What did Germany want from Poland?

[BuddaBell123]

[Split from "If Poland had become Germany's ally rather than its enemy"]

Germany wanted the land taken from it which was given to Poland in the Treaty of Versailles given back. What I'd like to know is whether Germany wanted more land from Poland than just the land given to Poland in the Treaty of Versailles (land which was never part of Germany)?

[carronade]

Hitler's goal was expansion to the east, to seize Lebensraum and resources for the German Reich. If the Poles had given him the treaty lands, the end result would have been just like Czechslovakia, a few months later he'd demand the rest, and what remained of Poland would be in no position to resist.

While some people seem to think that history and injustice only started with the Treaty of Versailles, most of the land in question had been Polish prior to the partitions of 1772-95:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rzecz ... iory_3.png

Going a little further back, in the early 1600s the Elector of Brandenburg also became Duke of Prussia, which at that time comprised most but not all of the East Prussia of 1939. As we see, there remained considerable Polish territory, significantly more extensive that the Corridor of 1919-39, between Prussia and the other Brandenburg dominions. In time, Brandenburg-Prussia became strong enough to enforce the partition of Poland, in cooperation with Austria and Russia. It's as if your neighbor on the left bought the house on your right and then decided he needed your property to remedy the 'injustice' of his two being separated.

[antfreire]

I think that if the Polish Colonels had been more cautious and not become so dependent on the British promise of help, they could have come to an agreement. After all Danzig was given to the Poles in violation of Wilson's principle of self determination. There was a 95% of german speaking population in Danzig. And I cannot see how Hitler would have wanted a war in September 1939 after everything he had accomplished without it. At the end the Brits stayed home and Poland was subjected to Nazi domination for more than five years and Soviet ""cooperation"" for more than fourty years. The real loosers of WWII.

[henryk]

I think that if the Polish Colonels had been more cautious and not become so dependent on the British promise of help, they could have come to an agreement. After all Danzig was given to the Poles in violation of Wilson's principle of self determination. There was a 95% of german speaking population in Danzig. And I cannot see how Hitler would have wanted a war in September 1939 after everything he had accomplished without it. At the end the Brits stayed home and Poland was subjected to Nazi domination for more than five years and Soviet ""cooperation"" for more than fourty years. The real loosers of WWII.

Haven't you heard of the Free City Of Danzig? Look it up.

[ljadw]

Hitler wanted two things

1)The return of the territories which belonged to Germany till 1918:territorial demands

2)Poland to become a German satellite .

As Poland refused both points,what happened in september 1939,was inevitable .

[ljadw]

I think that if the Polish Colonels had been more cautious and not become so dependent on the British promise of help, they could have come to an agreement. .

That's an old one:the British promise of help was for Poland neglectable .Already in 1938 (before the guarentee),Poland said no to Hitler's demands .

[Marcus]

This thread is turning into a repeat of other threads so this one is locked.

/Marcus