AiF correspondent Georgy Zotov: “If the consequences of May 9, 1945 are so bad, illegal and terrible, then all other actions of the USSR during that period are no better. Can the decisions of those who brought tyranny to your land be good? Therefore, Poland should give Silesia, Pomerania and Prussia back to the Germans, Ukraine should return its western part to the Poles, Chernivtsi - to the Romanians, Transcarpathia - to the Hungarians, Lithuania to give up Vilnius and Klaipeda, Romania - from Transylvania, the Czech Republic - from the Sudetes and Teshin, Bulgaria - from Dobruja . And then everything will be absolutely fair ... "
Expert opinion
Rudolf Pihoya, historian:
- There is a semi-legendary story that during the visit Churchill to Moscow in 1944, he and Stalin at dinner they drew a map of the division of post-war Europe on an ordinary napkin. Eyewitnesses claimed that the “document” contained a number of figures that (as a percentage) reflected the degree of future influence of the USSR and the West in different regions: Bulgaria and Romania - 90 to 10, Greece - 10 to 90, Yugoslavia - equally ...
That napkin has not been preserved, but in principle the issue of changing borders in Europe was resolved by the "big three" - Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill - during the Tehran and Yalta conferences. The USSR adhered to the concept, which was developed back in 1944 Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs I. Maisky. It consisted in the fact that the USSR should create for itself such a configuration of borders that would ensure the country's security for at least 25, and preferably 50 years.
In accordance with Maisky's concept, the USSR annexed the former German Memel, which became the Lithuanian Klaipeda. Königsberg (Kaliningrad), Pillau (Baltiysk) and Tilsit (Sovetsk) became Soviet, which still make up Kaliningrad region RF. The USSR also secured a part of the territory of Finland, annexed as a result of " winter war". In general, the Soviet policy of those years was remarkable for its surprising consistency in resolving territorial issues. The only thing that could not be done was to seize the Black Sea straits, although this issue was discussed both in Tehran and Yalta. But Port Arthur again, as in the early twentieth century, became an outpost of the country on Far East, not to mention the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, lost by Russia as a result of the Russo-Japanese War.
Today marks exactly three years since the Crimean referendum on joining Russia. As we know, its results (96.77% voted for secession from Ukraine) were put into action. In Europe, the borders have once again changed, and this fact, frankly, frightened many. Some called it "an unprecedented event in post-war Europe" and recalled the principle of the territorial integrity of states.
In fact, there is nothing unusual or "unprecedented" about the secession of Crimea. Borders are constantly changing and changing. Even after World War II. Even in Europe. Let's remember how the map of the Old World was redrawn after 1945.
Let's start with the fact that immediately after the war, the winners (USA, USSR, and Great Britain) signed two important agreements - Yalta (dated February 13, 1945) and Potsdam (dated August 2, 1945). In these documents, the boundaries of the new, post-war Europe were laid.
Three decades later, in the 1970s, the principle of the inviolability of post-war borders was enshrined in the adoption of another multilateral document - the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in the system of principles of relations between the states participating in the Conference, in which the following was enshrined: "States Parties consider as inviolable all the frontiers of one another, as well as the frontiers of all states in Europe, and therefore they will refrain now and in the future from any encroachment on these frontiers. They will accordingly refrain also from any demand or action aimed at seizing and usurping a part or throughout the territory of any State Party".
True, the provisions of the above agreements remained only on paper. In reality, politicians never paid any attention to them.
Already in 1957, they began to slowly change the borders: then the Saarland became part of Federal Republic Germany. After the Second World War, this small territory was given the status of a separate buffer state like Luxembourg, but it was ruled by France. The United States and Great Britain sought to give the Saar region completely under the authority of Paris, but the then President Charles de Gaulle was in no hurry to accept its composition as his republic. In the course of a heated public discussion and scandals, it was decided to give up this territory. But not France, but Germany.
In 1964 Malta withdrew from the UK. A new state appeared on the map of Europe.
In 1990, the GDR (East, socialist Germany) joined the FRG (Western, capitalist).
Ceased to exist in 1991 Soviet Union, decomposed into 15 independent states. This was the largest redrawing of the map not only of Europe, but of the whole world in recent decades. Independent Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan appeared in the Old World. AT Central Asia a number of new states also emerged between Russia and Afghanistan - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
In 1992, four new states appeared on the map of Europe: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia. They seceded from Yugoslavia, in which only Serbia and Montenegro remained.
