Consensus or Violence? Cohesive forces in early and high medieval societies (9th – 14th c.)

The current political context may incline historians to formulate generalizations, which focus on abstract definitions and lead to the negation of both the existence of a nation and state in the Middle ages, which is widely present in the Medieval studies of the West. The substitution of the word 'state' with 'polity' is not of that significance, as is the answer for the question - why in some points of their existence certain societies abandon local cooperation and begin to create over-regional communities. Therefore, in this volume we pose a question about the role violence and agreement played in the creation of certain social relations in certain large social groups.

Preface
Chapter I. Looking for the Pattern:
Jan Klápště, The Medieval 'Europeanization' of the East of Central Europe: Consensus or Violence?
Chapter II. Predecessors and Neighbours of East Central European States:
Warren Brown, Violence and Central Authority in the Carolingian Empire
Władysław Duczko, Reach Consensus Then Make War, Politics of Alliances in the 12th Century Scandinavia
Chapter III. New States - Old Patterns? Birth of the States in the Heart of Europe:
Martin Wihoda, The Long Beginnings of Central Eastern Europe
Andrzej Buko, Old Ties, New Challenges. The power Centres and the Rise of the Oldest Piast's Patrimony in Archaeological Perspective
Wojciech Chudziak, Forms of State-bonds in the Lower Wisła River Basin During the Early Piast Period - casus: terra culmensis
Florin Curta, Gift-giving and Violence in Bulgaria and Poland. A Comparative Approach to Ruling Strategies in the Early Middle Ages
Grischa Vercamer, Historiographische Strategien die herrschaftlichen Strukturen in Polen und im Reich im 12. Jahrundert ze stabilisieren - Ottos/Rahewins Gesta Friderici und Vincentius' Chronica Polonorum im Vergleich über den ,guten Herrscher'
Joanna Sobiesiak, The Political Elite and Power. The Czech Consensus or How Enthronement Oaths Were Used in Political Practice until the Middle of the 12th Century
Robert Antonín, Probleme bei der Gründung einer neuen Dynastie
Chapter IV. Violence and Consensus - Opposite Ways of Change in Medieval World?:
Przemysław Urbańczyk, Violent Peace in Medieval Iceland
Andrzej Pleszczyński, The Struggle for Power in Suzdal-Vladimir Rus' in 1252 According to the Author of the Life of Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Musin, Novgorod the Great and Medieval Poland: neither violence nor consensus?
Nora Berend, Violence, Christianization and monarchy in medieval Hungary
Aleksander Paroń, Consensus through violence? Some remarks on the relations between the nomadic societies of Eurasia and the outside world
Daniel Bági, Legitime und illegitime Väter und Mütter in den narrativen Quellen Ostmitteleuropas im 11–13 Jh.
Sławomir Moździoch, Consensus or Violence? Archaeology and the Begginings of the Piast State
Przemysław Wiszewski (Wrocław), Different Visions for Different Publicity? Early Piasts' Propaganda of Power (up to 1054)