That's even better . An American apologist, after all Roosevelt was running the show - he was responsible for all that mess, Churchill was only applauding on the sidelines.michael mills wrote:Professor Terry is American, a native of New England.
The strict occupation was just occupation, different from the general occupation but still occupation. Austria, territories east of the river Oder and Neisse, territories west of the river Rhine and Ems, the Kiel Canal, the Baltic Sea islands were to be strictly occupied. The idea was to cordon Germany - "strictly", that's all.
This was explained by Marian Seyda, the Minister without Portfolio in his expose "Polish War Aims" during the secret session of the National Council of Poland on December 1st, 1942.
He actually discussed the border on the rivers Lusatian Neisse and Oder (without Stettin), and then that one on the other Neisse, and another starting at Kolberg and concluded that it was a pipe dream. It would be political irresponsibility which would cost us dear (i.e. even our limited demands would be in danger). And he said he says that as a politician with perfect anti-German credentials. The Allies would never agree.
He then says it deportation of 5.7 million to 9 million Germans is needed, the Allies will not allow such barbarity. A naive man, no?
And he adds, we don't have enough people to populate those territories.
Where was Poland going to find 6 million people if the Polish Government absolutely refused any changes of Polish Eastern borders (so no deportations from the East).
This one is corroborated by Józef Winiewicz from the Political Department in the Office of Wartime Goals (in his book "Co pamiętam z długiej drogi życia"). It was calculated that Poland after annexing East Prussia, Danzig, the Oppeln region would be one of the least populated states in Europe.
Then Seyda says the British (Winiewicz mentions a few meetings in Chatham House dedicated solely to this subject) refused even the limited Polish demands, and for example for East Prussia they demanded that a part of Poznań Voivodeship to be given to the Germans. That he estimates Poland has 50% chance to get East Prussia, 5% to get the Oppeln region, and nothing more.
So this is what the Polish government believed in 1942, that the Oder line was nothing more but one of those totally irresponsible dreams of cafeteria politicians - as Seyda called them.
Only at the very end of 1943 the government adopted an additional "maximum claim" - that actually mentioned more Western territories. There was the core: East Prussia, Danzig, the Oppeln region, and then there was the God willing maximum claim. And the same Seyda explained this during another secret session of the National Council at the beginning of 1944.