Borders of Poland

[timbaly]

I've noticed the fact that Polands borders were dramatically changed from thier post WWI borders after WWII. Polands borders moved westward and took some of the Prussian areas of Germany. But I just don't understand why it was done? Was the former German area of Poland have a higher Polish population? Were there a lot of non-poles in the area of Belarus that was formerly polish?

[CommuStar]

I dont know (im half polish) but....maybe small partisan-battles or something :ph34r:

[timbaly]

I don't understand why there is n't a single person who can answer my question. I can't find anything online or in books. I asked a known history buff, Mazdak and he didn't know either. I'll have to post links to maps because maybe then one of your minds will be refreshened.

[Severian]

I'm far from an expert on this, but.....


Polands borders moved westward and took some of the Prussian areas of Germany. But I just don't understand why it was done?

Because Germany lost the war. That's the one response I'm sure of.


Was the former German area of Poland have a higher Polish population?

Not that I know of. As Germany lost WWI also, it seems improbable that majority-Polish areas would have been left in Germany then. (The opposite happened, I think, with Danzig and the Polish Corridor.) And East Prussia - transferred to Poland post-WWII - was probably majority-German.

Germans, including some who had lived there for many generations, were driven out of these areas and many others in Eastern Europe and the USSR after WWII.


Were there a lot of non-poles in the area of Belarus that was formerly polish?

Probably many Ukrainians and Belarussians in pre-WWII eastern Poland, yes. In the onetime Kingdom of Poland, there were large areas where the peasants were Ukrainian or Belorussian and only the nobility and landlords were Polish.

Russia was effectively a loser in WWI, so Poland was restored at its expense. Additionally, Poland attacked Soviet Russia in about 1920, and was winning when this war ended, gaining more territory in the settlement, even though the population was not majority-Polish.


I don't understand why there is n't a single person who can answer my question.

Y'know, nobody's obligated to respond to you, so don't whine if no-one does.

[apathy maybe]

After WW1 and the Russian Revolution, Polands borders were basicly stuck where they were. After WW2, however, Stalin made sure that the USSR gained land out of the conflict. He took parts of Poland to compansate they recieved part of east Germany.

[timbaly]

Thanks for you information, I've found some sources that will answer the question in detail but what Sevverian said is basically the answer.