GENERAL WLADYSLAW SIKORSKI'S GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND IN LONDON (JULY-SEPTEMBER 1940) AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PROVISIONAL CZECHOSLOVAK GOVERNMENT

• Authors: Kaminski M. K.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Edvard Benes' attemts to gain in 1940 British recognition of the Czechoslovak National Committee, evacuated from France, as the Provisional Czechoslovak Government met with reservation and he was not granted the official status of the head of the Czechoslovak state abroad. In contrast to the French and British government, initially the Polish government did not recognise the Czechoslovak National Committee because of Benes' earlier rejection of the proposed Polish conditions. However, on 29 July 1940 the Polish Council of Ministers decided to recognise the Provisional Government and informed the Czechoslovak side that it did so in the firm conviction that the new government would acknowledge Polish-Czechoslovak borders from October 1938 and strive towards to an arrangement of friendly relations between the Czechs and the Slovaks. The Polish Prime Minister, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, also allowed Benes to impose the grounds for a discussion about the future social structure of Poland, in this way irresponsibly permitting outside intervention in the domestic issues of the Polish state and society. Furthermore, Sikorski convinced the Polish government to withdraw financial subventions for the 'Polish-Czechoslovak Cultural Co-Operation Circle', thus putting a halt to further effective co-operation with Milan Hodza, a rival of Benes, who attempted to assume the role of a representative of the Slovak population in the future Czechoslovakia. The Polish authorities ineffectively tried to persuade the British authorities to discharge Hodza's co-workers, interned at Benes' request, thus opting for co-operation with him despite the mistrust of the particular members of the Polish cabinet.

Keywords

EN

BENES EDVARD; CZECHOSLOVAK GOVERNMENT; POLISH GOVERNMENT; SIKORSKI WLADYSLAW

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Dzieje Najnowsze
• Year: 2004
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 88-99
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kaminski M. K.

• M. K. Kaminski, Instytut Historii PAN, ul. Rynek Starego Miasta 29-31, 00-272 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

04PLAAAA0025559