The Polish-British Agreement and the Protocol of August 25, 1939: Objectives of the parties and the significance in the history of Poland (autumn 1939 — spring 1945)

Abstract

The Mutual Assistance Agreement between the United Kingdom and Poland and the secret Protocol to it of August 25, 1939 is one of the most important documents for the history of Poland. It largely determined the current situation, politics and future of the Polish government until the settlement of the “Polish question” by the heads of the “Big Three” in 1945. The article analyzes this document based on specific historical information accumulated in Soviet, Russian, Polish historiography, and documentary material on the history of international relations on the eve and during the Second World War. Signed after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the document obliged Britain in the event of a German attack to immediately provide Poland with “all support and assistance.” In the case of the Soviet threat, there was no such British commitment. This allowed W. Churchill, after June 22, 1941, to not support Poland openly in the territorial dispute with the USSR and, “playing along” with Stalin, to force the weak ally to agree to the “Curzon Line” in order to return the government to the country. The latter did not agree with Churchill’s intentions and, as a result, was defeated on the issue of borders and power in the country.