The Poland–Czechoslovakia War, also known mostly in Czech sources as the Seven-day war ( cs, Sedmidenní válka) was a military confrontation between
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
over
the territory of
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český T� ...
in early 1919.
After a vain protest by the Czechoslovak government against action in breach of the Interim Agreement, they attacked the part of Cieszyn Silesia held by Polish forces to prevent elections to the Polish
Sejm
The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...
in the disputed territory and the local population's contributions to the Polish army. The Czechoslovak army made rapid advancements, capturing most of Cieszyn Silesia by the end of January. The bulk of the Polish army was engaged in the
Polish–Ukrainian War
The Polish–Ukrainian War, from November 1918 to July 1919, was a conflict between the Second Polish Republic and Ukrainian forces (both the West Ukrainian People's Republic and Ukrainian People's Republic). The conflict had its roots in ethn ...
at the time, and the Polish forces faced a numerically superior and better equipped Czech Army in Cieszyn Silesia.
The attack was halted under pressure from the
Entente. The result of the war was the new demarcation line, which expanded the territory controlled by Czechoslovakia. It led to the division of the region of Cieszyn Silesia in July 1920, and left a substantial
Polish minority in Czechoslovakia in the region later called
Zaolzie. The division of Cieszyn Silesia did not satisfy Poland and led to the
Polish annexation of Zaolzie in 1938.
Background
During the final months of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Polish and Czechoslovak diplomats met to hammer out a common border between the two new countries. By the time the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...
was declared, most of the border was worked out except for three small politically sensitive areas in
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
and
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation of ''Felvidék'' (literally: "Upland"), the Hungarian term for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia. The region has also been ...
which were claimed by both countries.
Cieszyn Silesia
Cieszyn Silesia, Těšín Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, Śląsk Cieszyński ; cs, Těšínské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and Český T� ...
or the
Duchy of Teschen ( pl, Cieszyn and cs, Těšín) was a small area in south-eastern Silesia. The Duchy was part of the historic Czech lands of Bohemian Crown - Crown of Saint Wenceslaus (born Václav). Latin, German, Czech, Moravian and finally Polish served as an official language of the region, however throughout the ages many historical sources suggested the local population remained mostly Polish-speaking in the form of the
Cieszyn Silesian dialect, regardless of the official language.
The last Austrian census of 1910 (determining nationality according to the main communication language (german: Umgangssprache) of the respondents) showed that it was predominantly
Polish-speaking in three districts (
Cieszyn (Teschen),
Bielsko (Bielitz), and
Fryštát (Freistadt)) and mainly
Czech-speaking in the fourth district of
Frýdek (Friedek). Part of the population (the ''Ślązakowcy'' – named after the newspaper
Ślązak, ''Schlonsaken'') claimed a distinct,
Silesian identity, however never fully denying the old Polish roots of the local population or the status the local dialect as a dialect of the Polish language (which they used in their newspapers), but rather gradually becoming superior to the Polish culture in the Kingdom of Poland, thanks to becoming part of the German cultural sphere.
The chief importance of Cieszyn Silesia was the rich
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
basin around
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an indust ...
and the valuable
Košice-Bohumín Railway line which linked the
Czech lands
The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands ( cs, České země ) are the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Together the three have formed the Czech part of Czechoslovakia since 1918, the Czech Socialist Republic sin ...
with
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
. Furthermore, in north-western Cieszyn Silesia the railroad junction of
Bohumín served as a crossroad for international transport and communications.
[William Fiddian Reddaway. ''The Cambridge History of Poland, Vol 2.'' Cambridge University Press. 1971. pp. 513-514.] The leaders of Czechoslovakia had insisted most forcefully on the indivisibility of the former Austrian Crownlands of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia and their unwillingness to compromise on Cieszyn Silesia was mostly due to their desire to keep the Sudetenland region in Czechoslovakia. To allow Cieszyn Silesia to join Poland because it had a Polish majority would create a precedent for the German-speaking Sudetenland to join Germany, and it was largely for this reason the Czechoslovak government insisted that all of the former Duchy of Teschen was part of Czechoslovakia. The Czech argument was that the Poles were not local but an incoming population, and that the indigenous population had been Czech, they claimed Poles were immigrants attracted to employment in coal mines throughout the 18th century. Those claims were not corroborated by Austrian population censuses throughout the 19th century. The influx of Poles from
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
was directed mainly to
Ostrava
Ostrava (; pl, Ostrawa; german: Ostrau ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic, and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 280,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four riv ...
and surroundings, which lie outside of Cieszyn Silesia. Moreover, the Polish national movement in the region was active since the
Spring of Nations in 1848, whereas the influx of Galician Poles began in 1870s.
