France Towards the War and Peace Between Poland and Bolsheviks (1919–1921)
After World War I, Poland was aiming at establishing its eastern borders and needed a European ally in Russian matters. Taking into account the anti-Bolshevik attitude of France, there existed a chance of promoting the Polish policy in the East, but the goals of the French and Polish foreign policies differed significantly when it came to Russia. After World War I, France failed to introduce a successful political strategy in the east of Europe. Its critical stance towards the Bolsheviks undoubtedly resulted from an accurate assessment of the Soviet authority and the threat it posed for Europe, but also from the reluctance with which they treated the tsarist debts towards France. This problem remained a burden on the relations between France and Russia for the years to come, even after 1924. For Poland, both the Bolsheviks, criticized by France, and the “White” generals, whom France supported, posed a threat to independence and to the conception of the Polish border in the east.
