IN THE SHADOW OF THE THREAT FROM WEIMAR GERMANY. ON THE ACTIVITIES OF POLISH COUNTERINTELLIGENCE IN UPPER SILESIA

Abstract

In the autumn of 1918, after 123 years of partition, Poland regained its long-awaited independence. The Weimar Republic and Bolshevik Russia, unwilling to accept the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, sought its revision – and, more specifically, war with Poland. The country’s security was under serious threat. Despite the restrictions imposed at the Versailles Conference, Germany quickly managed to organize secret intelligence operations directed against Poland. The task of countering German espionage was entrusted to the Second Bureau of the General Staff of the Polish Army. The Abwehr’s activities in Upper Silesia enjoyed particularly favourable conditions for conducting espionage. Polish counterintelligence authorities, however, faced numerous difficulties – especially the chronic shortage of funds to combat the influence of German intelligence. Furthermore, the protection of military secrets was insufficient and often misinterpreted. A gradual improvement in this regard became evident in the second half of the 1920s, when the effectiveness of counter-espionage efforts increased significantly, including within the territory of Upper Silesia.