Czechoslovakia–Poland relations
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Poland and Czechoslovakia
established relations early in the interwar period
, after both countries gained independence. Those relations were somewhat strained by the Polish–Czechoslovak border conflicts over Zaolzie
and Cieszyn
in the early 1920s and late 1930s (see also Munich Agreement
). Both countries joined the Allies during World War II
. After the war they both fell into the Soviet sphere of influence (the Eastern Bloc
). Poland, together with other Eastern Bloc countries, participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
in 1968. Relations between the two countries were nonetheless rather amicable, but became somewhat strained in the aftermath of the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland in 1980 and 1981, improving again afterwards.
, as Austria-Hungary
fell apart, just as Poland regained independence as the Second Polish Republic
after 123 years of partitions
. Both emerging countries shared a long border, and soon became enveloped in a border conflict. Although it never developed into an open war, this conflict led to uneasy relations between both states in the interwar period.
The border conflicts were centered on the disputed areas of Cieszyn Silesia
, Orava Territory
and Spiš
. After World War II
they broadened to include areas around the cities of Klodzko
and Racibórz
, which until 1945 had belonged to Germany
. The conflict, which flared up in 1919, was only resolved by the Council of the League of Nations
on 12 March 1924, which decided that Czechoslovakia should retain the territory of Javorina and Ždiar and which entailed (in the same year) an additional exchange of territories in Orava – the territory around Nižná Lipnica went to Poland, while the territory around Suchá Hora and Hladovka went to Czechoslovakia. The new frontiers were confirmed by a Czechoslovak-Polish Treaty on 24 April 1925 and are identical with present-day borders.
) were annexed by Poland in 1938 following the Munich Agreement
.
Both countries joined the Allies
during World War II
, and there were even talks of a confederation between the two countries; those plans were however opposed by the Soviet Union
, which eventually gained other Allies' support in derailing the Czech-Polish talks.
sphere of influence (the Eastern Bloc
). A brief series of border conflicts erupted again, as Polish and Czechoslovakian politicians and army commanders argued both over the past borders, and over the newly acquired, formerly German territories, but pressure from the Soviet Union put an end to any serious conflict. Under Soviet pressure, in March 1947 Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a treaty of friendship and mutual assistance. On June 13, 1958, a border treaty between the People's Republic of Poland and the Czechoslovak Republic finally resolved the border issue, ending the border dispute.
Czechoslovakian Poles (numbering approximately 71,000 in 1984) were concentrated in the Ostrava
mining
region. Besides resident Poles, many more commuted across the border from the People's Republic of Poland
to work in Czechoslovakia or to take advantage of the relative abundance of consumer goods in the neighbouring Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak officials tried to limit the influence of Poles, resident or not, considering the influence of Poles (given that Polish communist regime was considered more liberal) in the workplace a threat to the regime. For example, in 1950s, Poles had initiated the resistance to increased work demands in Czechoslovakia. Similarly, amidst the social and political crisis in the Poland of 1980s, there were also reports of strikes among the workers of Ostrava
.
Poland, together with other Eastern Bloc countries, participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
in 1968. Gomulka, together with Walter Ulbricht
, fearful of the possible influence of the Czechoslovakian liberalization movement in their own countries, had been some of the most ardent supporters of actions against Czechoslovakia. While the Polish communist party officially supported the intervention, Polish society unofficially sympathized with the rebellious Czechs. A Polish accountant, Ryszard Siwiec
, committed suicide by self-immolation
in protest of the invasion. From that time, members of the Polish and Czechoslovakian opposition increasingly were in touch with each other (see Komited Obrony Robotników and Charter 77
). Relations between the two countries were amicable, but officially became somewhat strained in the aftermath of the rise of the opposition Solidarity movement in Poland in 1980 and 1981, improving again afterwards, as martial law in Poland
temporarily weakened Solidarity. Solidarity members were also active in cooperation with Czechoslovakian opposition members, and the eventual opposition victory in Poland sparked off a similar victory of the Czechoslovak opposition.
After 1989 and the fall of communist governments in both countries (see Autumn of Nations), both countries reconfirmed their intention to have good relations under their new, democratic governments. Both set their targets at joining NATO and the European Union
. Together with Hungary
, they founded the Visegrád Group
in 1991, and supported the creation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement
in 1992. In December of 1992 the respective Presidents of both countries shared a long and heartfelt kiss.
