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With the end of World War I, a new Republic of Poland emerged on the maps of Europe, made up of some of the territory from the first Polish Republic, including Wolyn and Wilno, and significant parts of Belarus, Upper Silesia, Eastern Galicia, and East Prussia. The resulting conglomeration of ethnic groups left many substantial minorities wanting independence. The approach of World War II provided the minorities' leaders a new opportunity in their nationalist movements, and many sided with one or the other of Poland's two enemies--the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany--in hopes of achieving their goals at the expense of Poland and its people. Based on primary and secondary sources in numerous languages (including Polish, German, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Russian and English), this work examines the roles of the ethnic minorities in the collapse of the Republic and in the atrocities that occurred under the occupying troops. The Polish government's response to mounting ethnic tensions in the prewar era and its conduct of the war effort are also examined.
The author opens by providing an overview which highlights the tragic magnitude of the Holocaust. she examines the historical studies written on the Holocaust emphasizing the insufficient recording of the period by historians.
Emphasizing the development of class structure, this book is the first in English to describe the historical and social development of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania from medieval feudalism to modern capitalism. Historically these countries have maintained mostly peaceful relations among themselves in the past and now share the common characteristic of being Soviet "satellites." The author has devoted particular attention to Poland because of its unique political system, as well as its greater size, population, and cultural influence. The book is divided into three sections: part one reviews the early history and social structure of each country; part two provides a sociological analysis of social classes and their evolution over centuries; and part three examines the effect that World War II has had on these social classes.