Volume IX/2019 John S. Micgiel, Pawel Kowal – Wstep ................................................ 5 Boguslaw Winid “The Role and Activities of the Eastern European Group within the United Nations System” ............................................................... 7 Matthew Rhodes “NATO’s 2018 Brussels Summit: A View from the United States” .... 13 Z. Anthony Kruszewski “The U. S. Diplomatic and Humanitarian Impact Supporting 1918 Re-Emerging Poland: House, Lord and Hoover” .................................. 17 Magda Stroinska “National Independence versus Societal Trauma: Can a Nation Enslaved by its Past be Independent?” ................................................ 27 Alfonsas Eidintas “From a Common to a National State(s) and the Lithuanian-Polish Dispute” ............................................................................... 39 Stefan Kawalec “Introduction to the Round Table on Building a Modern and Robust International Board: Egidijus Aleksandravičius | Vytautas Magnus University Banking System: Poland’s Experience after 1989” ..................................... 53 Stefano Bianchini | University of Bologna Miroslav Hroch | Charles University Hubert A. Janiszewski “The Privatisation of the Polish Banking Sector” ................ 59 Yaroslav Hrytsak | Ukrainian Catholic University Andreas Kappeler | University of Vienna Zbigniew Kruszewski | University of Texas, El Paso Marcin Wakar “The Rebirth of Polishness in the Baltic States as a Result of the Crisis Jan Kubik | Rutgers University and the Collapse of the USSR: The Case of Lithuania” ................................. 67 Panayot Karagyozov | Sofia University Alexey Miller | Russian Academy of Sciences Mykola Riabchuk | Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Aleksandra Gryzlak “The Georgian Herald Samizdat Journal” ......................... 75 Barbara Törnquist-Plewa | Lund University Theodore Weeks | Southern Illinois University Editorial Committee: Francisak Viacorka “The Structure of Government Elites within the Regime of Jan Malicki | chair of the Committee (director, Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Alaksandar Lukashenka” .............................................................. 87 John S. Micgiel | WEEC Conference Director (Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Wiktor Ross | secretary of the WEEC Programme Board (Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Gordon N. Bardos “Militant Islamism in Southeastern Europe: Infrastructure, Actions Editor-in-Chief John S. Micgiel and the Future Threat Horizon” ........................................................ 111 Deputy Editor-in-Chief Pawel Kowal Gordon N. Bardos “The Balkan Front in the New Cold War” ........................... 131 Language Editor Christopher Moore Shahla Kazimova “Independence by Muslim communists: “Narimanovshchina”, the ISBN: 978-83-61325-64-2 downfall of national communists in Azerbaijan ........................................ 155 ISSN: 2299-2421 Copyright © by Studium Europy Wschodniej UW 2019 Antoni Nevescanin “Creating a Modern City: Gentrification or Revitalization in the City Typographic design & cover design Jan Jerzy Malicki of Łódź” ...............................................................................167 Layout Jan Malik John S. Micgiel, Pawel Kowal – Wstep ................................................ 5 Boguslaw Winid “The Role and Activities of the Eastern European Group within the United Nations System” ............................................................... 7 Matthew Rhodes “NATO’s 2018 Brussels Summit: A View from the United States” .... 13 Z. Anthony Kruszewski “The U. S. Diplomatic and Humanitarian Impact Supporting 1918 Re-Emerging Poland: House, Lord and Hoover” .................................. 17 Magda Stroinska “National Independence versus Societal Trauma: Can a Nation Enslaved by its Past be Independent?” ................................................ 27 Alfonsas Eidintas “From a Common to a National State(s) and the Lithuanian-Polish Dispute” ............................................................................... 39 Stefan Kawalec “Introduction to the Round Table on Building a Modern and Robust International Board: Egidijus Aleksandravičius | Vytautas Magnus University Banking System: Poland’s Experience after 1989” ..................................... 53 Stefano Bianchini | University of Bologna Miroslav Hroch | Charles University Hubert A. Janiszewski “The Privatisation of the Polish Banking Sector” ................ 59 Yaroslav Hrytsak | Ukrainian Catholic University Andreas Kappeler | University of Vienna Zbigniew Kruszewski | University of Texas, El Paso Marcin Wakar “The Rebirth of Polishness in the Baltic States as a Result of the Crisis Jan Kubik | Rutgers University and the Collapse of the USSR: The Case of Lithuania” ................................. 