Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to arrange a military or diplomatic takeover of the city of Danzig with a POD no earlier than January 1920. Try to avoid suicidal scenarios - the less political fallout and bloodshed the better.
Seems too easy.They just invade in the early 20s.
What magnitude of repercussions could Poland expect from such an action?[...]the League of Nations would just condemn Poland's actions. The only reason Poland neve outright annexed Danzig was to keep up good relations with France and Britain.
Seems too easy.Still Poland would need to either manufacture or capitalize on same sort of incident.
What magnitude of repercussions could Poland expect from such an action?
Germany wasn't Bolshevik at the time.France and Britain supported Poland when the invaded Russia why would they care if they invaded Danzig.
Poland knew from the Vilnius question and the Teschen question that the League of Nations was useless in territorial disputes. Poland was quite expansionist in the early 20s, so if they though they could keep up their relations with France and Britain they'd go for it. OTL they feared relations with France and Britain would turn bad if they pulled such a stunt, and that's why they didn't.
What magnitude of repercussions could Poland expect from such an action?
OK, first off, have ethnic violence and rioting in Gdansk. Yes, Gdansk.
Since German authorities are clearly doing nothing to end the violence,
the Poles use cavalry and machine guns to enforce martial law in the city.
The International Community approves of this, especially after Pilsudski releases footage of tortured and dead Polish civilians in the streets.
Picture Hitler victory in German elections earlier, more polonophobia among the German people, who wholeheartedly support an invasion.
However, seeing the record of German panzers in Warsaw and other urban environments, I expect heavy urban fighting over the city before Polish troops finally surrender after about 4-5 weeks, similar to Westerplatte.
All in all, long-term effects are minimal, World War 2 will probably break out at a similar time. However, butterfly effect might change post-war Polish government in unpredictable ways (stronger commies, no commies, or Nazis win the war). Present Day historical revisionists use this as a way to blame Poland for World War 2.
Why the **** is this even happening? Because Germans are evil and thirst for blood? And also, Poland will be in no position to talk about massacres after machine-gunning rioters with machine-guns.
Hmm. But can you machine gun people using some other weapon?
I suppose you could probably machine-gun someone with a sub-machine gun.
I believe he wanted to empathize that when Poland acted on it’s own they managed to got Wilno, whereas in Cieszyn where Poland showed little activity the LoN didn’t even conduct the promised plebiscite.I don't follow. Teschen ended up in Czech hands, no?
Indeed, in 1919 all you need to do is to allow Haller’s Blue Army to be transported via Danzig port instead of German railways. (You get butterflies on Polish-Bolshevik war as an added bonus.) Still, the challenge is to do so after 1920.The only way that you can really get this is if 1919, 1920 are more chaotic and messy,
That would require some major POD, wouldn’t it?or if Germany collapses under the strain of the Ruhr occupation, say.
Interesting idea, yet the POD is before 1920.Here we go: the Bermondt-Avalov/Goltz army of Baltic Germans and Freikorps plus White Russians captures Riga in October/November […] Voila!
I don't follow. Teschen ended up in Czech hands, no?