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I.Poland’sForeignPolicyBefore1989
bleofchangingthesituation.ThatchangecameintheaftermathofWorldWarI,
whoseconsequences–simultaneousdefeatsfortheGermanandAustrianEmpires
andtheoutbreakoftheBolshevikRevolutioninRussia–generatedsuchcircum-
stancesinternationallyascouldpermitthenationsofCentralandSouthernEurope
toregaintheirfreedom.BothPolishpoliticalthoughtandthepoliticalgroupings
activeinthepartitionedterritorieshadinfactbeenawaitingtheemergenceofthis
kindofsituation,andsoweremoderatelywellpreparedwhenitultimatelybegan
totakeshape.Forexample,Poleshadmadeclearjusthowimportantanissueinde-
pendenceremainedasJózefPiłsudskipreparedandtookcommandofhisarmed
Legions,inthiswayestablishinganembryonicPolisharmyfromthemiddleyears
ofthe20thcentury,sfirstdecade.
1.THEFOREIGNPOLICYOFTHESECONDREPUBLICOFPOLAND
ThedayWorldWarIended–11November1918–wasthedayindependent
Polandbeganonceagain.Itwasalsothedayonwhichthehelmwastakenbythe
charismaticand(unusuallyenoughinaPolishleader)strategicallyinsightfulJózef
Piłsudski,whowasreleasedfromhisinternmentatthefortressinMagdeburg.
Acoupleofdayslater,PiłsudskicalledtheSecondRepublicofPoland,sfirstgov-
ernmentintobeing.Seenfromtoday,svantagepoint,thescaleofthetasksfacing
theauthoritiesinthenewly-rebornstateseembeyondanyone,sgrasp:thebuild-
ingofastateadministrationandinstitutionsfromscratch;integrationintoasingle
wholeofsocietiesandeconomiesthathadexistedformorethanacenturywithin
theframeworkofthreeentirelydifferentstate–andevencivilisational–systems;
thecreationofanarmy,aneducationalsystemandinfrastructure;andsoon.
Inthefaceofallthis,thekeyfirsttaskforbothdomesticandforeignpolicywas
tosecurethenewstatewithinpermanentbordersthatwouldreceiveinternational
recognition.IfthePolishstatehadarisendenovo"atthecost”ofthethreepartition-
ingpowers,whilenewstateswerecreatedaroundit,thedeterminationandfixingof
thebordershadtomeetwithseriousresistanceinoursurroundings.Theborderofthe
PolandthatwasbeingfoundedinthewakeofWorldWarIwasinfactmobile,and
wasquestionedfromalmostallpossiblequarters.However,atthepriceofthelives
ofPolishsoldiersandinsurgents,aswellaswithmajoreffortsonthepartofdiplo-
mats,Polandmanagedtoexpandtooccupyanareathatwasquiteextensive,given
thefar-from-favourablecircumstances.Thecountryinfactcoveredsome388,000
km2ofland,makingitthesixthlargestinEurope.Thewesternborderwasinpart
establishedattheParisPeaceConference(thankstoagreatcontributionmadeby
theleaderofthePolishNationalCommittee,RomanDmowski),inpartalsothrough
theWielkopolska(GreaterPoland)UprisingofDecember1918–February1919,
threeuprisingsinSilesia(thelastinMay1920),andplebiscitesheldintheVarmia
andMasuriaregionsinAugust1920thatdidnotturnoutfavourablyforPoland.