On 5 November 1918, the Polish National Council and the Czechoslovak Committee concluded an agreement on the demarcation line for administrative and military purposes, and divided their respective spheres of influences at the municipal level, roughly along the ethnic lines. The Frýdek district and a small part of the Fryštát district was left on the Czech side, the remainder was accorded to the Poles.
Forces
The Czechoslovak side was led by
Josef Šnejdárek. Czechoslovak military forces had been formed from the three
legionnaire battalions of the 21st Rifle Regiment from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, the 54th Infantry Battalion of
Olomouc
Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019).
Located on t ...
, the 93rd Infantry Battalion of Fryštát, a volunteer battalion from Bohumín and a volunteer battalion from
Orlová
Orlová (; pl, ; german: Orlau) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Orlová is made up of four town parts: Lazy, Lutyně, Město and Por ...
. The operations of the Czechoslovak forces were joined by other local volunteers, formed in the National Guard approximately 5,000 men strong. From the north-west of
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
came the main force that was sent to support the 35th Regiment from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, led by the Italian Colonel Graselli and later reinforced with the Rifle Regiment from Italy. During the war the Czechoslovak army was reinforced by the newly formed 2nd Brigade with a strength of six battalions, with the support of two artillery batteries, and one cavalry squadron.
The Czechoslovak army was further strengthened by the 1st Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Btn. of the 3rd Infantry Reg., 2nd Btn of the 93rd Infantry Reg. and 5 volunteer battalions.
Polish forces under the command of
Franciszek Latinik
Franciszek Ksawery Latinik (17 July 1864 – 29 August 1949) was a Polish military officer, Colonel of Austro-Hungarian Army and Major General of the Polish Army.
Graduate of the General Staff Academy in Vienna, from 1914 he was a commander of th ...
were weaker than the Czechoslovak forces. At the end of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Poland was fighting in border disputes with all its neighbors, and during the war with Czechoslovakia the main force was committed to the fighting in
Eastern Galicia with the Ukrainians.
The Polish forces were composed of six infantry battalions, two cavalry squadrons and an artillery battery. Other forces included approximately 550 members of the gendarmerie and around 4,000 (Polish claim) to 6,500 (Czech claim) local Polish volunteers. Polish forces were reinforced during the war.
Battle
On 23 January 1919 at 11:00 in Cieszyn Silesia Polish commander Franciszek Latinik and Czechoslovak officer Josef Šnejdárek met with a group of officers, consisting of British, French, Italian and U.S. representatives (at the request of the Czechoslovak party). The Polish side was given an ultimatum, that they evacuate the area to the
Biała River in less than two hours. After the expiry of this period, the Czechoslovak army started its operations at 13:00 following its operational guidelines to seize
Bohumín/Bogumin and
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an indust ...
/Karwina. From the east, at the same time, an attack was launched by the Italian legionnaire unit. The Czechoslovak army moved forward, and took Bohumín (at 16:00), Orlová/Orłowa and Karviná/Karwina. Cieszyn Silesia was taken over by Czechoslovak forces on 27 January 1919. Polish troops retreated to the
Vistula
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
river.
On 30 January 1919 Josef Šnejdárek received the order to cross the Vistula and secure the railway line between Bohumín and
Jablunkov/Jabłonków. They crossed the river and the Polish troops retreated to
Skoczów
Skoczów (pronounced , german: Skotschau, cs, Skočov) is a town and the seat of Gmina Skoczów in Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 14,385 inhabitants (2019). The town lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia ...
, where the front line was stalled. Further Czechoslovak reinforcements arrived, which gave Šnejdárek an advantage over the Polish units. The Czechoslovak army prepared for an attack on Skoczów assuming that it would lead to the collapse of the Polish defenses.
On 31 January 1919, because of the pressure from the Triple Entente representatives, the attack on
Skoczów
Skoczów (pronounced , german: Skotschau, cs, Skočov) is a town and the seat of Gmina Skoczów in Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland with 14,385 inhabitants (2019). The town lies in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia ...
was cancelled, and the Czechoslovak army ceased fighting. The Czechoslovak army withdrew to the new Green Line, established by the International Commission Agreement on the basis of the Czechoslovak–Polish Treaty, concluded on 3 February 1919 in Paris.
3 February 1919 Signing in Paris of Polish-Czech border agreement on the basis of the 5 November 1918, ethnic division agreement.
