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Territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II

At the end of World War II, Poland underwent major changes to the location of its international border. In 1945, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Oder–Neisse line became its western border,[1] resulting in gaining the Recovered Territories from Germany. The Curzon Line became its eastern border, resulting in the loss of the Eastern Borderlands to the Soviet Union.[2]

The Oder–Neisse line
Poland's old and new borders, 1945

Decision edit

These decisions were in accordance with the decisions made first by the Allies at the Tehran Conference of 1943 where the Soviet Union demanded the recognition of the line proposed by British Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon in 1920.[3]

The same Soviet stance was repeated by Joseph Stalin again at the Yalta Conference with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in February 1945, but much more forcefully in the face of the looming German defeat.[4] The new borders were ratified at the Potsdam Conference of August 1945 exactly as proposed by Stalin who already controlled the whole of East-Central Europe.[4] Harry Truman remembered:

I remember at Potsdam, we got to discussing a matter in eastern Poland, and it was remarked by the Prime Minister of Great Britain that the Pope would not be happy over the arrangement of that Catholic end of Poland. And the Generalissimo, the Prime Minister of Russia leaned on the table, and he pulled his mustache like that, and looked over to Mr. Churchill and said: Mr. Churchill, Mr. Prime Minister, how many divisions did you say the Pope had?[5]

Large territories of Polish Second Republic were ceded to the Soviet Union by the Moscow-backed Polish government, and today form part of Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. Poland was instead given the Free State of Danzig and the German areas east of the rivers Oder and Neisse (see Recovered Territories), pending a final peace conference with Germany. Since a peace conference never took place, the lands were effectively ceded by Germany.[6][need quotation to verify]

Population transfer edit

The population transfer of both Polish and Germans 1945–46 included many millions of people.[7][8] The Polish territory in 1919–39 covered an area of 386,418 square kilometres (149,197 square miles).[9] But from 1947, Poland's territory was reduced to 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 square miles), so the country lost 73,739 square kilometres (28,471 square miles) of land. This difference amounts almost to the size of the Czech Republic, although Poland ended up with a much longer coastline on the Baltic Sea compared to its 1939 borders. In addition, the infrastructure in the former eastern territories of Germany was more developed than in the territories ceded to the Soviet Union.[citation needed]

Outcome edit

The prewar eastern Polish territories of Kresy, which the Red Army had overrun during the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 (excluding the Białystok region) were permanently ceded to the USSR by the new Polish communist government, and most of their Polish inhabitants expelled. As a result of the Potsdam Agreement to which Poland's government-in-exile was not invited, Poland lost 179,000 square kilometres (69,000 square miles) (45%) of prewar territories in the east, including over 12 million citizens of whom 4.3 million were Polish-speakers. Today, these territories are part of sovereign Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania.[10]

In turn, postwar Poland was assigned considerably smaller territories to the west including the prewar Free City of Danzig and the former territory of Germany east of the Oder–Neisse line, consisting of the southern portion of East Prussia and most of Pomerania, Neumark (East Brandenburg), and German Silesia. Poland also received the town of Swinemünde (now Świnoujście) on the island of Usedom and the city of Stettin (now Szczecin) on the western bank of the Oder river in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement. Therefore, these transferred territories did not then form part of the Soviet occupation zone of Germany or the subsequent state of East Germany.

