Granice polityczno-administracyjne państwa niemieckiego w XX wieku
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CG_2013_1_2_1.pdf (2.64 MB)
Authors
Date
2013
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Volume Title
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Polskie Towarzystwo Geograficzne
Abstract
W artykule przedstawiono zmiany granic politycznych i administracyjnych państwa niemieckiego w XX wieku. Punktem wyjścia był układ polityczny, jaki ukształtował się po powstaniu Cesarstwa Niemieckiego w 1871 r. i trwał do I wojny światowej. Następnie omówiono konsekwencje terytorialne werdyktu ustalonego na Konferencji Paryskiej w Wersalu. Po omówieniu stanu istniejącego w okresie międzywojennym zaprezentowano przeobrażenia polityczne, wynikające z aneksyjnej polityki hitlerowskich Niemiec. W zakończeniu podano skutki terytorialne, jakie przyniósł pokonanym Niemcom traktat poczdamski.The paper presents the changes of the political and administrative boundaries of the German state having taken place over the 20th century. The starting point is constituted by the political setting of the German Empire, established in 1871. Emergence of this Empire accelerated integration processes, aiming at the formation of a strongly centralised state, aspiring to the status of a world power. This state lasted within the unchanged boundaries until the defeat of Germany in World War I. Due to the decisions, taken in Versailles, the German state shrunk from 540,800 sq. km to 468,700 sq. km. The territorial losses were borne to the advantage of Poland, France, Denmark, Lithuania, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and the Free City of Gdansk. These losses nourished the revisionist propaganda, mainly oriented against Poland, since 65% of the lands lost by Germany were acquired by Poland (including the regions of Wielkopolska, and parts of Pomerania as well as Upper Silesia). After Hitler’s ascent to power, Germany started to implement the annexation programme. The very first step in this direction was the “Anschluss” of Austria, and then incorporation of the Klaipeda Land. Following the conference in Munich (September 30th, 1938) Germany gained the Czech Borderland, and in the next year established the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, which was thereafter also incorporated into the German Reich. In the subsequent part of the text detailed information is provided on the territorial trophies of Germany resulting from the aggression against Poland, France and Yugoslavia. At the turning point of the World War II (in 1942) the Great Germany (Grossdeutschland) occupied the area of 920,000 sq. km with 118 million inhabitants, stretching from the rivers Bug and Niemen in the East to Rhine in the West. These – and, actually, far more extensive – conquests had, however, an episodic character. The ultimate result of the war was the unconditional capitulation. The future fate of the territory of Germany was decided at the conference in Potsdam, where all the annexations were nullified and the eastern boundary of Germany established along the Odra-Nysa Łużycka line. This was associated, in particular, with the loss of East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia. All these political transformations, which were also linked with administrative changes, are explained and commented upon in the paper. In the final part the administrative changes are presented having taken place on the area of the so-called Potsdam Germany, encompassing 355,900 sq. km. These changes were connected with the division into four occupation zones, and then – emergence of the two German states. The latter persisted until the unification of Germany. In the closing of the paper the overall balance of boundary and territorial changes is drawn up for the entire 20th century. It is shown that the balance is exceptionally disadvantageous for Germany. In the effect of two lost world wars the territory of Germany shrunk by roughly 190,000 sq. km. This entailed essential geopolitical consequences for the entire Central Europe. The political domination of Germany got limited, and the reach of German culture and language also shrunk.
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Citation
Eberhardt P., 2013, Granice polityczno-administracyjne państwa niemieckiego w XX wieku, Czasopismo Geograficzne, 84(1–2): 3–20.