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In total, 97.89 % of the inhabitants voted to remain in Prussia, while 2.11 % wanted to join the new Polish state.[http://www.sudd.ch/cgi-bin/ddevent?id=de021920] |
In total, 97.89 % of the inhabitants voted to remain in Prussia, while 2.11 % wanted to join the new Polish state.[http://www.sudd.ch/cgi-bin/ddevent?id=de021920] |
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Inside the villages of [[Klein Lobenstein]], [[Klein Nappern]] and [[ |
Inside the villages of [[Klein Lobenstein]], [[Czerlin]] ([[Klein Nappern]]) and [[Groszki]] ([[Groschken]])in the [[Osterode in Ostpreußen (district)|district of Osterode]] (Ostróda), a majority voted for Poland. These villages became a part of Poland after the plebiscite. |
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As another clause of the Versailles treaty, the former Prussian area of [[Działdowo|Soldau (Działdowo)]], part of the [[Neidenburg (district)|district of Neidenburg]], was given to Poland without plebiscite. |
As another clause of the Versailles treaty, the former Prussian area of [[Działdowo|Soldau (Działdowo)]], part of the [[Neidenburg (district)|district of Neidenburg]], was given to Poland without plebiscite. |
Revision as of 23:13, 11 February 2008
The Warmia and Masuria plebiscite (Polish: Plebiscyt na Warmii i Mazurach) was a plebiscite for self-determination of the regions Warmia and Masuria demanded by one of the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.
Conduct
The plebiscite, as well as the Westprussia plebiscite, asked the voters whether they want their homeland to remain in East Prussia, which was part of Weimar Germany, or instead become part of Poland. All inhabitants of the plebiscite district older than 20 years of age or those who were born in this area before 1 January 1905, were entitled to vote.
According to Article 95 of Section IX of the Versailles - treaty [1], german troops and authorities were withdrawn from the plebiscite area, which was placed under the authority of an International Commission of five members appointed by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers representing the League of Nations.
This Commission had general powers of administration and, in particular, was “charged with the duty of arranging for the vote and of taking such measures as it may deem necessary to ensure its freedom, fairness, and secrecy. The Commission will have all necessary authority to decide any questions to which the execution of these provisions may give rise. The Commission will make such arrangements as may be necessary for assistance in the exercise of its functions by officials chosen by itself from the local population. Its decisions will be taken by a majority.“
French, British and Italian troops under the command of this commission took over the administrative power on 12 February 1920. Regular German Reichswehr had left the area before but civil municipal administration was still working with the old staff.
Even though the area of Warmia was part of the kingdom of Prussia since the first partition of Poland in 1772 and the region of Masuria was ruled by German-Prussian Hohenzollern family since the Prussian Tribute of 1525 a lot of its inhabitants had their roots in Poland and were classified as Poles or Masurians at the last official population census in 1910. Both sides started a propaganda campaign. Germans founded several regional associations under the roof of the “Ostdeutsche Heimatdienst”, which had above 220.000 members. They put strength on the longterm period of Prussian history and the loyalty towards the Prussian state and also used prejudices against Polish culture and economical backwardness.
The Polish side established the Masurian Plebiscite Committee (Mazurski Komitet Plebiscytowy) on 06 june 1919 with the chairmanchip of Juliusz Bursche, the later bishop of Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland. They argued that the people of Warmia and Masuria were victims of a longtime period of Germanization, but ethnical Poles, now having the opportunity to liberate themselves from prussian dominance.
For unknown reasons the alternatives were not Germany / Poland but East Prussia / Poland. German sources trace this fact to a condition of the Polish delegation at Versailles, led by Roman Dmowski, while Polish historians watch this as privileging the German position by the Allies. The real reason is unclear.
Also unexplained is, why the treaty enabled people to vote, who were born in the plebiscite area but not living there any more. By German sources this was also a Polish condition at Versailles, because it was expected that many Ruhrpolen would vote for Poland. As a result roundabout 100.000 immigrants came back to their hometowns, which in fact strengthened the German position.
The plebiscite took place on 11 July 1920; at the time Poland looked as if it was on the verge of defeat in the Polish-Soviet War (see battle of Warsaw (1920)). German Prussia, which controlled those territories for over a century, was able to organize a very successful propaganda campaign, building on the long campaign of Germanization; notably the plebiscite masked the German choice under the regional name of Prussia. The activity of German Freikorps organizations, and support for German position by the Allied commissions, who allowed the Germans to bring over 100,000 German immigrants from that region, further aided the German cause. Hence the plebiscite ended with a majority of the voters voting for Prussia; only a small part of the territory affected by the plebiscite was awarded to Poland, with the majority going to Germany.
Results
- Olecko/ Oletzko
99.993 % Prussia
0.007 % Poland
- Gizycko/ Lötzen
99.97 % Prussia
0.03 % Poland
- Mragowo/ Sensburg
99.93 % Prussia
0.07 % Poland
- Ełk/ Lyck
99.88 % Prussia
0.12 % Poland
- Pisz/ Johannisburg
99.96 % Prussia
0.04 % Poland
- Szczytno/ Ortelsburg
98.51 % Prussia
1.49 % Poland
- Nidzica/ Neidenburg
98.54 % Prussia
1.46 % Poland
- Ostróda/ Osterode
97.81 % Prussia
2.19 % Poland
- Olsztyn/ Allenstein
86.53 % Prussia
13.47 % Poland
- Reszel/ Rößel
97.90 % Prussia
2.10 % Poland
registered voters: 425.305
valid: 371.189
turnout: 87,31 %
total votes for East Prussia: 363.209
total votes for Poland: 7.980
In total, 97.89 % of the inhabitants voted to remain in Prussia, while 2.11 % wanted to join the new Polish state.[2]
Inside the villages of Klein Lobenstein, Czerlin (Klein Nappern) and Groszki (Groschken)in the district of Osterode (Ostróda), a majority voted for Poland. These villages became a part of Poland after the plebiscite.
As another clause of the Versailles treaty, the former Prussian area of Soldau (Działdowo), part of the district of Neidenburg, was given to Poland without plebiscite.
See also
References
Further reading
- Robert Kempa, Plebiscyt 1920 r. w północno-wschodniej części Mazur (na przykładzie powiatu giżyckiego). In Masovia. Pismo poświęcone dziejom Mazur, 4/2001, Giżycko 2001, p. 149-157 Template:Pl icon
- Andreas Kossert, Masuren Ostpreussens vergessener Süden, ISBN 10-3-57055006-0
- Andreas Kossert, Ostpreussen Geschichte und Mythos (East Prussian History and Myths), ISBN 10-3-88680-808-4
- Andreas Kossert, Religion versus Ethnicity: A Case Study of Nationalism or How Masuria Became a "Borderland", in: Madeleine Hurd (ed.): Borderland Identities: Territory and Belonging in Central, North and East Europe. Eslöv 2006, S.313-330
- Wojciech Wrzesiñsk, Das Recht zur Selbstbestimmung oder der Kampf um staatliche Souveränität - Plebiszit in Ostpreußen 1920 in AHF Informationen Nr. 54 vom 20.09.2000 [3]
- Sarah Wambaugh, Plebiscites since the World War, Washington 1933, I p 99 – 141; II p 48 - 107