On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. Since then, two new states have appeared in Europe - the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 1994, South Ossetia and Abkhazia were separated from Georgia.
In 1999, NATO troops made every effort to ensure that the remnants of Yugoslavia were destroyed. With the help of their bombardments, the regime of Slobodan Milosevic was displaced, who became one of the central figures ethnic conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s. Historians and politicians are still arguing about its role. Someone criticizes and blames for all troubles, others consider him a hero of the Serbian people, a defender and a peacemaker.
Be that as it may, in 2000 he resigned, and a year later he was detained and secretly handed over to the International War Crimes Tribunal in the former Yugoslavia, which caused outrage among a significant part of the Serbian public and President Kostunica.
The above political crisis led to the fact that the remnants of Yugoslavia in 2002 began to be called the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, and in 2006 they finally broke up into two new states - Serbia and Montenegro.
Just two years later, little Serbia was further divided, giving the Republic of Kosovo a chance for self-determination. Moreover, the Serbian leadership was categorically against this, but western states reminded Belgrade of "the right to self-determination", but Russia did not recognize the emergence of a new state.
Now Kosovo is a partially recognized state, de facto independent. But according to the Serbian Constitution, it is still obliged to obey Belgrade.
In 2014, Crimea withdrew from Ukraine and, following a referendum, became part of Russia.
As you can see, the illusion that border changes are a thing of the distant past is a myth. Even in our time, when international relations are regulated by many declarations and treaties, and politicians are increasingly talking about global projects and universal brotherhood, the emergence of new states on the map of civilized Europe is a common thing. It's only the beginning...
Kirill Ozimko
From the division of Europe to the division of the world
The redistribution of Europe began even before World War II hit it like a bolt from the blue. The USSR and Germany signed the famous non-aggression pact, also called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which became infamous because of its secret addition, a protocol defining the spheres of influence of the two powers.
Russia, according to the protocol, "departed" Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bessarabia and the east of Poland, and Germany - Lithuania and the west of Poland. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Polish territories, marking the beginning of the Second World War and the great redistribution of land.
However, after Germany was recognized as the only aggressor in World War II, the victorious countries had to agree on how to distribute territories between themselves and the defeated.
The most famous meeting, which influenced the further course of history and largely determined the features of modern geopolitics, was Yalta Conference which took place in February 1945. The conference was a meeting of the heads of three countries anti-Hitler coalition- USSR, USA and Great Britain in the Livadia Palace. The USSR was represented by Joseph Stalin, the USA by Franklin Roosevelt, and the UK by Winston Churchill.
The conference was held during the war, but it was already obvious to everyone that Hitler must be defeated: the allied forces were already waging war on enemy territory, advancing on all fronts. It was absolutely necessary to redraw the world in advance, since, on the one hand, the lands occupied by National Socialist Germany needed a new demarcation, and on the other hand, the alliance of the West with the USSR after the loss of the enemy was already becoming obsolete, and therefore a clear division of spheres of influence was a priority.
The goals of all countries were, of course, completely different. If it was important for the United States to involve the USSR in the war with Japan in order to end it faster, then Stalin wanted the allies to recognize the right of the USSR to the recently annexed Baltic states, Bessarabia and eastern Poland. One way or another, everyone wanted to create their own spheres of influence: for the USSR, it was a kind of buffer from controlled states, the GDR, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia.
Among other things, the USSR also demanded the return to their state of former citizens who emigrated to Europe. It was important for Great Britain to maintain influence in Europe and prevent the penetration of the Soviet Union there.
Other goals of the neat division of the world were to maintain a stable state of calm, as well as to prevent destructive wars in the future. That is why the United States especially cherished the idea of creating the United Nations.
P After World War II, the geopolitical map of the world was completely changed.
For the first time in 1000 years, continental Europe turned out to be dependent on the will of two superpowers - the USSR and the USA. Modern Europe has forgotten about this, its memory is short. And the former countries of the socialist camp forgot how and who slaughtered large enough territories for them, for which they shed blood not theirs, but soviet soldier. I propose to remember how it was and who and what received from the USSR, from the generosity of the broad Soviet soul ...
Poland likes to remember the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which became important because of the secret addition on the definition of the spheres of influence of the two powers.
The USSR, according to the protocol, "departed" Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bessarabia and the east of Poland, and Germany - Lithuania and the west of Poland.
The fact that the USSR took Western Belarus and Western Ukraine is considered unfair in Poland, but they have no complaints about the transfer of the USSR to the Poles of Silesia and Pomerania. The division of Poland under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is bad. But nothing that before that Poland itself participated in such a section?
