AntiSemitism Polish Real Causes Konopczynski

A Brief Outline of Polish History: Polish Encyclopedic Publications, by Ladislas Konopczynski, Francis Benett (Translator). 2016

Russian-Made Litvak Problem, and Jewish Separatism, Drove Polish Anti-Semitism. Exceptionally Detailed on the Foreign Rule Over Partitioned Poland

The content of this book (review based on original, 2nd edition, published in 1920) starts with Polish territory in pre-literate times and leaves off at 1914. For this reason, it includes a perspective on Partitioned and occupied Poland not colored by later events.

RUSSIAN-MADE JEWISH OVERCROWDING, AND MILITANT JEWISH SEPARATISM, DROVE POLISH ANTI-SEMITISM

Much of the Pre-WWII anti-Semitism, for which Poland nowadays gets blamed, owed to the natural consequences of the tsarist-Russian policies towards Russian-ruled central Poland, as described by the author: “The Jews were driven from the [Russian] Empire, either by pogroms, or by administrative measures. They crowded into the Kingdom of Poland where their invasion caused a grave crisis of nationalities. Whereas in 1817 they did not form more than 7.8% of the population, they now constituted 14.5%. Under the influence of these newcomers, known as ‘Litwaks’ [Litvaks], a well-defined movement towards national separatism began to take shape among the Jews of the Kingdom. Moreover, these `Litwaks’ had brought with them the Russian language and a superficial Russian culture; they affected to despise their Polish surroundings and acted as Russifying helpers and ‘agents provocateurs’, sowing discord between the peaceful Pole and his Jewish fellow-citizen.” (p. 135).

Obviously, if the Litvaks were sufficient in numbers to account for a substantial fraction of the difference between 14.5% and 7.8%, then their migration could not have been a small one, as argued by some. And their anti-Polish orientation made them harmful regardless of their exact numbers.

THE POLAND UNDER AUSTRIAN RULE

One notable feature of this book is its depiction of Austrian rule over Poland that, although less harsh than its Russian and Prussian counterparts, was not nearly as benign as sometimes portrayed. For instance, there was Germanization at various levels, including the University of Lwow. Overall, “The German language and a German staff were supreme in the schools and seminaries; the censor ruthlessly blotted out the very names of Pole and Poland from the textbooks.” (p. 91). Ecclesiastical properties were confiscated, and large numbers of Polish men were conscripted to serve in Austria’s military adventures. (pp. 48-49). Taxation of Poles was murderous: “Thus it was that one of the richest Polish countries [Galicia] was reduced to a state of inconceivable poverty, the traces of which have not been effaced up to the present time.” (p. 49). Local German governors: “…blindly obeyed the orders from Vienna, absolutely disregarding the needs of the population, and were good for nothing but sowing discord between noble and peasant, between Ruthenians and Poles.” (p. 91).

THE MYTH OF POLES TRYING TO SQUELCH UKRAINIAN DEVELOPMENT

Ukrainian accusations of Poles using their political power, under Austrian rule, to suppress the Ukrainians, are not true. Konopczynski comments: “The Polish parties had always endeavored to satisfy the intellectual needs and the intellectual culture of the Ruthenians, wherever such needs showed themselves. Proofs of this may be found in the Ruthenian upper schools opened in Eastern Galicia, in the thousands of Ruthenian elementary schools, in the equal status of the two languages in the training-schools of the east, in the introduction of Ruthenian as an official language in district-councils wherever the communes asked for it (1907), in the creation of numerous Ruthenian chairs at the university of Lwow [Lviv], in the granting of large subsidies to the Ruthenians, of national institutions of every sort. All Polish parties recognize the right of Ruthenians to possess a university of their own, though the majority are opposed to the division of the university of Lwow into two separate sections, one Ruthenian and one Polish. But all this was not enough to soften the hostility of the Ukrainian party, which is all-powerful among the Ruthenians. This party could not bring itself to acknowledge, that a people, whose culture and political education was in its infancy, has still many efforts to make in raising itself to a higher level, which would enable them to compete on equal terms with the heirs of an ancient civilized country like Poland.” (p. 101).

THE POLAND UNDER PRUSSIAN RULE

Now let us focus on the Prussian share of partitioned Poland. Konopczynski comments: “The overt aim of the government was to annihilate Polish landed property, and in consequence uproot the Polish population itself, according to the motto of the philosopher Edward Hartmann: `ausrotten'” (p. 80). Polish resistance to draconian German denationalization of Poles included the following: “In consequence a few years later (1906-1907) the Polish children protested against the Germanization of their religious lessons by a giant strike which lasted eight months and comprised more than 100,000 scholars.” (p. 81).

Bismarck’s KULTURKAMPF, which began in 1871 (p. 78), was so comprehensive that it washed away the previous German liberals’ sympathy for Poles, and turned even Germans outside Prussia against Poles. (p. 82). The fanatically anti-Polish Society of the Eastern Marches (OSTMARKVEREIN, or HAKATA) acquired tens of thousands of members throughout Germany. (p. 82). Poles faced repression like never before. In the end, Prussian rule over Poland was so brutal that large areas of Silesia, East Prussia, Poznania, and other areas ended up largely Germanized, especially within the span of a few decades, by the early twentieth century. (pp. 83-87).

THE POLAND UNDER RUSSIAN RULE

Tsarist rule over the Russian share of Partitioned Poland became especially onerous after the failed January 1863 Insurrection. For example, there were public hangings of Poles in hundreds of locations in order to terrorize re-conquered Poland into submission. (p. 123). Systematic Russification was implemented. All traces of Polonism and Catholicism were erased as much as possible. In some locations, Polish Catholic Churches were converted into Russian Orthodox ones. (p. 128). [Decades later, after Poland had been resurrected as a nation, Poles reconverted some of these Orthodox churches back into Catholic ones. Because of this, Poles were (and are) falsely accused by Orthodox Ukrainians of forcible attempts to impose Roman Catholicism on Ukrainians!]