Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Preface
- Map
- 1 Introduction: Baltic security problems between the two World Wars
- 2 Great Britain and the Baltic in the last months of peace, March–August 1939
- 3 Nazi German policy towards the Baltic states on the eve of the Second World War
- 4 The role of Danzig in Polish–German relations on the eve of the Second World War
- 5 Great Britain, the Soviet Union and Finland at the beginning of the Second World War
- 6 The attitude of the Scandinavian countries to Nazi Germany's war preparations and its aggression on Poland
- 7 The Soviet occupation of Poland through British eyes
- 8 The meeting of the Lithuanian Cabinet, 15 June 1940
- Index
6 - The attitude of the Scandinavian countries to Nazi Germany's war preparations and its aggression on Poland
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Preface
- Map
- 1 Introduction: Baltic security problems between the two World Wars
- 2 Great Britain and the Baltic in the last months of peace, March–August 1939
- 3 Nazi German policy towards the Baltic states on the eve of the Second World War
- 4 The role of Danzig in Polish–German relations on the eve of the Second World War
- 5 Great Britain, the Soviet Union and Finland at the beginning of the Second World War
- 6 The attitude of the Scandinavian countries to Nazi Germany's war preparations and its aggression on Poland
- 7 The Soviet occupation of Poland through British eyes
- 8 The meeting of the Lithuanian Cabinet, 15 June 1940
- Index
Summary
The establishment of the Polish state in 1918 was favourably received by the Scandinavian counties, and diplomatic relations were established fairly soon afterwards. Finland was the first Scandinavian country to recognise Poland de iure on 8 March 1919, followed by Denmark on 30 May 1919, Norway one day later and finally Sweden on 3 June 1919.
In the first years of the Polish state the Scandinavian press wrote at length about the Polish–Soviet war of 1920, the plebiscite in Warmia (Ermeland) and Mazuria, the Silesian uprisings and other events. Since Poland was in a difficult economic situation, the Scandinavian countries refrained from developing economic contacts with it. It was not until the 1930s that they signed trade and credit agreements, established cultural contacts and started scientific co-operation with Poland.
There were no close political ties between the Scandinavian countries and Poland in spite of the offers made by the Polish side. Józef Beck, who became Poland's Foreign Minister on 2 November 1932, wanted to intensify political dialogue. In the years 1934–8, he paid official and private visits to the Scandinavian countries, trying to persuade Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm to establish closer co-operation with Poland. However, his proposals did not meet with a favourable reception. Guided by political realism, the Scandinavian politicians focused their attention on co-operation between the northern states and did not want to get involved in central European conflicts.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Baltic and the Outbreak of the Second World War , pp. 124 - 141Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1992