What was the basic reason behind Silesia uprising?
The massacre sparked protests from the Silesian Polish miners, including a general strike of about 140,000 workers, and caused the First Silesian uprising against German control of Upper Silesia. The miners demanded the local government and police become ethnically mixed to include both Germans and Poles.
Why did Poland get Silesia?
Culturally German for centuries, Silesia was given to Poland after World War I, fell to the Nazis in 1939, and reverted to Poland after World War II in compensation for the loss of its eastern provinces to the Soviet Union. Nearly all its Germans were forcibly repatriated to Allied-administered West Germany.
Why did Germany and Poland want Upper Silesia?
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was therefore a plebiscite for self-determination of Upper Silesia required by the Treaty of Versailles. Both Germany and Poland valued this region not only for reasons of national feeling, but for its economic importance as well.
What was the result of Silesian weavers uprising?
In 1845, the weavers raised a revolt against the contractors who used to supply them raw material to weave textiles in finished form. The contractors drastically reduced their payments.
What was the cause of Silesian weavers uprising How was it suppressed?
The uprising, which began on March 23 in the city of Schömberg, developed into a struggle against the Prussian feudal serf system and involved almost 20,000 people. It was brutally suppressed by Prussian troops.
Why was Memel given to Lithuania?
The division of Prussia was also promoted by Poland’s Roman Dmowski in Versailles who acted by orders of Józef Piłsudski: the purpose was to give the lower part of Neman River and its delta, which was located in Germany and called the Memel River, to Lithuania as this would provide her access to the Baltic Sea, while …
Who are the Silesian people?
“Silesian,” in today’s literature, has come to refer to two distinct groups: “Polish-speaking Prussians” and “German-speaking Poles.” Both these groups exist as cultural and ethnic minority enclaves within the larger political entity that serves as their host.
Where did polish come from?
Ultimately, Polish is thought to descend from the unattested Proto-Slavic language. Polish was a lingua franca from 1500 to 1700 in Central and parts of Eastern Europe, because of the political, cultural, scientific and military influence of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
What were the Silesian Uprisings?
The Silesian Uprisings (German: Aufstände in Oberschlesien; Polish: Powstania śląskie) were a series of three armed uprisings in Upper Silesia from 1919 to 1921 in which Poles and Polish Silesians sought to break away from Germany and join the new Polish Republic, founded after World War I.
What happened to the Polish population in Silesia?
In the German census of 1900, 65% of the population of the eastern part of Silesia was recorded as Polish-speaking, which decreased to 57% in 1910. This was partly a result of forced Germanization, but was also due to the creation of a bilingual category, which reduced the number of Polish speakers.
What caused the Upper Silesian Plebiscite of 1921?
The Upper Silesian plebiscite was to be conducted on 20 March 1921. In the meantime, the German administration and police remained in place. Meanwhile, propaganda and strong arm tactics by both sides led to increasing unrest.
What was life like in the Silesia?
Most spoke a dialect of Polish, a few felt they were a Slavic group of their own called Silesians. In contrast, most of the local middle and upper classes were ethnic Germans, including the landowners, businessmen, factory owners, local government, police, and Catholic clergy.