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Polish Colonial Ambitions in the Inter-War Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2017

Taras Hunczak
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Extract

One of the most interesting political anachronisms of this century was the Polish demand for colonies. The movement developed rapidly in size and intensity in the early 1930s and reached its climax in 1938-39. Ironically, the Poles clamored for colonies at a time when plans were being prepared to turn Poland herself into one of the first colonies of the Third Reich. In pursuing this course of action the Poles fell victim to the spirit of voluntarism, confusing the will to power with the precondition for greatpower status.

The origin of the Polish colonial movement may be dated October 1, 1918, when an organization called Polska Bandera (Polish Flag) was founded by a group of twenty-five men for the purpose of popularizing the importance of the sea to Poland’s national interest and encouraging Polish youth to participate in inland and maritime navigation.

Type
Notes and Comments
Information
Slavic Review , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , December 1967 , pp. 648 - 656
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 1967

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References

1 Rocznik Morski i Kolonialny 1938 (Warsaw, 1938), p. 400.

2 For details concerning the organization and its membership, see Stanistaw Zielinski, Maly Stownik Pionierdw Polskich Kolonialnych i Morskich (Warsaw, 1933; a publication of the Instytut Wydawniczy Ligi Morskiej i Kolonjalnej).

3 See Cz. Zagórski, “Dwadziejscia lat pracy LMK,” Morze, Nov. 1938, p. 9.

4 Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer (1889-1936) started his military career in the famed First Brigade of the Polish Legions. In 1918 he was promoted to the rank of general. From 1930 to 1935 he served as an Army Inspector, and in 1936 he was nominated inspector of the Air Force. For details see Polska Akademia Umiejetności, Polski Słownik Biograficzny (Karków, ^M)’ v> 365“68-

5 At this time 5.18 zlotys equaled approximately one U.S. dollar.

6 State Department Archives, National Archives of the United States (Washington) (hereafter cited as SDNA), Document, No. 860 c.43, Maritime and Colonial League, Enclosure No. 1, to despatch No. 655, April 3, 1935, from the Embassy at Warsaw, pp. 1-2.

7 Morze, Nov. 1938, p. 30.

8 Zagórski, p. 10. Sosnkowski was one of the highest ranking generals in Poland. From 1920 to 1924 he had held die portfolio of Minister of Military Affairs. While one of the Inspectors of the Army (1927-39) he was entrusted with the task of preparing a plan for the reorganization of the armaments of the Polish Army as well as with the development of die war industry. See Kazimierz, Sosnkowski, Materiaiy Historyczne (London, 1966), pp. xiv–xvii.Google Scholar

9 See Stanislaw, Zielinski, Wyprawa Stefana S. RogoziAskiego do Afryki (Warsaw, 1933). P. 35.Google Scholar

10 SDNA, Document No. 860 c.43, Maritime and Colonial League, p. 4.

11 See Gilbert, Maroger, L'Europe et la Question Coloniale (Paris, 1938), p. 263.Google Scholar

12 J.D., “Walka o Kolonje,” Morze, Oct. 1935, p. 4. See also Michael PaSkiewicz, “Za/Iamy rnandatu Kolonialnego,” ibid., p. 5.

13 See Jezioranski, “O Polskie postulaty Kolonjalny,” Morze, Nov. 1936, p. 1.

14 Jezioranski, “Gdynia a Kolonje,” Morze, Jan. 1936, p. 15.

15 Debski, “Nasze dazenia Kolonialne,” Morze, Oct. 1936, p. 1.

16 Morze, Nov. 1936, p. l.

17 For a contemporary German writer's view of the League as a powerful political organization and in certain respects a leader of the Polish nation, see Adalbert Hahn, “Die polnische See und Kolonialliga,” Osteuropa (Berlin), Nov. 1936, p. 109.

18 Sprawy Morskie i Kolonialne (Warsaw, 1939; a publication of the Instytut Naukowy Ligi Morskiej i Kolonialnej), I, 186.

19 Morze, Oct. 1936, p. 2. For Beck's consistent interest in the colonial question, especially with respect to emigration and raw materials, see J6zef Beck, Beitrage zur europaischen Politik 1932-39 (Essen, 1939), pp. 295-96, 336-37, 362-63, 423, 431-34, 517.

20 The New York Times, Dec. 19, 1936, p. 2.

21 Auswartiges Amt Archiv (microfilm), Deutsches Zentralarchiv, Document No. 2391/ D500014-037, Deutsches Generalkonsulat, Posen, Nov. 27, 1936.

