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Border conflicts

Fighting broke out in Ukraine already in 1918, and an anti-German uprising in Greater Poland (27 December 1918-14 February 1919) led to that region's return to Poland. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Poland was granted access to the Baltic Sea (Gdańsk was to remain a Free City). A plebiscite was held in the contested territories of Upper Silesia and Mazuria, which went against Poland (1920 and 1921). Eventually three uprisings induced the League of Nations to grant 30% of Silesia to Poland. Another danger loomed in the east: in the Polish-Soviet war of 1920 Bolshevik Russia narrowly missed the chance for an imminent "revolutionary march across Europe", having reached the outskirts of Warsaw. The battle fought there (13-18 August) was dubbed " the eighteenth decisive battle of the world" by Lord D'Abernon, a British diplomat. The people of Poland called it the "Miracle on the Vistula". The war was concluded with a peace treaty which proved relatively favourable for Poland (Riga, 18 March, 1921).

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