28 July 1920 Allied ambassadors decision partitioning Cieszyn, Silesia, and leaving in Czechoslovakia a quarter of a million Poles in the strategic Moravian Gate...(leading to Poland from the south-west)
Conclusion
The disputed territory was placed under international control. The final division of Cieszyn Silesia came in July 1920 as a result of the
Spa Conference. In conclusion, the railway line connecting the
Czech lands
The Czech lands or the Bohemian lands ( cs, České země ) are the three historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia. Together the three have formed the Czech part of Czechoslovakia since 1918, the Czech Socialist Republic sin ...
with Slovakia and the territory to the south of it were assigned to Czechoslovakia, while the territory north of the railway line was assigned to Poland. Vast majority of the coal mines, as well as
Třinec Iron and Steel Works
Třinec Iron and Steel Works (TŽ) ( cs, Třinecké železárny, pl, Huta trzyniecka) is a producer of long rolled steel products in Třinec, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. TŽ produces over a third of all steel produced in the Cze ...
were on the territory assigned to Czechoslovakia.
In precise terms, Poland was assigned one-third of the population (142,000 out of 435,000), less than half of the territory (1002 km
2 out of 2222), and the town of Cieszyn. Czechoslovakia received the districts of Fryštát and Frýdek, most of the area of the district of Cieszyn, the railway station of Cieszyn, Karviná and coal mines,
Třinec with ironworks, and the whole
Bohumín-
Jablunkov railway line. Some 140,000 Poles were left on the Czech side.
War crimes
On 26 January, Czechoslovak forces killed 20 Polish POWs in the village
Stonava
Stonava ( pl, , german: Steinau) is a municipality and village in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants. The municipality has a significant Polish minority.
Etymology
The name is ...
, which has been documented on photos. According to some sources, they were bayonetted to death.
A monument has been erected in their memory in Stonava.
According to Polish claims an unspecified number of Polish POWs were also killed in the village of
Bystřice and a number of civilians killed in
Karviná
Karviná (; pl, Karwina, , german: Karwin) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Olza River in the historical region of Cieszyn Silesia.
Karviná is known as an indust ...
. Several thousand people were forced to flee to Poland, who returned in 1938 with the Polish annexation of Zaolzie and in turn started taking revenge on the local Czech populace.
[Michał Wołłejko, Jak Czesi zrabowali Zaolzie. Zbrojna napaść na Śląsk Cieszyński 1919, „ Uważam Rze" 9 December 2012, p. 38.] There is a
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...
in
Orlová
Orlová (; pl, ; german: Orlau) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Orlová is made up of four town parts: Lazy, Lutyně, Město and Por ...
, commemorating the Czech victims of the war.
File:POL Cieszyn Muzeum ŚC - Mapa bitwy skoczowskiej.JPG, Skoczów battle
File:Czech monument Orlová.jpg, The original form of the monument in Orlová
Orlová (; pl, ; german: Orlau) is a town in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 28,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Orlová is made up of four town parts: Lazy, Lutyně, Město and Por ...
, commemorating the Czechoslovak victims
File:Pomník v Orlové.jpg, The current form of the monument in Orlová, commemorating the Czechoslovak victims
File:Cieszyn Monument 2.JPG, Memorial to Polish Silesian legionnaires in Cieszyn
Cieszyn ( , ; cs, Těšín ; german: Teschen; la, Tessin; szl, Ćeszyn) is a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River, and the administrative seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship. The town has 33,500 inhabitan ...
File:ZebrzydowicePLmariuszjbie.jpg, Monument to the Polish victims in Zebrzydowice
File:Stonawa5.jpg, Grave of 20 Polish soldiers killed by Czech legionists on 26 January 1919 in Stonava
Stonava ( pl, , german: Steinau) is a municipality and village in Karviná District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants. The municipality has a significant Polish minority.
Etymology
The name is ...
Footnotes
References
* Clodfelter, M. (2017). ''Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015'' (4th ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. .
*
Davies, Norman
Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a Welsh-Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Professo ...
. ''Polsko. Dějiny národa ve středu Evropy''. Praha : Prostor, 2003. .
*
*
Gawrecki, Dan. ''Studie o Těšínsku 15. Politické a národnostní poměry v Těšínském Slezsku 1918–1938''. Český Těšín :
Muzeum Těšínska
Muzeum Těšínska ( pl, Muzeum Ziemi Cieszyńskiej, en, Museum of Cieszyn Silesia) is a regional museum in Český Těšín, Czech Republic. It focuses on the history and traditions of the region of Cieszyn Silesia. The museum was founded in 1 ...
, 1999. .
*
* Kolektiv autorů: ''Stonawa pamięta: 1919–1999'', Interfon (1999), Těšín,
* Matroszová, Veronika. ''Českoslovenští legionáři, rodáci a občané okresu Karviná''. Praha: Státní okresní archiv Karviná, 2005. .
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish-Czechoslovak War
Conflicts in 1919
Cieszyn Silesia
Wars involving Poland
Wars involving Czechoslovakia
Territorial disputes of Czechoslovakia
1919 in Poland
1919 in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia–Poland relations
January 1919 events