Nützliche Bundesgenossen für die deutsche Heeresleitung? Bogdan Graf von Hutten-Czapskis Denkschrift von 1892 über die Lage in Russisch-Polen im Kontext ihrer Entstehung
Useful allies for the German Army Command? Bogdan Graf von Hutten-Czapski’s Memorandum from 1892 concerning the Situation in the Russian Partition in the Context of its Creation

Summary/Abstract: Bogdan Graf von Hutten-Czapski’s memorandum regarding the conditions in the Russian partition fuelled hopes in the leadership circles of the German Empire that the Polish population would side with Germany in the event of war with Russia, and thus significantly facilitate the entry of German troops. The PolishGerman nobleman was far from initiating an agreement between the Germans and the Poles, but the possibility of German concessions seemed quite likely in the early 1890s. This „thaw” in Polish-German relations, however, was short-lived. It is also visible how much the German command, centered around the Prussian Chief of the General Staff, Alfred von Schlieffen, was interested in intra-Polish disputes. Hutten-Czapski bluntly described the harsh depolonization measures of the tsarist administration and thus showed the potential for conflict east of the Vistula, which the German Reich could have exploited. Schlieffen was so impressed that he sent Hutten-Czapski further questionnaires to assess the mood in the Russian partition.

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