Znaczenie Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej w zimnowojennych koncepcjach polskiego wychodźstwa na tle potencjału wielkich mocarstw
The Importance of Central and Eastern Europe in the Cold War Concepts of Polish Exile Against the Background of the Potential of the Great Powers

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the question of Central and Eastern Europe’s independence from the perspective of its economic and military potential, in the context of the expectations of the émigré communities with regard to political changes in the region following the possible outbreak of World War III in the mid-20th century. In the light of the data from various areas of research cited by the authors of the article, the small and medium-sized nations of this part of the Old Continent did not have at that time any serious reason to defend their independence on the basis of their national armed forces, because their military potential did not allow them to develop and maintain them at a modern level, as required by technological progress (nuclear weapons), unlike the two great powers at that time – the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as the countries associated with them. Thus the Central and Eastern European countries would have to seek the future guarantees of their independence in political solutions, including, above all, partnership with a stronger entity that shared their vision of freedom, integration and collective security.

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