After 1993 Czechoslovakia was split into the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
, and Poland-Czechoslovakia relations were replaced by Poland–Czech Republic relations and Poland–Slovakia relations
.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
established relations early in the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
, after both countries gained independence. Those relations were somewhat strained by the Polish–Czechoslovak border conflicts over Zaolzie
Zaolzie
Zaolzie is the Polish name for an area now in the Czech Republic which was disputed between interwar Poland and Czechoslovakia. The name means "lands beyond the Olza River"; it is also called Śląsk zaolziański, meaning "trans-Olza Silesia". Equivalent terms in other languages include Zaolší in...
and Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....
in the early 1920s and late 1930s (see also Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
). Both countries joined the Allies during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war they both fell into the Soviet sphere of influence (the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
). Poland, together with other Eastern Bloc countries, participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
in 1968. Relations between the two countries were nonetheless rather amicable, but became somewhat strained in the aftermath of the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland in 1980 and 1981, improving again afterwards.
Interwar
Czechoslovakia gained independence in the aftermath of World War IAftermath of World War I
The fighting in World War I ended in western Europe when the Armistice took effect at 11:00 am GMT on November 11, 1918, and in eastern Europe by the early 1920s. During and in the aftermath of the war the political, cultural, and social order was drastically changed in Europe, Asia and Africa,...
, as Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
fell apart, just as Poland regained independence as the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
after 123 years of partitions
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
. Both emerging countries shared a long border, and soon became enveloped in a border conflict. Although it never developed into an open war, this conflict led to uneasy relations between both states in the interwar period.
The border conflicts were centered on the disputed areas of Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia or Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered around the towns of Cieszyn and Český Těšín and bisected by the Olza River. Since 1920 it has been divided between Poland and Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic...
, Orava Territory
Orava (county)
Árva is the Hungarian name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Slovakia and southern Poland...
and Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
they broadened to include areas around the cities of Klodzko
Klodzko
Kłodzko is a town in south-western Poland, in the region of Lower Silesia. It is situated in the centre of the Kłodzko Valley, on the Nysa Kłodzka river....
and Racibórz
Racibórz
Racibórz is a town in southern Poland with 60,218 inhabitants situated in the Silesian Voivodeship , previously in Katowice Voivodeship...
, which until 1945 had belonged to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The conflict, which flared up in 1919, was only resolved by the Council of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
on 12 March 1924, which decided that Czechoslovakia should retain the territory of Javorina and Ždiar and which entailed (in the same year) an additional exchange of territories in Orava – the territory around Nižná Lipnica went to Poland, while the territory around Suchá Hora and Hladovka went to Czechoslovakia. The new frontiers were confirmed by a Czechoslovak-Polish Treaty on 24 April 1925 and are identical with present-day borders.
WWII
In a lead-up to WWII, parts of the disputed territories (ZaolzieZaolzie
Zaolzie is the Polish name for an area now in the Czech Republic which was disputed between interwar Poland and Czechoslovakia. The name means "lands beyond the Olza River"; it is also called Śląsk zaolziański, meaning "trans-Olza Silesia". Equivalent terms in other languages include Zaolší in...
) were annexed by Poland in 1938 following the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
.
Both countries joined the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and there were even talks of a confederation between the two countries; those plans were however opposed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, which eventually gained other Allies' support in derailing the Czech-Polish talks.
Post-war
After World War II, both countries fell into the SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
sphere of influence (the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
). A brief series of border conflicts erupted again, as Polish and Czechoslovakian politicians and army commanders argued both over the past borders, and over the newly acquired, formerly German territories, but pressure from the Soviet Union put an end to any serious conflict. Under Soviet pressure, in March 1947 Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a treaty of friendship and mutual assistance. On June 13, 1958, a border treaty between the People's Republic of Poland and the Czechoslovak Republic finally resolved the border issue, ending the border dispute.
