Searching for Allies: Baltic Republics in “Kurier Białostocki”

Abstract

Goal – The aim of this article is to present Poland’s attitude towards the Baltic republics in the local newspaper between March and September 1939. The article shows how a Polish local newspaper has been reporting on the Baltic republics during the last few months of peace. Research methodology – The article is based on qualitative research, using mainly articles from “Kurier Białostocki” – a daily newspaper published from March 1 to August 31, 1939, in Białystok, the capital of the Białystok Province in the Second Polish Republic. A total of 181 issues of the newspaper (incorrectly numbered up to 239) were reviewed, searching for articles and references to the Baltic states. The analysis of individual articles and references will be presented in chronological and thematic order. Score/results –The basic questions contained in the text concern whether the local newspaper wrote a lot about the Baltic states. What topics did the articles cover? Were allies sought in these countries in the face of the threat of war? The form and content of these references, as well as when and how they were written, will also be important. Originality/value – The study’s originality lies in its interdisciplinary approach, combining perspectives from border press studies and history of international relations. Nearly half of the “Kurier’s” content was devoted to the current international events. In addition, it covered local, sports, and educational issues. During the period in question, a total of 54 pieces of information about the Baltic states were published. Most of them concerned Lithuania. Far fewer texts concerned Estonia, and especially Latvia. These smaller countries are presented from the perspective of the official policy of the Polish authorities.