WI Poland received some former german colonies

Rudi Maxer

During interwar period there was a very active colonial movement in Poland, centered around Maritime and Colonial League
organisation which, among other plans, argued that Poland should receive share of german colonies. Poland officially demanded share of German colonies during 1937 League of Nations session. British and French ignored the claims, but what if they actually got struck by sudden wave of sympathy for Poland and granted it it's a share (probably in Togo or Cameroon)?

Assuming this would cause no major butterflies in course of WWII, Poland would still end occupied by soviet troops, but Polish government in exile would have independent polish territory in control, and a possible place for all those Poles who didn't want to return to country ruled by Soviets.
 

euromellows

Very interesting WI!

Imagine a Free Polish movement based in this colony. Would make post war interesting when Poland proper is made a soviet puppet.

Be hard to see it happening to be honest. But what an interesting timeline. Personally I would have loved to of seen a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth post Versailles and the Germans retaining Danzig and the corridor. Would certainly have quelled a number of German grievances. Enough to prevent WW2 though, don't know.
 

Magnificate

Hörnla said:
By 1937, Poland had turned Gdingen into quite a viable port.
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I referred to euromellows suggestion, not OTL. With Corridor in German hands there obviously would be no port in Gdynia.
With Lithuania,Poland would have Klaipeda.
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I mentioned 'viable' ports. While Klaipeda can be developed it suffers from major transport problems with connecting it to the rest of the country.
 

Blackfox5

Hard to see what real benefit this would give Poland. Any Polish colony would only serve to divert Polish wealth before the war. It would not be rich enough to support a government in exile unlike the large, resource rich colonies of Belgian and Netherland (plus those that served as basis for Free French). And it would probably quickly give the colony up after the war. I don't see Togo serving as a Polish Taiwan. Instead I see Togo becoming independent quite soon. The ability of the government in exile to keep control of an African colony seems quite low to me.
 

Cryptic

Rudi Maxer said:
During interwar period there was a very active colonial movement in Poland, centered around Maritime and Colonial League organisation which, among other plans, argued that Poland should receive share of german colonies. .
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Which colonies could the Poles get? France and Gret Britain would ensure that themsleves got any truly valuable colonies.

I think the options are:
Togo (maybe the best possibility)
Cameroons: If the British get Tanzania, the French are going to insist on Cameroons
Namibia: Possibility, maybe split into seperate Polish, French(?) and South African areas
Tanzania: Very unlikley, the British had fought hard to win Tanzania
Pacific Island Possessions: Too far from Poland
 
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Rudi Maxer

There were hundreds of thousands of polish people that remained in the west after the war or left Poland escaping communists. Togo had only about million inhabitants back then. If, say, 200 000 Poles moved there, it could be enough to hold it. Boers made only 10% of South Africa after all.

One of purposes of polish attempts at gaining colonies, was to settle jewish people there. I think many polish jews would be eager to quickly move even to Africa, under looming threat of german invasion.
 
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abc123

Banned
Rudi Maxer said:
During interwar period there was a very active colonial movement in Poland, centered around Maritime and Colonial League
organisation which, among other plans, argued that Poland should receive share of german colonies. Poland officially demanded share of German colonies during 1937 League of Nations session. British and French ignored the claims, but what if they actually got struck by sudden wave of sympathy for Poland and granted it it's a share (probably in Togo or Cameroon)?

Assuming this would cause no major butterflies in course of WWII, Poland would still end occupied by soviet troops, but Polish government in exile would have independent polish territory in control, and a possible place for all those Poles who didn't want to return to country ruled by Soviets.
Click to expand...


Very intresting POD.
Maybe a Polish Togo?
 
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