: Novyj ?urnal, 1958. 112 pp., $2.00.

Jelavich, Charles. Tsarist Russia and Balkan Nationalism: Russian Influence in the Internal Affairs of Bulgaria and Serbia, 1879-1886. (Russian and East European Studies.) Berkeley and Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press, 1958. xiii, 304, $4.50.

Kirschbaum, J. M. L'udovft tiur and His Place in the Slavic World. (Slavistica, No. 32.) Winnipeg: Slovak Institute, 1958. 34 pp.

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