Germanofil czy realista? Władysława Studnickiego wizja polityki zagranicznej wobec nadchodzącej II wojny światowej
Germanophile or Realist? Władysław Studnicki's Vision of Foreign Policy in the Face of the Coming Second World War

Summary/Abstract: Władysław Studnicki – political publicist of the interwar period– remains a largely forgotten and controversial figure in Polish historiography. Scholarly literature has perpetuated the view that he was a Germanophile – a characterisation that, already during his lifetime, provoked strong emotions and opposition, and which today often leads to a simplified and unequivocally negative assessment of his intellectual legacy. The purpose of this article is to examine whether Studnicki’s views stemmed from ideological sympathy toward Germany or rather from a realist and pragmatic assessment of the geopolitical situation in East-Central Europe during the 1930s. The study employs the historical method, based on the analysis of primary sources– including Studnicki’s own publications, his press articles in the Vilnius daily Słowo, as well as contemporary scholarly works. The findings indicate that his pro-German postulates were primarily instrumental in nature and derived from rational political and economic considerations. Studnicki regarded the Soviet Union as the principal threat to Poland’s sovereignty, while viewing Germany as a potential counterbalance to Soviet expansionism. In this context, his advocacy of closer relations with the Third Reich was intended to preserve the independence of the Polish state and to promote regional stability. Although Studnicki was not uncritical of Germany, his favourable stance toward it was rooted in the belief that cooperation with Berlin could yield strategic and modernising benefits for Poland. Nonetheless, it cannot be overlooked that he displayed a certain fascination with the German nation and, even after 1939, did not entirely renounce some of his earlier views. Ultimately, his position may be interpreted as an attempt to articulate a realist conception of foreign policy, albeit one marked by distinct elements of Germanophilia.

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