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1.TheForeignPolicyoftheSecondRepublicofPoland
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Theterritorialgainsmadebywayofthoseuprisingswereconrmedbythe
LeagueofNations.However,alongthesouthernborder,Zaolzie(i.e.Cieszyn-
-Silesia)wasadisputedterritory.TheCzechstookquitealargechunkofitbyforce
ofarmsinthesummerof1919,whilethePolishArmywasotherwiseengagedin
holdingtheBolshevikincursionatbay.TheCouncilofAmbassadorsinfactcon-
rmedtheCzechannexationinAugust1920,justastheRedArmywasmaking
its(ultimatelyunsuccessful)thrusttowardsWarsaw.Polandhadnochoicebutto
acceptthestateofaffairs,whichitdidbyvirtueofabilateralagreementsignedin
November1921.
Theeasternborderprovedtobethemostuid,andforlongest.WhentheFirst
WorldWarended,detachmentsofthePolisharmythentakingshapeskirmished
withRussianforcesinEasternEuropeingeneral.However,Piłsudskiheldoffwith
anyPolishattackagainst"theReds”,since"theWhites”wouldnothearofany
territorialconcessionsbeingmadetowardsthenewPolandnomatterwhat.The
Bolsheviksmadenosecretoftheirattempttopassonfrom"thecorpseofWhite-
GuardPoland”,theirlonger-termaimbeingtocarrytheameofrevolutioninto
WesternEurope.PolesonlywentontheoffensiveinApril1920,thoughtheSoviets
wereabletocounterit,pushingPolishforcesbacktotheveryedgesoftheWarsaw
region.Onlywiththecounter-attackof15Augustdiditprovepossibletoforce
theBolsheviksback(atwhatbecameknownas"theMiracleontheVistula”),the
Russiansretreatingindisarrayandultimatelyaskingforanarmistice.Favourable
fromthePolishpointofview,theMarch1921TreatyofRigastabilisedtheeast-
ernborder.Previously,PoleshadalsoscotchedUkrainianambitionswithregard
toLvov(today,sLviv),ghtingovertheissuebreakingoutinNovember1918.
AborderalongtheRiverZbruczwasdelineatedinsummer1919.Adisputewith
thenewLithuanianstateovertheVilniusregionwasresolvedbyGeneralLucjan
Żeligowski,smilitaryintervention,theincorporationofterritorygainingconrma-
tionintheSejmin1922.Nevertheless,itwouldonlybeinMarch1923thatthe
CounciloftheLeagueofNationsnallygaveitsapprovaltothecourseofPoland,s
easternborder.Aconsequenceofallofthiswasthatnolessthan35%ofthenew
state,spopulationcomprisedminoritieswithethnicoriginsintheneighbouring
states.Thesepeoplewerealltooreadilyputtouseinsubsequenteffortstodestabi-
lisePoland.AsitsignedtheTreatyofVersailles,Polandwasalsorequiredtosign
theso-called"MinorityTreaty”,byvirtueofwhichpeopleofGermanoriginwere
assuredofprotection.Thelawisrememberedasamodelofhowtoprotectthe
rightsofnationalminorities.
ItisworthaddingherethatthebordersoftheRepubliccomingbackintoexist-
enceafter123yearsofabsencesafeguardedthemselvestoasignicantextent.No
poweradvocatedanykindofterritorialchangeaffectingPolandinthatperiod.
Thissuccess(orlackofsuccessinthecaseofZaolzie)cameataprice.Thiswas
manifestinpoorrelationswithaLithuaniaunwillingtoacceptVilnius,safnities
withPoland,aswellaswithCzechoslovakia.Thingswerestillworsewherethe