The polish‐Czechoslovak conflict over Teschen: The problem of resettling poles and the position of the USSR

Abstract

The process of redrawing post‐war territorial frontiers was one of the most important strategic problems facing the Soviet government. Moscow's role in the Czech‐Polish conflict over Teschen, which reached its peak in 1945–46, tested the skill and flexibility of its diplomacy. While the Soviet leaders generally favoured the Czechoslovak position, they also sought to take advantage of the dispute in order to strengthen the pro‐Soviet regime in Poland. The overall aim of the Soviet government during this period was not to promote the idea of world revolution but rather to secure a security belt along its western frontiers in which both Czechoslovakia and Poland would play key roles.