France and the Polish Crisis

Abstract

A he Polish question has always been—since the first partition of Poland in 1772—a mirror revealing the West's political and moral stances. The present crisis in Poland is no exception to the general rule. In their reaction to the events that have unfolded in Poland since December 13, 1981, the various European countries are revealing how they view themselves, how they judge their ability to influence developments in Poland, and what they hope and fear from the East-West competition. This scheme applies particularly to France. France has always been the traditional ally of Poland. For a mixture of realpolitik and emotional ties, France used to engage in a formal alliance with Poland when it was a state, and professed indignation and commiseration when the Polish nation was stateless.