Nowe granice europejskie. Zmiany terytorialne dokonane w następstwie II wojny światowej

Abstract

The World War II began under the banner of a general revision of existing territorial order. The register of these changes is long. The first one is the absorbtion of Austria by the Reich in March 1938 and that of the so- called "Sudetes" which had formerly belonged to Czechoslovakia in September of the same year. Poland availed herself of this opportunity to enlarge her possessions by the incorporation of Zaolzie as well as some small parts of the Czadecki region, Orava, and Spish while Hungary annexed to her territory some parts of Slovakia, and those of Carpathian Ukraine. In March 1939 new changes took place. Germany absorbed Chechia and Moravia, Slovakia proclaimed her independence while Hungary incorporated the whole of Carpathian Ukraine. In March 1939 Germany invaded as well Memel in Lithuania and annexed it to the Reich. In April Mussolini captured Albania and proclaimed her personal union with Italy. By the terms of Soviet-German agreement of the 28th of September 1939 the territory of Poland was divided. 185,6 thousands of km2 were under German occupation while the Russians took 197 thousands of km2. Small fragments of the territory were taken by the Slovaks, and the Lithuanians. Next changes followed in 1940. By the Soviet-Finnish Peace Treaty of the 12th of March 1940 the Russians were given the islands in the Gulf of Finnland, the base at Hanko, the Carelish Isthmus with Vyborg, Sortavala, and Kexholm, and some parts of Eastern Carelia, in sum 35 thousands of km2. In August of the same year three Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia as well as Bessarabia, and North Bukovina were incorporated to the USSR; 215,7 thousands of km2 altogether. In August 1940 Rumania lost North Transylvania on behalf of Hungary (43 thousands of km2) and in September of the same year – South Dobrudja for the benefit of Bulgaria (7,7 thousands of km2). In 1941 next changes took place. Yugoslavia, attacked on the 6th of April, was partitioned by Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The state of Croatia was created in the territories of Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Srem. A ??ppet Serbian state was also proclaimed under the rule of general Nedić. From 1943 on the powers of anti-German coalition had been making up their minds as to the future territorial order. The first decision consisted in the acceptance of Soviet European boundaries according to the situation of the 21st of June 1941. It was reflected in the truce with Rumania of the 12th of September 1944 when Rumania gave up Bessarabia and North Bukovina; in that with Finnland of the 19th of September 1944 which was a return to the border-line of March 1940 (the Finns lost in addition the region of Petsamo and yielded the base at Porkala instead of that at Hanko); in the agreements with the Polish Committee of National Liberation of the 27th of July 1944 and with the Provisional Government of National Unity of the 16th of August 1945. These agreements rectified to the advantage of Poland the border-line of the 28th of September 1939. The towns of Przemysl and Bialystok were left to Poland. The truces with Bulgaria (the 28th of October 1944), and Hungary (the 20th of January 1945) also defined the boundaries of these states. Bulgaria lost all her acquisitions except South Dobrudja; the same concerned Hungary though she was left a faint hope for the possibility of the rectification of her border-line with Rumania. The peace treaties which were signed on the 10th of February 1947 confirmed however the territorial decisions of the truce conventions. In the opposition to the truces with the Danubian allies of Germany the Italian truce of September 1943 did not define the future boundaries of Italy, contrary to the wishes of France, Austria and Yugoslavia. France demanded some small parts of Italian territory. These demands were satisfied in October 1947 after a plebiscite had been carried out. The demands of Austria were rejected while those of Yugoslavia became an object for numerous disputes. Italy had to resign immediately of all the annexed territories in the Balkans. Yugoslavia had been given the western part of Istria already in June 1945. The Free Territory of Triest which had been proclaimed on the strength of the Treaty of Peace was divided between Italy and Yugoslavia in October 1954. Ultimate decision as to the boundaries of Germany were undertaken at Potsdam. Poland received the territories on the east side of the Oder, and the Niesse together with Stettin, and Swineműnde. At the same time the border-line between the USSR and Poland in the territory of the Eastern Prussia was defined along the line Goldap-Branievo. Polish-Soviet boundaries were finally stabilized after the exchange of territories according to the agreement of the 15th of February 1951. Poland renounced then 480 km2 of the area between the rivers Huczva, Solokija, and the Bug in exchange for an identical area in the region of Lower Ustrzyki. Very difficult territorial problems of the relations between Poland and Czechoslovakia (Zaolzie, the region of Klodzko) were finally solved only in 1958 on the principle of the remaining of previous boundaries.