W obliczu nowych granic – ślad dyskusji nad operacyjną użytecznością niemieckiej sieci kolejowej na Pomorzu w latach 1926–1928
Facing new borders: traces of debates on the operational usefulness of German railway network in Pomerania in 1926–1928

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this study is to discuss the contents of a handful of brief documents from 1926 and 1927 found in Bundesarchiv Abteilung Militärarchiv in Freiburg im Breisgau. They depict the interest shown by Reichswehr in improving the transport capacity of certain railroad routes in Pomerania. This process was directly related to the new boundary delimitation between Poland and Germany. Moreover, these documents are certainly a trace of concept studies on conducting military operations in this area. Different aspects of this issue regarding the period before 1933 were discussed several years ago by Robert M. Citino; more than ten years ago part of the documents preserved in Freiburg were also (but only perfunctorily) described by Jarosław Centek. Unfortunately, the question of using the railroad system for military purposes, or the issue of transport problems related, for example, to the existence of the Pomeranian “Corridor”, were not addressed at all by both abovementioned authors. It is certainly surprising given the fact that Marcin Przegiętka, a researcher delving into a completely different aspect of this broad issue, specifically discussed the problems related to, for example, delivering supplies to East Prussia. It is still more puzzling considering the fact that before 1914 the whole general German concept of warfare was based exactly on effective concentration of forces using the railway rolling stock, and several postulates aimed at improving the capacity of railroad transport on the Eastern Theater of Operations were formulated. Taking into account that the organizational culture in this field was preserved after 1918, it is difficult to assume other variants. Therefore, starting from discussions of the influence of new borders on German railway network in the strategic dimension, I would like to present several broader conclusions regarding German war planning before 1933 concerning the Eastern Theater of Operations.

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