Silesians, Kashubians, Poles, what's the difference?

I'm idly batting around an idea of a mixed German-Slavic "Prussia", with a POD in 1632.

Is it possible for the Upper Silesians and the Kashubians of West Prussia to adopt a national identity separate from Poles?

Moreover, if West Prussia is acquired by Brandenburg around 1660 or so, would it be possible for the Poles of West Prussia to eventually start identifying as Kashubians, see themselves as separate from Polish Poles, or at least become irreversibly loyal to the "Prussian" government?
 

Valdemar II

Banned
I'm idly batting around an idea of a mixed German-Slavic "Prussia", with a POD in 1632.

Is it possible for the Upper Silesians and the Kashubians of West Prussia to adopt a national identity separate from Poles?

Yes it's quite possible, and the Kashubians did to some extent, for the Slavic Silesians it's much harder because they were seen as Slavic Germans and Silesia saw a large scale immigration of Poles, which pushed the Silesians into full assimilation into the German majority.

Moreover, if West Prussia is acquired by Brandenburg around 1660 or so, would it be possible for the Poles of West Prussia to eventually start identifying as Kashubians, see themselves as separate from Polish Poles, or at least become irreversibly loyal to the "Prussian" government?

Yes it's quite possible, such a early POD will result in a standardisation of the local dialect, which will push it away from Polish, at the same time you see atempts to convert them to Protestantism, which will push them toward a non-Polish identity. Of course remeber that a Prussia which own both West Prussia and Silesia will at best be 10% Slavic, if you wish to a greater Slavic population you need to expand Prussia more. In 1795 when Prussian possesion in Poland was at their highest, Prussia was around 40% Slavic, so you need so great a expantion to make Prussia a German-Slavic state.
 
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