Undesirable Borderlands: Nationality Policy of the Authorities of the Second Republic in the 1930s in Ethnically Transitional Areas

Undesirable Borderlands

Nationality Policy of the Authorities of the Second Republic in the 1930s in Ethnically Transitional Areas

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55159/tri.2023.0104.07

Keywords:

ethnic borderlands, Second Republic, Sanation camp, nationality policy, national minorities

Abstract

Ethnic borderlands were an important part of the national landscape of the Second Republic of Poland. They existed in the areas of contact between the Polish national population and the most important national minority groups inhabiting distinct territories: Ukrainians, Belarusians and Germans. Especially in the 1930s, they aroused growing interest in the state administration. The purpose of this article is to outline different policies of the Sanation camp toward “ethnically transitional areas”. These policies varied, but their final goal was always unification through the Polonization of the communities inhabiting such borderlands.

Author Biography

Piotr Cichoracki, University of Wrocław, Poland

Professor, employee of the University of Wroclaw. His research interests include the history of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe of the first half of the 20th century with a focus on the history of the Piłsudski camp, internal security, nationality relations, and the northeastern provinces of the Second Republic. His most important publications include Droga ku anatemie. Wacław Kostek-Biernacki (1884–1957) [The path to anathema: Wacław Kostek-Biernacki (1884–1957)], Warsaw 2009; Stołpce – Łowcza – Leśna 1924. II Rzeczpospolita wobec najpoważniejszych incydentów zbrojnych w województwach północno-wschodnich [Stołpce – Łowcza – Leśna 1924: The Second Polish Republic and the largest armed incidents in the northeastern provinces], Łomianki 2012; Województwo poleskie 1921–1939. Z dziejów politycznych [Polesie Province 1921–1939: On political history], Łomianki 2014; Komuniści na Polesiu 1921–1939 [Communists in Polesie 1921–1939], Łomianki 2016; Oblicza buntu społecznego w II Rzeczypospolitej doby wielkiego kryzysu (1930–1935) [Facets of social rebellion in the Second Polish Republic during the great economic crisis (1930–1935)], Krakow 2019 [jointly with J. Dufrat and J. Mierzwa].

Trimarium 2023/4

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Published

2023-12-30

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 4 (2023): The History and Literature of Central and Eastern European Countries

Section

Varia

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