The German population who had stayed at or had returned to their homes were forcibly expelled before these Recovered Territories (official term) were repopulated with Poles from Central Poland and by Poles expelled from the eastern regions and those from central Poland. The borders of Poland resembled the borders of the German-Russian gains in World War 2, with the exception of the city of Bialystok. This is called the Curzon line. The small area of Trans-Olza, which had been annexed by Poland in late 1938, was returned to Czechoslovakia on Stalin's orders.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Eberhardt, Piotr (2015). "The Oder-Neisse Line as Poland's western border: As postulated and made a reality". Geographia Polonica. 88 (1): 77–105. doi:10.7163/GPol.0007.
  2. ^ Eberhardt, Piotr (2012). "The Curzon line as the eastern boundary of Poland. The origins and the political background". Geographia Polonica. 85 (1): 5–21. doi:10.7163/GPol.2012.1.1.
  3. ^ U.S. Department of State. "The Tehran Conference, 1943 - 1937–1945". Milestones - Office of the Historian. Retrieved 17 December 2015. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b Simon Berthon; Joanna Potts (2007). Warlords: An Extraordinary Re-Creation of World War II. Da Capo Press. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-306-81650-5.
  5. ^ "President Truman Speaks to the Scientists", Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 4/10, (October 1, 1948): p 292,
  6. ^ Geoffrey K. Roberts, Patricia Hogwood (2013). The Politics Today Companion to West European Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-84779-032-3.; Piotr Stefan Wandycz (1980). The United States and Poland. Harvard University Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-674-92685-1.; Phillip A. Bühler (1990). The Oder-Neisse Line: a reappraisal under international law. East European Monographs. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-88033-174-6.
  7. ^ Eberhardt, Piotr (2006). (PDF). Warsaw: Didactica. ISBN 978-1-5361-1035-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-23.
  8. ^ Eberhardt, Piotr (2011). Political Migrations On Polish Territories (1939-1950) (PDF). Warsaw: Polish Academy of Sciences. ISBN 978-83-61590-46-0.
  9. ^ Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok second edition, article "Polen" , fifth row at [1]
  10. ^ Sylwester Fertacz, Alfa. Retrieved from the Internet Archive on 14 November 2011.

External links edit

  • Moving Poland Western and Northern Lands - Information provided by the Polish History Museum
  • Interactive map of pre-war and post-war Poland