67 Panayot Karagyozov | Sofia University Alexey Miller | Russian Academy of Sciences Mykola Riabchuk | Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Aleksandra Gryzlak “The Georgian Herald Samizdat Journal” ......................... 75 Barbara Törnquist-Plewa | Lund University Theodore Weeks | Southern Illinois University Editorial Committee: Francisak Viacorka “The Structure of Government Elites within the Regime of Jan Malicki | chair of the Committee (director, Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Alaksandar Lukashenka” .............................................................. 87 John S. Micgiel | WEEC Conference Director (Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Wiktor Ross | secretary of the WEEC Programme Board (Centre for East European Studies, University of Warsaw) Gordon N. Bardos “Militant Islamism in Southeastern Europe: Infrastructure, Actions Editor-in-Chief John S. Micgiel and the Future Threat Horizon” ........................................................ 111 Deputy Editor-in-Chief Pawel Kowal Gordon N. Bardos “The Balkan Front in the New Cold War” ........................... 131 Language Editor Christopher Moore Shahla Kazimova “Independence by Muslim communists: “Narimanovshchina”, the ISBN: 978-83-61325-64-2 downfall of national communists in Azerbaijan ........................................ 155 ISSN: 2299-2421 Copyright © by Studium Europy Wschodniej UW 2019 Antoni Nevescanin “Creating a Modern City: Gentrification or Revitalization in the City Typographic design & cover design Jan Jerzy Malicki of Łódź” ...............................................................................167 Layout Jan Malik Foreword At the end of June 2018, the East European Studies Center of Warsaw University held its fifteenth annual Warsaw East European Conference. The topic was Independence and the meeting was part of the celebrations surrounding Poland’s one hundred-year anniver- sary of rebirth following one hundred and twenty-three years under foreign rule. Neigh- boring states were celebrating the gift of full sovereignty similarly and scholars were look- ing back at the achievements and missed opportunities of countries in the region. Our meeting brought some 75 scholars from 13 countries together to share their re- search and exchange ideas at conference facilities of the Old Library of Warsaw University. Several roundtables organized together with partner institutions provided broad views of the challenges that faced the region following independence. Maintaining that independence within a regional security organization was the topic of a panel on “NATO’s Brussels Summit: U.S., German, and Russian Perspectives”, which was co-organized by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies at Garmisch- Partenkirchen (GCMC), and co-hosted by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Warsaw. Thanks go to Dr. Andrew A. Michta, dean of the Marshall Center’s College on International and Security Studies, to Col. Ray Wojcik (U.S. Army ret.) director of CEPA War- saw, and to our speakers: Dr. Matthew Rhodes (Professor of National Security Studies, GCMC), Dr. Igor Zevelev (Professor of National Security Studies, GCMC), and Dr. Ralf Roloff (Deputy Dean for Resident Programs, College of International and Security Studies). A session on developing the underpinnings of a new financial system entitled “Build- ing a Modern and Robust Banking System: Poland’s Experience after 1989”, was organized by Attorney Peter Święcicki of Squire Patton Boggs Święcicki Krześniak sp. k. Michigan USA. We are grateful to Attorney Święcicki and four other pioneers who helped build the system and who presented their views on the accomplishments and pitfalls they faced those thirty-odd years ago: Dr. Stefan Kawalec (President, Capital Strategy; former Deputy Minister and Director General, Polish Ministry of Finance); Dr. Krzysztof Kalicki (President, ix | 2019 | 5 Foreword At the end of June 2018, the East European Studies Center of Warsaw University held its fifteenth annual Warsaw East European Conference. The topic was Independence and the meeting was part of the celebrations surrounding Poland’s one hundred-year anniver- sary of rebirth following one hundred and twenty-three years under foreign rule. Neigh- boring states were celebrating the gift of full sovereignty similarly and scholars were look- ing back at the achievements and missed opportunities of countries in the region. Our meeting brought some 75 scholars from 13 countries together to share their re- search and exchange ideas at conference facilities of the Old Library of Warsaw University. Several roundtables organized together with partner institutions