On Some Economic, Political and Cultural Aspects of the 'Deutschtum' Policy of German Imperialism toward Poland

Abstract

The 'Deutschtum' policy of German imperialism toward Poland in the interwar period has been studied mainly on the basis of accessible printed sources. Unpublished secret files of the former German Foreign Office, preserved in the Public Record Office and the Foreign Office Library in London, make possible a considerably more detailed reconstruction of the methods and objectives of this policy.
This article analyzes economic, political, and cultural aspects of the 'Deutschtum' policy of German imperialism toward Poland in the period of the Weimar Republic and the early years of the Third Reich, with particular attention to the mechanism of financial support for the German minorities and the problem of the emigration ban.
The study draws on five series of secret archival materials from the former German Foreign Office held at the Public Record Office in London (Kult A Geheim, Reichskanzlei 1930/1938 Auslandsdeutschtum, and others), supplemented by the printed Akten zur Deutschen Auswartigen Politik, Series D, Volumes V to VIII.
The analysis shows that the 'Deutschtum' policy of German imperialism in Poland was an essential component of the overall German strategy for preparing the Second World War. It rested on covert, secret, and internationally unlawful economic, political, and cultural support of the German minorities in Poland through numerous German state agencies, aimed at justifying revisionist claims against Poland and preventing the stabilization of the Polish western territories. In 1920-1922, emigration tendencies were curbed through subsidies and pension supplements; from 1934 onwards, the emigration ban also served to secure demographic potential for war preparations. This policy is part of the continuous Drang nach dem Osten and found its conclusion in the fascist attack on Poland in 1939.