"The Polish Government in Exile and the British Government: Aims and Ob" by Christine Sedlak
 

Date of Award

7-1988

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Thomas E. Hachey

Abstract

The Exiled Polish Government had a very romantic vision to restore Poland within her pre-war boundaries. This romantic vision was expressed in the policies and statements of the exiled government. Historically, the Poles accepted a major foreign policy premise: the distrust of both Germans and Russians. Immediately, this premise would come into conflict with British foreign policy objectives during the Second World War. The British had different aims and objectives and they were careful not to alienate the Soviet Union after 1941. Operating under the assumption that alienation of the Soviet Union might result in the resignation of the latter in the war effort, she kept a close watch on the Polish Government in Exile in London. Under these circumstances, was the Polish Exiled Government free to pursue an independent foreign policy? To what extent did the British Government go to ensure that the activities of the Polish Exiled Government were more in line with its foreign policy objectives? In this paper, I will explore these questions and outline some of the ways in which the British Government directly and indirectly intervened into the operations of the London-based Polish Government in order to prevent the alienation of the Soviet Union.

Comments

An Essay Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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