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I.Poland’sForeignPolicyBefore1989
sionpact,yettheyturneddownanattemptbythePolishpartytohavethisextended
tootherstatesintheregion.Nevertheless,theagreementwaseventuallysigned
on25July1932thankstoaPolishinitiativethathadbeenadvancedayearpre-
viously.Theagreementwasextendedforanother10yearsin1934.TheGerman-
SovietagreementswereenoughtoexplainPoland,slackofinterestinattempts
FrancewasmakingtohavetheLocarnoprinciplesextendedintoEasternEurope
viatheBarthouPlan.
Suchthensuccesseswithforeignpolicyensuredthatboththeambitionsbeing
pursuedbyPoland,andthelanguagebeingemployed,tendedtowardsgreater
assertivenessthanthestate,srealcapacitiesontheinternationalsceneshouldhave
allowed.Thekindoftonetobeexpectedfromasuperpowerbegantoappearinstate
policydeclarations,inthewakeoftheMay1926coupinparticular.Colonialaspi-
rationswereatthistimebeingvoicedbyLigaKolonialnaiMorska(theColonial
andMaritimeLeague).Suchatonewasalsoondisplayinthenalyearsbeforethe
WorldWarIIbrokeout,aswhenPolandunilaterallyimposeditswillonaneighbour
country(anultimatumbeingusedtoforceLithuaniaintoestablishingdiplomatic
ties,andforcebeingemployedtoregainZaolzie(partofCieszyn-Silesia)follow-
ingoccupationoftheCzechlandsbyGermany).TheJózefBeckdiplomaticmotto
holdingthattherewouldbeniconasbeznas("nothinginvolvinguswithoutour
involvement”)createdanillusionthatPolandwasactuallyinuencingthecourse
ofEuropeanaffairsastheseconcernedthecountry,sowninterests.
Thelimitstothisrealityquitequicklymadethemselvesplain.ANaziGermany
strengthenedbyHitler,spoliticalmanoeuvringwentintoaction.Beforethevery
eyesofacontinentparalysedbyitsownappeasementpolicy,Germanysuccessfully
broughtofftheAnschlussofAustriaandannexedtheCzechlands.Onlyaftersuch
effectivemuscle-exing(inOctober1938)didHitlerlaybeforePolandaproposal
forthe"comprehensiveresolution”ofoutstandingbonesofcontention.While
demandingthatGdańsk-Danzigbecededbacktothem,andthatanextra-territorial
accesscorridorlinkingthecitywithEastPrussiabemadeaccessible,theGermans
alsoinvitedPolandtojointheanti-Cominternpactandevensuggestedajointmili-
taryexpeditionagainsttheSovietUnion.
Rejectingboththedemandsandtheproposals,Polandembarkeduponadesper-
atesearchforwaystostrengthenitsposition,achievingamodicumofsuccesson
paperatleast.TheagreementprovidingforBritishsecurityguaranteeswascon-
cludedinApril1939,onlytodevelopfurtherintothe25Augustagreementon
mutualassistance.Inturn,theMayofthatsameyearhadbroughtthesignaturein
ParisofamilitaryprotocolwherebyFrancewouldtakeuparmsagainstGermany
alongtheirmutualborder,shouldGermanyresorttoaggressivemeasuresagainst
Poland.
FacedwithincreasingpressurefromGermany,notablyHitler,sveryaggres-
siveaddresstotheReichstagdated28April,MinisterBeckusedtheoccasionof
his5May1939speechtotheSejmrejectingGermandemandstoutterwordsthat