By Peter Strahl. For centuries, the Poles have celebrated April 9, 1241 as a day of great victory over the Golden Horde of the Mongols (called at that time “Tartars” or “Tatars”) near Liegnitz—a day that turned back forever the threat of Central Asian conquest.
But was it really so? TBR looks at how Europeans ironically snatched “victory” from the jaws of defeat. [Read the entire article as PDF…]
The Barnes Review, July/August 2012: The Day Europe Almost Fell