A Study On Germany And Danzig Problem During The Year1919-1934

After the Great War ended, Germany was forced to cession of vast tracts of land, and how to retake these lost territories, especial eastern region of domain, becomes one of the core tasks in German previous governments’foreign policy. This thesis, taking the Free city of Danzig for example, discusses the whole process of formation, development and bankruptcy of territorial revisionism during the Weimar government period. The thesis studies the origin of Danzig problem on the foundation of British Documents on Foreign Affairs (1919part), combs the evolution of the Germany’s specific policy to the eastern land-lost including Danzig with a few "Akten der Reichskanzlei.Weimarer Republik"(online edition) and related materials and shows the internal mechanism of how territorial revisionism was replaced by Hitler’s foreign policy by using Documents on German Foreign Policy (series C).The whole thesis is composed of introduction,5chapters and the conclusion.The introduction part is divided into two sections:presentation and research significance of thesis and research status at home and abroad. Besides description of the importance of Danzig problem and interpretation of the research meaning in the transformation process of German foreign policy, it also gives brief comments on research status at home and abroad.The first chapter presents the origin of Danzig problem and German reaction. Historically, Danzig has close relationship with Germans. On Paris Peace Conference after the Great War, besides Poland corridor problem produced through negotiations, British, French, American and other countries, copying practices, mould Danzig as free city to meet Poles’requirements of an outlet to the sea, which causes German strong dissatisfaction.Chapter2discusses the preliminary formation process of German policy to the Free city of Danzig in the early time of the Weimar government. Before establishment of the Free city, though having not unveiled system policy, Germany still takes some measures to maintain Deutschtum here, such as support state-owned enterprises, signing the March Agreement, formulating civil servants laws and so on. After the Free city is built, these measures are reflected in two aspects:financial trade and government benefits aid. At the same time, Germany positively defends the Free city’s special international status.The third chapter narrates German specific policy towards the eastern land-lost (including Danzig) during Stresemann Age. German territorial revisionism politics is relatively successful in this period, which is embodied in detailed publicity strategy, complete economic aid means and Germany’s playing a more active role on Danzig problem after joining the League of Nations.The fourth chapter puts emphasize on explaining how German policy towards Danzig traps into a dilemma under the condition of the Great Depression. On the one hand, any aid from Germany can’t lead the Free city out of the economic disaster situation; On the other hand, Poles create so much more trouble that the German government could not cope with.The fifth chapter focuses on territorial revisionism politics in the Weimar government era becoming gradually relics after Hitler’s coming into power. Because of transformation of Germany’s foreign policy, Hermann Rauschning, under the support of Hitler, develops Danzig as the lubricant on relationship-easing between Germany and Poland. But it is not possible for Danzig to escape Nazification and the fate of being re-merged by Germany.The conclusion part mainly summarizes the reason of territorial revisionism policy’s bankruptcy in the Weimar government era and its negative effects.