Third Silesian Uprising
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The Third Silesian Uprising (Polish: Trzecie powstanie śląskie) was the last out of three military insurections of the Polish people in the mixed Upper Silesia region against the occupying German/Prussian forces in order to occupy the region and join to Poland, that regained her independence after the World War I (1914-1918)
The 3rd Silesian Uprising occurred in 2 May-5 July 1921. It was aimed at restoring Upper Silesia to Poland. Upper Silesia had at that point a significant Polish minority.
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Fighting sides:
- Polish: Polish Military Organisation Nowina-Doliwa
- German: Grenzschutz headed by the invalided Prussian General Karl Höfer
- Started: May 2, 1921
- Ended (Date of ceasefire): July 21, 1921 The Polish side had taken two thirds of Upper Silesia.
- Government: Head Council in Szopienice with Wojciech Korfanty as the uprising dictator.
- The outcome: The League of Nations made the decision to divide Upper Silesia between Germany and Poland.
Events
The insurrection began on the date planned early in May, because the population had already been terrified by many acts of violence from the side of the Greater Polish Army as well as German paramilitarian groups. Those groups called Grenzschutz were formed by demobilised soldiers and volunteers outside Upper Silesia.
The Inter-Allied Commission, in which General Henri Le Rond was the most influential personage, waited a long time before taking any step to oppose the violence. The French troops of occupation generally favoured the insurrection as means of "so-called" self-defense. In some cases British and Italian troops of occupation actively cooperated with Germans. On the other hand Lloyd George's speech in Parliament, strongly disapproving of the insurrection, aroused hopes of Germans. But the Entente appeared to have no troops available for despatch. The only action, the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission and the French government made, was demanding immediate prohibition of recruiting for German volunteers outside Upper Silesia, and this was promptly made public. After an initial success of insurgents and taking over 2/3 of the area of Upper Silesia, the German Grenzschutz, several times resisted attacks of Korfanty's Silesian troops, in some cases in cooperation with British and Italian troops of occupation. An attempt on the part of the English troops to take steps against Silesians on their own account was prevented by General Jules Gratier, the French commander-in-chief of the Allied troops. Eventually, insurgents kept most of the taken-over area, including the industrial district. They proved that they could mobilize large local support, while German forces based outside Silesia were barred from taking an active part.
Twelve days after the outbreak of the insurrection Korfanty offered to take his troops behind a line of demarcation, on condition that the released territory would not be occupied by German forces, but by Allied troops. It was not, however, until July 1st that the British troops arrived in Upper Silesia and began to advance in company with those of the other Allies towards the former frontier. Simultaneously with this advance the Inter-Allied Commission pronounced a general amnesty for the illegal actions committed during the insurrection, with the exception of acts of revenge and cruelty. The German Grenzschutz was finally withdrawn and disbanded and quiet was restored.
The achievements
As the Supreme Council was unable to come to an agreement on the partition of the Upper Silesian territory on the lines of the plebiscite. It should be noted that result was 60% for Germany. A solution was found by turning the question over to the Council of the League of Nations. Agreements between the Germans and Poles in Upper Silesia and appeals issued by both sides, as well as the despatch of six battalions of Allied troops and the disbandment of the local guards, contributed markedly to the pacification of the district. The greatest excitement was caused all over Germany and in the German part of Upper Silesia by the intimation that the Council of the League of Nations had handed over the matter for closer investigation to a commission, consisting of four representatives - one each from Belgium, Brazil, Spain, and China. On the basis of the reports of this commission and those of its experts, the Council awarded the greater part of the Upper Silesian industrial district to Poland. Poland obtained almost exactly half of the 1,950,000 inhabitants, viz., 965,000, but not quite a third of the territory, i.e., only 3,214 of 10951 square kilometres (1,255 of 4,265 mile²). This, however, comprised by far the more valuable portion of the district. Of 61 coal mines 49½ fell to Poland, the Prussian state losing 3 mines out of 4. Of a coal output of 31,750,000 tons, 24,600,000 tons fall to Poland. All iron mines with an output of 61,000 tons fell to Poland. Of 37 furnaces 22 went to Poland, 15 to Germany. Of a pig-iron output of 570,000 tons, 170,000 tons remained German, and 400,000 tons became Polish. Of 16 zinc and lead mines, which produced 233,000 tons in 1920, only 4 with an output of 44,000 tons remained German. The main towns of Königshütte/Chorzow, Kattowitz/Katowice, and Tarnowitz, were given to Poland.
In order to mitigate the hardships likely to arise from the partition of a district which was essentially an economic unit, it was decided, on the recommendation of the Council of the League of Nations, that German and Polish delegates, under a chairman appointed by the Council of the League, should draw up economic regulations as well as a statute for the protection of minorities, which were to have a duration of fifteen years. Special measures were threatened in case either of the two states should refuse to participate in the drawing up of such regulations, or to accept them subsequently.
The Silesian Uprisings (1919-1921)
- First Silesian Uprising: 16 August-26 August 1919
- Second Silesian Uprising: 19 August-25 August 1920
- Third Silesian Uprising: 2 May-5 July 1921
References:
- H.Zieliński, Rola powstania wielkopolskiego oraz powstań śląskich w walce o zjednoczenie ziem zachodnich z Polską (1918-1921), [w:] Droga przez Półwiecze.