Changes

== Second Polish Republic ==

== Second Polish Republic ==

{{See also|Republic of Poland}}

{{See also|Republic of Poland}}

After the [[World War I|First World War]], Poland regained independence after [[Partitions of Poland|123 years of partitions]]. While the victorious Western allies proclaimed their support for an independent Poland, they primarily wanted to weaken [[Germany]] and the Soviet Union. As a result, their actual support was limited. One instance was the affair of [[Silesia]]. Many French and British politicians desired the industrial region of Silesia to remain part of Germany, so that Germany would have an easier time paying the Great War reparations to France and its allies. Britain provided no aid to Poland during the 1921 Silesian Uprisings. Under the terms of the [[Treaty of Versailles]], a plebiscite was to be held to determine which areas of ethnically mixed Silesia were to be ceded to Poland and which were to remain with Germany. In some districts of Upper Silesia, the majority of the people were Polish and opted for Poland; the majority in the rest of Upper Silesia opted for Germany. After the plebiscite, the Germans balked at handing over any part of Upper Silesia, claiming that the Versailles treaty did not call for partitioning Silesia by districts. The German interpretation was that the majority of people in Silesia had chosen Germany and so all of Silesia should remain with Germany. The German view was supported by Britain. In fact, Versailles did clearly state that Upper Silesia was to be partitioned by districts after the plebiscite.<ref name="Butler"> {{cite book | author =various authors | coauthors = | title =Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919–1939 | year =1961 (1974) | editor =Rohan Butler, J.P.T. Bury, M.E. Lambert | pages = | chapter =Upper Silesia, Poland, and the Baltic States, January 1920–March 1921 <333| chapterurl = | series=1st | volume=XI | publisher =Her Majesty's Stationary Office | location =London | id =ISBN 0-11-591511-7 | url = | format = | accessdate = }}</ref><ref name="Jędruszczak"> {{cite book | author =Tadeusz Jędruszczak | title =Plebiscyt i trzecie powstanie śląskie | series = Historia Polski | volume = IV | year =1984 | editor = | pages = | publisher =Polish Academy of Sciences | location =Warsaw | id =ISBN 83-01-003865-9 }}</ref>

After the [[World War I|First World War]], Poland regained independence after [[Partitions of Poland|123 years of partitions]]. While the victorious Western allies proclaimed their support for an independent Poland, they primarily wanted to weaken [[Germany]] and the Soviet Union. As a result, their actual support was limited. One instance was the affair of [[Silesia]]. Many French and British politicians desired the industrial region of Silesia to remain part of Germany, so that Germany would have an easier time paying the Great War reparations to France and its allies. Britain provided no aid to Poland during the 1921 Silesian Uprisings. Under the terms of the [[Treaty of Versailles]], a plebiscite was to be held to determine which areas of ethnically mixed Silesia were to be ceded to Poland and which were to remain with Germany. In some districts of Upper Silesia, the majority of the people were Polish and opted for Poland; the majority in the rest of Upper Silesia opted for Germany. After the plebiscite, the Germans balked at handing over any part of Upper Silesia, claiming that the Versailles treaty did not call for partitioning Silesia by districts. The German interpretation was that the majority of people in Silesia had chosen Germany and so all of Silesia should remain with Germany. The German view was supported by Britain. In fact, Versailles did clearly state that Upper Silesia was to be partitioned by districts after the plebiscite.<ref name="Butler"> {{cite book | author =various authors | coauthors = | title =Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919–1939 | year =1961 (1974) | editor =Rohan Butler, J.P.T. Bury, M.E. Lambert | pages = | chapter =Upper Silesia, Poland, and the Baltic States, January 1920–March 1921 <333| chapterurl = | series=1st | volume=XI | publisher =Her Majesty's Stationary Office | location =London | id =ISBN 0-11-591511-7 | url = | format = | accessdate = }}</ref><ref name="Jędruszczak"> {{cite book | author =Tadeusz Jędruszczak | title =Plebiscyt i trzecie powstanie śląskie | series = Historia Polski | volume = IV | year =1984 | editor = | pages = | publisher =Polish Academy of Sciences | location =Warsaw | id =ISBN 83-01-003865-9 }}</ref>