POLISH DIPLOMACY AND ROMANIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
POLISH DIPLOMACY AND ROMANIA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Summary/Abstract: After the Soviet strike on the Polish army on September 17th, having fought Germany since September 1st Poland, found itself in a tragic position. Consequently, it led chief Polish authorities as well as over 50,000 refugees, both civil and military, had to cross the Romanian border. The situation that ensued also impinged on political actions of other countries, including Romania, which was on friendly terms with Poland. Romania found itself in a difficult situation, bound to Poland by the military alliance directed against the USSR and committing both parties to military action in case of Soviet aggression. By now the Romanian authorities were under German pressure and influence and have detained the Polish authorities on Romanian territory. These was acted within an official manner, a fact of which the Polish side was not aware. The suspension of diplomatic relations between Romania and Poland at the end of 1940 did not mean a complete break. The Polish authorities forwarded an initiative called the "Continental Action", an initiative that played a significant role in the history of Polish-Romanian diplomacy. The “Continental Action” was created to maintain contact with Romania. It may be also added that for nearly three years the “Continental Action” was the most important means of such contact. The effort put into the “Continental Action” activity - while Romania, eventually, left the axis coalition on terms than were unplanned - was still valid because it made the Romanians realize what their true position was regarding Poland, in prospect to the inevitable victory of the Allies.

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