territorial, changes, poland, immediately, after, world, world, poland, underwent, major, changes, location, international, border, 1945, after, defeat, nazi, germany, oder, neisse, line, became, western, border, resulting, gaining, recovered, territories, fro. At the end of World War II Poland underwent major changes to the location of its international border In 1945 after the defeat of Nazi Germany the Oder Neisse line became its western border 1 resulting in gaining the Recovered Territories from Germany The Curzon Line became its eastern border resulting in the loss of the Eastern Borderlands to the Soviet Union 2 The Oder Neisse line Poland s old and new borders 1945 Contents 1 Decision 2 Population transfer 3 Outcome 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDecision editThese decisions were in accordance with the decisions made first by the Allies at the Tehran Conference of 1943 where the Soviet Union demanded the recognition of the line proposed by British Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon in 1920 3 The same Soviet stance was repeated by Joseph Stalin again at the Yalta Conference with Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in February 1945 but much more forcefully in the face of the looming German defeat 4 The new borders were ratified at the Potsdam Conference of August 1945 exactly as proposed by Stalin who already controlled the whole of East Central Europe 4 Harry Truman remembered I remember at Potsdam we got to discussing a matter in eastern Poland and it was remarked by the Prime Minister of Great Britain that the Pope would not be happy over the arrangement of that Catholic end of Poland And the Generalissimo the Prime Minister of Russia leaned on the table and he pulled his mustache like that and looked over to Mr Churchill and said Mr Churchill Mr Prime Minister how many divisions did you say the Pope had 5 Large territories of Polish Second Republic were ceded to the Soviet Union by the Moscow backed Polish government and today form part of Lithuania Belarus and Ukraine Poland was instead given the Free State of Danzig and the German areas east of the rivers Oder and Neisse see Recovered Territories pending a final peace conference with Germany Since a peace conference never took place the lands were effectively ceded by Germany 6 need quotation to verify Population transfer editThe population transfer of both Polish and Germans 1945 46 included many millions of people 7 8 The Polish territory in 1919 39 covered an area of 386 418 square kilometres 149 197 square miles 9 But from 1947 Poland s territory was reduced to 312 679 square kilometres 120 726 square miles so the country lost 73 739 square kilometres 28 471 square miles of land This difference amounts almost to the size of the Czech Republic although Poland ended up with a much longer coastline on the Baltic Sea compared to its 1939 borders In addition the infrastructure in the former eastern territories of Germany was more developed than in the territories ceded to the Soviet Union citation needed Outcome editThe prewar eastern Polish territories of Kresy which the Red Army had overrun during the Nazi Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 excluding the Bialystok region were permanently ceded to the USSR by the new Polish communist government and most of their Polish inhabitants expelled As a result of the Potsdam Agreement to which Poland s government in exile was not invited Poland lost 179 000 square kilometres 69 000 square miles 45 of prewar territories in the east including over 12 million citizens of whom 4 3 million were Polish speakers Today these territories are part of sovereign Belarus Ukraine and Lithuania 10 In turn postwar Poland was assigned considerably smaller territories to the west including the prewar Free City of Danzig and the former territory of Germany east of the Oder Neisse line consisting of the southern portion of East Prussia and most of Pomerania Neumark East Brandenburg and German Silesia Poland also received the town of Swinemunde now Swinoujscie on the island of Usedom and the city of Stettin now Szczecin on the western bank of the Oder river in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement Therefore these transferred territories did not then form part of the Soviet occupation zone of Germany or the subsequent state of East Germany The German population who had stayed at or had returned to their homes were forcibly expelled before these Recovered Territories official term were repopulated with Poles from Central Poland and by Poles expelled from the eastern regions and those from central Poland The borders of Poland resembled the borders of the German Russian gains in World War 2 with the exception of the city of Bialystok This is called the Curzon line The small area of Trans Olza which had been annexed by Poland in late 1938 was returned to Czechoslovakia on Stalin s orders See also editFormer eastern territories of Germany Geography of Poland German Polish Border Treaty of 1990 Molotov Ribbentrop Pact Peace of Riga Polish Soviet border agreement of August 1945 Polish Soviet War Territorial evolution of Poland Territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union Treaty of Zgorzelec of 1950References edit Eberhardt Piotr 2015 The Oder Neisse Line as Poland s western border As postulated and made a reality Geographia Polonica 88 1 77 105 doi 10 7163 GPol 0007 Eberhardt Piotr 2012 The Curzon line as the eastern boundary of Poland The origins and the political background Geographia Polonica 85 1 5 21 doi 10 7163 GPol 2012 1 1 U S Department of State The Tehran Conference 1943 1937 1945 Milestones Office of the Historian Retrieved 17 December 2015 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help a b Simon Berthon Joanna Potts 2007 Warlords An Extraordinary Re Creation of World War II Da Capo Press p 285 ISBN 978 0 306 81650 5 President Truman Speaks to the Scientists Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 4 10 October 1 1948 p 292 Geoffrey K Roberts Patricia Hogwood 2013 The Politics Today Companion to West European Politics Oxford University Press p 50 ISBN 978 1 84779 032 3 Piotr Stefan Wandycz 1980 The United States and Poland Harvard University Press p 303 ISBN 978 0 674 92685 1 Phillip A Buhler 1990 The Oder Neisse Line a reappraisal under international law East European Monographs p 33 ISBN 978 0 88033 174 6 Eberhardt Piotr 2006 Political Migrations in Poland 1939 1948 PDF Warsaw Didactica ISBN 978 1 5361 1035 7 Archived from the original PDF on 2015 06 23 Eberhardt Piotr 2011 Political Migrations On Polish Territories 1939 1950 PDF Warsaw Polish Academy of Sciences ISBN 978 83 61590 46 0 Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok second edition article Polen fifth row at 1 Sylwester Fertacz Krojenie mapy Polski Bolesna granica Carving of Poland s map Alfa Retrieved from the Internet Archive on 14 November 2011 External links editMoving Poland Western and Northern Lands Information provided by the Polish History Museum Interactive map of pre war and post war Poland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II amp oldid 1191855904, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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