Greater Poland?

As a kind of response to alternatehistorian's Polish almost-wank, I was wondering, is there any way Poland could have got, as well as their OTL territories, East Prussia, Danzig and Silesia, and if they had, how would this have effected later events?
 

BlondieBC

Banned
As a kind of response to alternatehistorian's Polish almost-wank, I was wondering, is there any way Poland could have got, as well as their OTL territories, East Prussia, Danzig and Silesia, and if they had, how would this have effected later events?

In a Russian win in WW1, I could see a possible Kingdom of Poland having these territories added to them, but they would still be under the Tsar. It is a tough POD to get to where a more autonomous Poland has to exist, but Russia does not collapse.

Or maybe the war goes into 1919 because Germany fights on, and even more harsh terms are imposed at the ToV.
 
IMHO no POD later than 18th century would do. Perhaps early 19th if, say Napoleon wins and establishes Poland in those borders and it survives till 20th century and TTL WWI. Other than that... Fat chance.
 
If Poland receives more territories after WWI without resettling the Germans there, you'd have an even more hostile Germany which still holds its core regions - and you'd have millions of restive Germans within Poland.

Altering WWII, however, could be possible. The easiest would be if Stalin doesn't take as much from Poland as IOTL for the Soviets and East Prussia as a whole is given to the Poles.
 
As a kind of response to alternatehistorian's Polish almost-wank, I was wondering, is there any way Poland could have got, as well as their OTL territories, East Prussia, Danzig and Silesia, and if they had, how would this have effected later events?

Do you mean Silesia and East Prussia in their entirety or the plebiscite zones? If you mean more, this


In a Russian win in WW1, I could see a possible Kingdom of Poland having these territories added to them, but they would still be under the Tsar. It is a tough POD to get to where a more autonomous Poland has to exist, but Russia does not collapse.

is the only realistic way I can see it happen with a post-1900 PoD. The OTL borders + plebiscite areas represented the maximum Polish claims. Poland itself would have rejected offers of more – too many nasty Prussians. IIRC there were talks of annexing East Prussia once war broke out in 1939, but even assuming France finds the willpower to immediately launch a major attack on Germany and saves Poland, there is no guarantee that it will happen. Especially if Britain protests.
 
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Altering WWII, however, could be possible. The easiest would be if Stalin doesn't take as much from Poland as IOTL for the Soviets and East Prussia as a whole is given to the Poles.

IMO it's virtually impossible. This would require an utter Soviet defeat, Stalin would not let Poland keep its eastern territories if he had anything to say about it.
 
Do you mean Silesia and East Prussia in their entirety or the plebiscite zones?
I was thinking East Prussia in its entirety, Silesia in either (I'm not so bothered by that, I just wanted to get East Prussia into Poland really).
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
Germany completely collapsing (more than OTL) after WW1, Poland beat Russia and get their Eastern Borders earlier, turn West on a totally fucked up Germany (with Entente blessing) and incorporate Silesia, East Prussia and Danzig. Smells very unlikely though.
 

MSZ

Banned
All of East Prussia is pretty dan unlikely, even the Poles didn't want it OTL - too many Germans. The best you could probably get is to get rid of Lloyd George in Versailles and allow Poland to get pre-1772 borders in the west as it was originally promised (meaning all of Posen, Pomeralia and Posen-Westpreussen) as well as holding the East Prussian and Upper Silesian plebiscites being held in a different manner - at time of Poland's choosing (when it doesn't have to fight the Russians), with proper control (no German migrants form the Reich-proper getting to vote) and the territories being decided wholesale rather than by a district-by-district method.

If you wish to go full-polish-wank-mode-on you can have the OTL conflict with the Czechs last longer allowing it to annex Tsechin earlier, accept the Soviet offer of a border on the Dnyepr, keep the offensive against Lithuania going after taking Vilnus and annexing the whole country, not withdraw from Daugavpils and pull off its own version of the Memelland revolt. Federal Republic of Poland is born.
 
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