Polish Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly (right) and German Major General Bogislaw von Studnitz
On September 5, 1938, the Polish ambassador Lukasiewicz offered Hitler a military alliance with Poland in the fight against the USSR. Poland was not only a victim, she herself, together with Hungary in October 1938, supported the Nazis in territorial claims against Czechoslovakia and occupied part of the Czech and Slovak lands, including the areas of Cieszyn Silesia, Orava and Spis.
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement was held between British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. The agreement concerned the transfer of the Sudetenland by Czechoslovakia to Germany.
Poland even threatened to declare war on the USSR if it tried to send troops through Polish territory to help Czechoslovakia. And the Soviet government made a statement to the government of Poland that any attempt by Poland to occupy part of Czechoslovakia would annul the non-aggression pact. They occupied. So what did the Poles want from the USSR? Get it, sign up!
Poland liked to divide neighboring countries. The report of the 2nd department (intelligence department) of the main headquarters of the Polish Army in December 1938 literally said the following: “The dismemberment of Russia lies at the heart of Polish policy in the East. Therefore, our possible position will be reduced to the following formula: who will take part in the section. Poland must not remain passive at this remarkable historical moment.” The main task of the Poles is to prepare well in advance for this. the main objective Poland - "weakening and defeat of Russia" .
On January 26, 1939, Jozef Beck informed the German Foreign Minister that Poland would lay claim to Soviet Ukraine and access to the Black Sea. On March 4, 1939, the Polish military command prepared a plan for war with the USSR "Vostok" ("Vskhud"). But somehow it did not work out ... the Polish lip collapsed after half a year thanks to the Wehrmacht, which began to lay claim to the whole of Poland. The Germans themselves needed black soil and access to the Black Sea. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Polish territories, marking the beginning of the Second World War and the great redistribution of land.
And then there was a hard and bloody war ... and it was clear to all peoples that, as a result of it, the world was waiting for big changes.
The most famous meeting, which influenced the further course of history and largely determined the features of modern geopolitics, was the Yalta Conference, which took place in February 1945. The conference was a meeting of the heads of the three countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain in the Livadia Palace.
"Poland is the hyena of Europe." (C) Churchill. This is a quote from his book "The Second World War". If literally:" ... Poland only six months ago, with the greed of a hyena, took part in the robbery and destruction of the Czechoslovak state ... "
As a result of the Second World War, the communist tyrant Stalin added German Silesia, Pomerania, as well as 80% East Prussia. Poland received the cities of Breslau, Gdansk, Zielona Gora, Legnica, Szczecin. The USSR also gave the territory of Bialystok and the city of Klodzsko, disputed with Czechoslovakia. Stalin also had to pacify the leadership of the GDR, which did not want to give Szczecin to the Poles. The issue was finally resolved only in 1956.
The Baltics are also greatly outraged by the occupation. But the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was donated to the republic under the USSR. This is a Polish city and the Lithuanian population of Vilnius then amounted to 1%, and the Polish - the majority. The USSR also gave them the city of Klaipeda (Prussian Memel), previously annexed by the Third Reich. The leadership of Lithuania in 1991 condemned the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, but for some reason no one returned Vilnius to Poland and Klaipeda to the FRG.
The Romanians fought against the USSR, but thanks to the USSR they managed to get back the province of Transylvania, which Hitler took in favor of Hungary.
Thanks to Stalin, Bulgaria retained Southern Dobruja (formerly Romania).
If the inhabitants of Königsberg (which became the Soviet Kaliningrad) moved to the GDR for 6 years (until 1951), then Poland and Czechoslovakia did not stand on ceremony with the Germans - 2-3 months and go home. And some Germans were even given 24 hours to pack, allowed to take only a suitcase of things, and forced to walk hundreds of kilometers.
Ukraine, in general, is a country - sweetie, receiving more and more new lands with each Russian occupation))
Maybe she will give the Poles its western part with Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil (these cities were included by the aggressors into the Ukrainian SSR in 1939), Romania - the Chernivtsi region (withdrew to the Ukrainian SSR on August 2, 1940), and Hungary or Slovakia - Transcarpathia received on June 29, 1945?
After the war, the world was under the protection of the Yalta-Potsdam system, and Europe was artificially divided into two camps, one of which was under the control of the USSR until 1990-1991...
In the first picture, a map from the American magazine "Look" dated March 14, 1937. G ie pictures and photos from the Internet.
Source of information: Wiki, sites
