Everything about Maritime And Colonial League totally explained
Maritime and Colonial League (Polish:
Liga Morska i Kolonialna) was a mass
Polish social organization, created in 1930 out of Maritime and River League (Liga Morska i Rzeczna). In late 1930s it was directed by general
Mariusz Zaruski and its purpose was to educate Polish nation about maritime issues. It also actively supported development of both
merchant fleet and
navy, as well as creation of Polish
colonies and overseas possessions.
Among countries regarded as suitable for Polish overseas settlements, there were such nations as
Brazil (
Paraná),
Peru,
Liberia, Portuguese
Mozambique and French possessions in
Africa, with
Madagascar. The organization enjoyed widespread popularity, in 1939 it had around one million members.
Origins
Roots of the League can be traced back to the fall of
1918, first days of the
Second Polish Republic. On October 1, 1918, a group of 25 young men founded an organization called
Polska Bandera (Polish Flag), whose purpose was to popularize sea among the Poles and to encourage the youth to participate in navigation.
The organization, supported by influential politicians, quickly grew, and in May of
1919 it was changed into League of Polish Navigation (
Liga Żeglugi Polskiej). Five years later the name was changed again, into Maritime and River League (
Liga Morska i Rzeczna), then, in late
1925, it published its first monthly magazine, “The Sea” ("
Morze") (in 1939 magazine’s name was changed into “The Sea and Colonies”).
First demand of colonies for Poland were issued at the first convention of the League (
Katowice, October
1928) Two years later, at the third and last convention in
Gdynia, the organization got its most famous name, Maritime and Colonial League.
Activities
Originally, the League was a public body, with limited membership. Soon afterwards, it was taken over by the government and became a tool of its propaganda. In
1933, Prince
Janusz Radziwiłł, member of the
Polish Parliament, declared that if
Germany was to get back its former colonies, Poland should receive a share proportionate to its succession to the former German Empire.
Furthermore, some Polish politicians argued that the debt, which the world owed to Poland from saving
Europe from
communism invasion, should be paid off with colonies
Throughout the 1930s, the League organized mass demonstration, collected money and published materials. Among people who participated in demonstrations were clergymen and members of the government, whose party, Camp of National Unity (
Oboz Zjednoczenia Narodowego), accepted colonial aspirations.
In the summer of
1937,
Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a document called “Colonial Theses of Poland”, and in September of the same year, Poland officially demanded colonies, during the session of the
League of Nations.
Polish demands, however, were ignored by the
Western Powers, as neither
France, nor
Great Britain wanted to relinquish their possessions. Furthermore, Polish government advanced its demands even well into
1939, on the eve of
Polish September Campaign. However, Poland never considered possibility of armed capture of overseas lands, counting on a customs union with smaller and less important colonial powers, such as
Belgium and
Portugal
Some historians argue that the
Warsaw government promoted colonialism to solve the problem of chronic overpopulation and unemployment of some areas of the country. Also, the Poles expressed desire for raw materials, especially those found in Liberia.
Apart from colonies, activities of members of the League were concentrated on development of
Polish Navy. In early 1930s the League started a special fund, which within 2 years collected 5.000.000
zlotys. The money was handed to the Government of the Polish Republic for the purpose of possibly fast construction of a
submarine for the Polish Navy. Thus, the legendary
ORP Orzeł was funded.
Polish overseas possessions
In 1930, 135 Polish families left for the state of
Espirito Santo In June of
1934 the League sent its messenger, retired general
Stefan Strzemienski, who wanted to buy 2 milllion hectares of land in Brazilian state of
Paraná (part of its population, around 100,000, had already been Polish, due to mass emigration of Poles from
Galicia in the 19th century). An agreement was signed with the state government, which agreed to hand the land to the Poles, in exchange of construction of a 140-kilometer rail line
Riozinho-
Guarapuava
However, the Poles bought only 7000 hectares and created there a settlement called
Morska Wola. Also, they purchased additional 2000 hectares and planned to found another settlement, “Orlicz-Dreszer” (as a gesture to director of the League, general
Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer, who died in
Gdynia in a plane crash in
1936). In August of 1935 first Polish settlers left for Brazil, around 350 people.
However, in spite of initial success, Polish activities in Parana were noticed by the Brazilian public opinion. In
Curitiba, local daily
Correio do Parana alarmed that Poland was planning to conquer a few Brazilian states (Parana,
Santa Caterina and
Rio Grande do Sul), and establish its own colony, dependent on Warsaw. As a result, anti-Polish demonstrations took place in Curitiba. Polish newspapers described events in faraway Brazil, in April of 1934
Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny mocked the conflict, writing on main page “We expect arrival of Polish Army headquarters in Parana”.
Soon afterwards, Brazilian government under
Getulio Vargas, began limiting Polish immigration, also Poles themselves were no more interested in settling in Brazil and in
1938 the project was cancelled.
On August 28,
1933, Polish government signed a cooperation treaty with the government of Liberia, at the request of Liberian government, represented by
Leo Sajous. Next year, Polish specialist went to
Monrovia and consulates were established in both capitals. General
Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer, then director of the League was planning to promote large-scale Polish settlement there, with Polish farms in African countryside, but due to lack of funds, this project was abandoned soon afterwards.
Outcome
The League ceased to exist in September of 1939, following joint German and Soviet aggression on Poland. After
World War Two, the new communist government wasn't interested in colonialism and the organization was reestablished in
1944 as Maritime League. In
1953 it was dissolved, then in
1981 recreated again as Maritime League. Since
1999 it has been called Maritime and River League.
In the spring of
2006, Polish artist Janek Simon went to Madagascar, looking back to the ideas of the interbellum period. He wanted to organized there the “Polish Year in Madagascar”, instead, two exhibitions took place.
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