Independence Day. erstwhile was Pomerania joined to Poland?

wbijamszpile.pl 1 year ago

11 November 1918 is simply a date symbolizing Poland's regaining independency after 123 years of occupation. It was on this occasion that the independency Day was established on 11 November. However, in Pomerania, including in Gdańsk, this process was different from in the central regions of the country.

Political situation in Pomerania in 1918

Pomeranian Gdańsk, under Prussian regulation since the 1st partition of Poland in 1772, remained under German control in 1918. Although in central Poland on 11 November 1918 it is considered the day of regaining independence, in Pomerania the process was more complicated and stretched over time.

Activities of Polish organizations in Pomerania – independency Day.

After 11 November 1918, the Regional People's Councils began to be established in the areas inhabited by Poles, which became the main centres of Polish national activity in the fallen German Empire. In December 1918 the Polish territory Sejm was held in Poznań, which united Poles from various occupations and expressed the desire to join Pomerania in the revival of Poland.

The formal conclusion of planet War I on 11 November 1918 did not bring immediate changes to Pomerania. Only under the Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, Pomerania Gdańsk was awarded to Poland. The process of taking over these areas by the Polish administration began in January 1920 and took place peacefully, without major incidents.

The area connected to Pomerania was about 10 1000 square kilometres, which contained nearly 600 1000 people, most Poles. Thanks to this, Poland gained access to the Baltic Sea over a dimension of about 140 km, which was crucial for the improvement of maritime trade and the economy of the Second Republic.

Gdansk as Free City

Due to its strategical position and global importance, Gdańsk was not straight included in Poland. Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Free City of Gdańsk was created, under the supervision of the League of Nations, with Poland having certain powers in terms of economy and communication. Time showed that this was a terrible mistake for politicians signing the Treaty of Versailles. Due to the immense number of Germans surviving here, the city was not free and became part of the 3rd Reich.