I see that some information has been excised.
specifically, was true that:
- The German Reich and the Austrian Reich had already coined Polish money and re-installation of a Polish kingdom set up.
and that
- tanks weren't used before World War I
and that
- Some Britons though this a bit too much and Curzon suggested the CURZON LINE. But Poland kept other people's land "given" to them and added more in a war against Russia. Poland wound up with a huge percentage of none Polish Ukrainians, Germans and other people, now forced to live under Polish rule.
Germany and Austria indeed set up an "independent" Polish state under their own tutelage in November 1916, but imprisoned Pilsudski, head of the Polish Legions, when in July 1917 he vetoed an oath swearing brotherhood with the German and Auatrian armies. I was going to add this episode in discussing nationalist movements in the war (Irish, Arab etc.). I didn't really see what the money had to do with it.
Tanks were first used by the British Army at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 Sept. 1916. Some tracked vehicles had been developed as early as 1908, but military development only began in 1915.
The "Curzon Line" proposed by Britain in Dec. 1919 was indeed the approximate ethnographic boundary, and forms most of today's Polish eastern frontier.
That's not true. "Curzon's Line" forms today's eastern borders only because many milions Polish were forced to go away by Russians. At that time Curzon line made little sense. --
Taw
Not so, Taw. Let's not argue, please check out a pre-1914 ethnographic map: the majorities haven't really changed much, they've just become more overwhelming in each area through population exchange. Most east of the line remained Ukrainians or Belorussians (plus some Lithuanians) even under Polish rule in the 1920s and 1930s.
Italy was indeed allied to Germany and Austria-Hungary through the Triple Alliance of 20 May 1882, concluded partly out of pique at France's seizure of Tunis the year before but renewed as late as 28 June 1902, Jzcool: what the Italians did was to secretly assure the French they wouldn't go to war against them (Taylor says the assurance was given on June 30, but the note was dated December 1 so it wouldn't seem they'd changed their mind two days after the renewal!). Italy declared war on Austria on 23 May 1915 in accordance with the secret Treaty of London with Britain and France of April 26: she didn't declare war against Germany until August 1916. In August 1914 Italy had proclaimed neutrality despite being allied officially with Germany and Austria: public opinion largely favoured the western powers.
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