Czechoslovakian Poles (numbering approximately 71,000 in 1984) were concentrated in the Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
region. Besides resident Poles, many more commuted across the border from the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
to work in Czechoslovakia or to take advantage of the relative abundance of consumer goods in the neighbouring Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak officials tried to limit the influence of Poles, resident or not, considering the influence of Poles (given that Polish communist regime was considered more liberal) in the workplace a threat to the regime. For example, in 1950s, Poles had initiated the resistance to increased work demands in Czechoslovakia. Similarly, amidst the social and political crisis in the Poland of 1980s, there were also reports of strikes among the workers of Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
.
Poland, together with other Eastern Bloc countries, participated in the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
in 1968. Gomulka, together with Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
, fearful of the possible influence of the Czechoslovakian liberalization movement in their own countries, had been some of the most ardent supporters of actions against Czechoslovakia. While the Polish communist party officially supported the intervention, Polish society unofficially sympathized with the rebellious Czechs. A Polish accountant, Ryszard Siwiec
Ryszard Siwiec
Ryszard Siwiec was a Polish accountant, teacher and former Home Army soldier who was the first person to commit suicide by self-immolation in protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia.- Self-Immolation :...
, committed suicide by self-immolation
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
in protest of the invasion. From that time, members of the Polish and Czechoslovakian opposition increasingly were in touch with each other (see Komited Obrony Robotników and Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
). Relations between the two countries were amicable, but officially became somewhat strained in the aftermath of the rise of the opposition Solidarity movement in Poland in 1980 and 1981, improving again afterwards, as martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
temporarily weakened Solidarity. Solidarity members were also active in cooperation with Czechoslovakian opposition members, and the eventual opposition victory in Poland sparked off a similar victory of the Czechoslovak opposition.
After 1989 and the fall of communist governments in both countries (see Autumn of Nations), both countries reconfirmed their intention to have good relations under their new, democratic governments. Both set their targets at joining NATO and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Together with Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, they founded the Visegrád Group
Visegrád Group
The Visegrád Group, also called the Visegrád Four or V4, is an alliance of four Central European states – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – for the purposes of cooperation and furthering their European integration...
in 1991, and supported the creation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement
Central European Free Trade Agreement
The Central European Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between non-EU countries in Southeast Europe.-Members:As of 1 May 2007, the parties of the CEFTA agreement are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo.Former...
in 1992. In December of 1992 the respective Presidents of both countries shared a long and heartfelt kiss.
After 1993 Czechoslovakia was split into the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, and Poland-Czechoslovakia relations were replaced by Poland–Czech Republic relations and Poland–Slovakia relations
Poland–Slovakia relations
Polish-Slovak relations are foreign relations between Poland and Slovakia.- Overview :Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1993. Poland has an embassy in Bratislava...
.
External links
Relacje polsko-czeskie w XX wieku Marian Leczyk, POLSKO-CZECHOSŁOWACKIE STOSUNKI GOSPODARCZE (1921–1939) KONFERENCJA NAUKOWA „OD RYWALIZACJI DO WSPÓŁPRACY”. RELACJE POLSKO-CZESKIE W BADANIACH MŁODYCH HISTORYKÓW.Further reading
- M. K. Kamiński, Konflikt polsko-czeski 1918–1921, Warszawa 2001.
- M. K. Kamiński, Polsko-czechosłowackie stosunki polityczne 1945–1948, Warszawa 1990.
- Między przymusową przyjaźnią a prawdziwą solidarnością. Czesi ? Polacy ? Słowacy 1938/39-1945-1989, díl I., ed. P. Blažek, P. Jaworski, Ł. Kamiński, Warszawa 2007 http://www.ipn.gov.pl/portal/pl/229/5224/Miedzy_przymusowa_przyjaznia_a_prawdziwa_solidarnoscia_Czesi__Polacy__Slowacy_19.html
- Sławomir M. Nowinowski, Stosunki polsko-czechosłowackie 1832–1939 w relacjach dyplomatów II Rzeczypospolitej, ISBN 83-88679-54-6
- Sebastian Pilarski, Zarys stosunków polsko-czechosłowackich 1918–1933, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, 2008, ISBN 83-89886-93-6
- Anna Szczepańska, Czechosłowacja w polskiej polityce zagranicznej w latach 1918–1933 http://nauka.opi.org.pl/raporty/opisy/synaba/78000/sn78409.htm
- J. Zając, R. Zięba, POLSKA W STOSUNKACH MIĘDZYNARODOWYCH 1945–1989, Toruń 2005, ISBN 83-7441-117-1