Changes

The interbellum period was a fascinating age of experiments and extremes. The radical right and radical left had not yet discredited themselves with the crimes of Nazism and Stalinism, and the political horizon appeared to be wide open for all kinds of potential solutions to political, social, and economic problems. Advocates of democracy, authoritarianism, liberalism, socialism, communism, nationalism, fascism, and other ideologies all vied for power in the multitude of small states created by the collapse of old empires following World War I. In Poland this debate , nationalism and anti-Semitism played out very differently than an ever bigger role in neighboring countries, especially Germany and the USSR, and politics. I wanted to understand why this was the case, and what this can tell us about the relationship between politics, ideology, and violence more generally.

The interbellum period Poland was a fascinating age of experiments and extremes. The radical right and radical left had not yet discredited themselves with democratic republic created from the crimes shreds of Nazism Habsburg, Hohenzollern, and StalinismRomanov empires, and the political horizon appeared to be wide open for all kinds of potential solutions which were to politicalsome degree authoritarian. As a result there was a lot of optimism, socialespecially on the left, that the state would be a force for progress in European and economic problemsinternational politics. Advocates And regardless of democracytheir political views, authoritarianism, liberalism, socialism, communism, nationalism, fascism, and other ideologies all vied most Poles felt that national independence would in itself be the cure for power in the multitude of small states created by tremendous social problems the collapse of old empirescountry faced. In PolandUnfortunately, nationalism and anti-Semitism played an ever bigger role in politics. I wanted to understand why this was would prove not be the case, and what this can tell us about the relationship between politics, ideology, and violence more generally.