Throughout the war, Paderewski had been the main source of information to the
Wilson Administration in regards to Poland’s independence. However, in January of
1918, Woodrow Wilson received word, through the Copenhagen legation, that a
committee of Russian Poles worked to unite German, Russian, and Austrian
Poles. Although Josef Pilsudski, the leader of the German Poles, had been imprisoned
due to his attempt to overthrow the Germans in Poland, many of Pilsudski’s agents were
available to join in the revolution. This committee wanted a joint declaration from
England, France, and the U.S. stating their
intention to stand by as Allies for an independent Poland.
Once word is received of such
a declaration, they’d precipitate a revolution in entire Poland at any time decided
on.
These Poles wanted to be assured that the Allies were not going to partition Poland themselves. Wilson asked Lansing to corroborate the situation and ask the British, French, and Italian governments if they’d jointly declare their desire for an independent Poland.
Eager to end its involvement in the war, Bolshevik Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, giving Germany control of Russia’s Poland partition. With the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk being viewed by the Allies as another partition of Poland which would give Germany more control in Eastern Europe, most of the Allies wanted to jointly support an independent Poland as a war goal. France, viewing a new Polish state as the only ally in postwar Eastern Europe, took the initiative to get a joint Allied declaration. French Ambassador to the U.S., Jean Jules Jusserand, informed Lansing it was time to cement Wilson’s plea for Poland’s independence in order to promote Polish resistance against the Central Powers. The British, French, and Italians accepted the declaration. On 6 June 1918, the Supreme War Council published the declaration for an independent Poland as one of the war aims of the Allies. Despite being the cheerleader for Poland’s independence, the U.S. had to back away from being involved in this joint declaration. Why did the U.S. do so?
©2006 Tim Sheehan