ABSTRACT
The notion of European federation has a long pedigree. In exploring the first model of European federalism, Pieczewski begins his survey with the Roman Empire. Federalists like Retinger always presumed the existence of some version of Poland plus some significant segment of the eastern territories as fundamental to Polish participation in a federated Europe. Retinger combined the heritage of a Polish commonwealth with a larger vision of a federal Europe. Retinger played a special role with clear and long-standing goals: work for Poland, European integration, and transatlantic understanding. The influence of the Roman tradition, coupled with the reinforcing influence of hid Polish heritage were the two informing principles of Retinger's passion for European unity. In the interwar period, Kalergi's Pan-European movement attracted some prominent Polish adherents including Aleksander Lednicki, Stanislaw Estreicher, Konstanty Srokowski, and Stanislaw Posner. Kalergi was the most important theorist and organizer of the Pan-European movement of the interwar era.