22 Morze, July 1937, p. 1.

23 Werner Markert, “Ubersichten,” Osteuropa, Jan. 1938, p. 273.

24 SDNA, 860 C43, Maritime and Colonial League, p. 3.

25 See Rocznik Polityczny i Gospodarczy (Warsaw, 1938), p. 597; SDNA, 860 c.43, Maritime and Colonial League, pp. 3-4.

26 Morze, Jan. 1938, pp. 1-2.

27 Morze, Feb. 1938, p. 2.

28 Rocznik Morski i Kolonialny, p. 404.

29 See J. L., “Chcemy Kolonji dla Polski,” Morze, March 1938, pp. 4-6.

30 Morze, April 1938, p. 1. In fact the earlier trend of 1930-31 toward a rather high natural population growth (16 percent) had suffered a considerable decline. By 1938 the natural increase was only 10.7 percent ( Dudley, Kirk, Europe's Population in the Interwar Years [Princeton, 1946 Google Scholar; “League of Nations Publications“], p. 60).

31 “Polska musi miec Kolonje,” Morze, April 1938, p. 7.

32 “Z Krega marzeh do realnych postulat6w,” Kurier Polski (Warsaw), April 17, 1938, p. 6.

33 One placard was described as showing a ship with a Polish flag near an unknown exotic shore. On the shore a Negro carried on his back a large box marked “72 kg.” ( Wiktor, Grosz, U Zrddel Wrzesnia 1939 [Warsaw, 1949], p. 21Google Scholar).

34 For an excellent report on the various activities held during the “Colonial Days,” see “Po Dniach Kolonialnych,” Morze, May-1938, pp. 23-25.

35 The Ambassador thought that much of the enthusiasm displayed by the Poles in the course of the “Colonial Week” could “quite definitely be traced to the spirit generated during the course of the recent Polish-Lithuanian crisis when the latent imperialism of the Polish people was fanned into open flame.” He also felt that German behavior in Central Europe and the growing manifestations of Germany's interest in the colonial questions influenced Polish official circles to participate more actively in the observance of “Colonial Week.” See SDNA, Document No. 860 c.014/57, report of Drexel Biddle, Jr., to the Secretary of State, April 22, 1938, p. 2.

36 Morze, March 1938, p. 36, and Dec. 1938, p. 33.

37 Morze, March 1938, p. 37.

38 R. Piotrowicz expressed the hope that the normalization of the immediate problems of Europe would reopen the colonial question (“Walka o Kolonje,” Tygodnik Illustrowany [Warsaw], April 1938, p. 307).

39 The New York Times, April 11, 1938.

40 See Pravda and Izvestiia, April 8, 1938.

41 Morze, July 1939, p. 1. In 1938 the Polish merchant marine consisted of 54 ships totaling 112, 600 gross tons. Poland's navy, manned by 325 officers and 3000 sailors, consisted of 2 torpedo boats, 4 destroyers, 2 submarines, a minelayer, 2 gunboats, a surveying vessel, a training ship, a transport, 6 minesweepers, 6 riverboats, 8 river gunboats, and 2 tugs. See Jane's Fighting Ships (London, 1938), pp. 391-95.

42 For the influence of Gdansk, Gdynia, and the “Corridor” on the Maritime and Colonial League, see Rocznik Morski i Kolonialny 1938, pp. 403, 407-8, 415.

43 Sprawy Morskie i Kolonialne, I, 178-81. On March 3, 1939, the British Ambassador in Warsaw reported : “The problem of overseas settlement and raw materials looms large in the public consciousness of this country, and a propaganda campaign on the subject is in the process of being launched by the Camp of National Unity” (Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-39, Third Series, IV [London, 1951], 179).

44 Indeed, German observers felt that the Polish government and certain influential individuals were behind all the colonial demands advanced by the Maritime and Colonial League; see Auswartiges Amt Archiv (microfilm), Deutsches Zentralarchiv, Document No. 2391/0500022-23, Polens Forderung nach Kolonien und der Polnische Lebensraum, Mai 22, 1939.

45 Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-39, Third Series, IV, 205.

46 Ibid., p. 217.

47 The propaganda aimed at convincing the Polish population that Poland was or should be a great power affected a wide spectrum of society, including some who occupied high government positions. For example, Juliusz Lukasiewicz, who, as Polish representative to the USSR from 1933 to 1936 and to France from 1936 to 1939, was in a position to appraise the power structure of Europe, came to the conclusion that Poland was a great power; see his Polska jest Mocarstwem (Warsaw, 1939).

48 The author was privileged to discuss various issues relating to the activities of the Maritime and Colonial League with Professor Jedrzejewicz, who in 1934-35 held the portfolio of Minister of Education.

49 On March 3, 1939, Kennard suggested to Halifax that “the furtherance of a colonial campaign at this moment would have the additional advantage for Poland of distracting Germany's attention from her eastern frontiers for the time being“; see Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-39, Third Series, IV, 179.

50 SDNA, Document No. 860 coo/726, report of North Winship to Washington, Feb. 28, 1938, p. 4.

51 SDNA, Document No. 860 c.014/57, report of Drexel Biddle, Jr., to the Secretary of State, April 22, 1938, pp. 3-4.