Documents for the history of Polish-Soviet relations 1918–1945, Volume II, 1926–1932
Part 1. The difficult years (June 1926 – February 1929)
Part 2. On the path to stability (February 1929 – July 1932)
The years 1926–1932 marked relative stability in Polish-Soviet contacts, but were also a time of constant uncertainty and fear of the expected confrontation, which, according to many influential politicians, could have easily escalated into war. The efforts undertaken by Polish diplomacy focused on ensuring maximum security vis-à-vis the Soviet Union. (...)
The USSR also watched Poland carefully as its closest neighbour, having to reckon with its military and political potential. Both countries still had a possible war in mind, one that could break out at almost any time. Poles generally viewed the USSR as one of the two major potential enemies. Poland was depicted in a similar way in the Soviet Union, and the memory of the 1920 military defeat was still alive among Bolshevik decision makers, influencing their perception of Poland’s eastern policy.
The book was written as part of the project on “Editing source materials for Polish-Soviet relations,” funded under the 2014–2020 National Programme for the Development of the Humanities by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.