Generations of Poles waited for this day. On February 10, 1920, General Joseph Haller married the Republic of the Baltic in Puck. This act symbolically sealed long-term struggles that were intended to give the nation a rebirth of the sea. The political effect of the treatments was far from dream, but it caused almost universal euphoria.
Polish troops entering Puck. photograph by NAC
The weather was terrible. Puck's been freezing all morning. The cove of ice was covered with a thin layer of rainwater. General Joseph Haller's horse took tiny steps, and the rider had to be careful not to fall over. Disasters were fortunately avoided, but Hallera was inactive plagued by bad luck. The General carried with him 2 platinum rings – a gift of Polish residents of Gdańsk. He had 1 on his finger, the another was going to throw it in a hole. But the ringing slipped out of his hand, rolled over the ice and fell into the water. After years, Haller recalled this moment: “After the ice pane, a fewer Kashubians ran, but no could capture the ringing that had faithfully merged with the Baltic waters. To my question, “Why didn’t you capture him?” they said prophetically: “We will have him in Szczecin.”
The neat punch line obscured the apparent conclusion: the events of that day could surely have gone better. But on February 10, 1920, I don't think anyone in Puck complained. small more, euphoria took over all of Poland without a tiny 1 – newspapers, politicians, regardless of their organization affiliation, grey bread eaters.
The Republic was returning to the Baltic. She had a window on the world.
Appetition for Gdansk
World War I brought an end to respective empires. In Europe, fresh countries began to grow like mushrooms after the rain. And whoever could effort to get access to the sea. Even the Czechs, who saw themselves as Trieste administrators, sought this. Poland's aspirations could so not be surprising. The exit to the Baltic was to make the country independent from German ports and railway routes, and thus to give it economical freedom. The intentions were ambitious. Poles wanted to receive a solid part of coast along with Gdańsk.
These visions began to take on real shapes, while inactive in battlefields thundered cannons. In January 1918, United States president Woodrow Wilson presented legislature with a 14-point plan to aid organize the postwar world. The paper mentioned an independent Poland reaching to the Baltic. The chances of implementing the task increased importantly after central states lost the war. But it wasn't easy. The future of Poland caused disputes among the victorious powers. France wanted to pull as much for the Republic of Poland as possible. She saw the way to weaken Germany – her top rival in the fight for primacy on the continent. But Britain was no longer on fire. The London authorities did not intend to bring down the Germans so that France would not grow besides big. Diplomatic counter-edance gained momentum in early 1919, erstwhile a peace conference began in Paris. Roman Dmowski and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who tried to usage broad connections among American politicians, sought the widest possible access of Poland to the Baltic. Bad luck was that president Wilson's interest in Polish matters had weakened over time. And erstwhile it came to making final decisions, British rations prevailed. “The intense efforts of Dmowski and Paderewski did not have the desired effect,” says historian Jerzy Beźmirowski. Poland received only a section of the coast of 140 kilometres (counting the Hel Peninsula on both sides), which represented only 2.5 percent of the state's borders. There were 2 tiny ports: Puck and Hel. Gdańsk was not awarded to Poland, but obtained the position of Free City".
Józef Haller throws a ringing in the waves of the Baltic on February 10, 1920. Image of Polish matrimony with the Baltic by Wojciech Kossak. Wikipedia Source
Poles were inactive hoping for a minute that they would be able to take matters into their own hands and put the Allied gathering in Paris before the fact. In late 1918 a secret organization was established in Pomerania, which intended to make an anti-German uprising in Gdańsk. The plan's authors hoped for support returning from France the Haller Army. However, in time the Germans knew and blocked the anticipation of the hollers being sent through Gdańsk. Eventually, soldiers came to Poland by rail. The uprising task burned down.
Poland must have enjoyed what it had. And she was happy as she could.
The front is moving towards the sea
The process of taking over from the Germans a part of the Baltic coast began on 17 January 1920. That day he was formed Pomeranian Front, headed by General Haller, radiated by the fame of the creator and commander of the Blue Army. shortly his subordinate subdivisions moved north, occupying further towns. They seldom faced resistance, but it was rapidly choked. The operation was completed in a fewer weeks. Its symbolic culmination took place in Puck – the largest city of the Polish coast. Gen. Haller traveled there from Toruń. He was on a train accompanied by many officials. Along the way, the depot stopped in Gdańsk, where local Poles were waiting for the delegation. They were led by Józef Wybicki, the great-grandson of “Mazurka Dąbrowski”. He besides handed Haller the rings mentioned above. The halt was short and the general didn't even leave the platform. Officials were afraid of German provocation. Already in Puck Haller switched to a horse and headed towards the port. Before entering the ice, he gave the expression prepared earlier: “On behalf of the brightest Republic of Poland, I, Lieutenant General Joseph Haller, am taking possession of this ancient Slavic Baltic.”
A large number of people gathered for the celebration. The Deputy Prime Minister besides took part Vincents Witoswhether the future president Stanisław Wojciechowski. yet there were guests from abroad. 1 of them, Colonel Paul Allegrini, representing the French army, later stated: “The brzeg is now recovered only half of the window which Poland has opened to the planet – but after the beginning of this half, the beginning of the second 1 must take place.” In these words, the announcement of hard times to come shortly sounded. Solutions Mapped on versal maps They were completely dissatisfied with no one. No 1 doubted that access to the Baltic was only the first step, and Poland must take the tremendous effort to make the infrastructure and the abandoned shoreline. The construction of Gdynia began soon, which became 1 of the largest projects of the Second Poland. On the another hand, it was clear that the Germans would sooner or later forget about a part of the land belonging to Poland, which was lodged between their territories by a narrow wedge.
For now, however, the reborn Republic has looked to the future with hope.
While writing, I used: Janusz Czechowski, Baltic and the problem of political and economical safety of the Second Republic, “Historical Studies” R. LV, 2012, Z.2 (218); Jerzy Beźmirowski, Maritime Problems in the past of Poland, “Scientific Studies of the Naval Academy”, Year XLV No. 4 (159) 2004; Adam Szulczewski, Bogdan Zalewski, Pomerania within the limits of the reborn Poland, “Scientific Studies of the Naval Academy” year XLX, No. 1 (176) 2009; Stefan Aksamitek, General Haller. Summary of historical biography, Katowice 1989.
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