POLITYKA CZECHOSŁOWACJI WOBEC ZAGADNIENIA UKRAIŃSKIEGO W KONTEKŚCIE STOSUNKÓW CZECHOSŁOWACKO-POLSKICH W LATACH 1918-1938. ZARYS PROBLEMATYKI
POLITICS OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA IN VIEW OF UKRAINIAN ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF CZECHOSLOVAK-POLISH RELATIONS IN THE YEARS 1918-1938. OUTLINE OF ASPECTS

Summary/Abstract: International relations between Czechoslovakia and Poland were not at their best between 1918 and 1938. It was due to the contrary goals of both countries’ foreign policy and border dispute. The main theme of disagreement was perception of Russian matter. Czechoslovak politicians wanted Russia to become the main element of geopolitical order in post-war Europe, which would constitute a proper counter-balance for growing power of Germany. This is due to their lack of acceptance for possibility of creating an independent Ukrainian national state. In turn, one of the priority of Polish foreign policy was to break Russia into small nation states and the reduction of former tsarist empire to purely ethnic grounds. Grounds of Central Ukraine were supposed to play a crucial role here. A different vision of the political system in Central Europe and the competition for the role of a regional leader in this part of Old Continent should be also added to the discrepancies between the two counties. Czechoslovakia was largely responsible for the shape of the relationship with Poland. It was consequently trying to weaken Polish position on the international area and to destabilize its internal situation. One of the main tools of this policy became supporting of separatist tendencies and strengthening anti-Polish sentiment that was found among more than five million Ukrainian minority in Second Republic of Poland. At the same time, the policy was implemented in such a way that it did not lead to an open conflict with Poles. For this purpose they used the Ukrainian emigration environment located in Czechoslovakia, which was overwhelmingly hostile towards Poland and Poles and it also had significant influence on fellow countrymen residing there. It could also count on far-reaching assistance of Czechoslovak authorities and facilitations concerning cultural, educational, scientific, and especially political activities. In this environment were born independence organizations Ukrainian Military Organization and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which aim was to detach south-east lands from Poland with the tacit consent of Czechoslovak politicians.

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