"Poland must be finished". How the secret services of Germany carried out their tasks as part of the anti-Polish policy

Abstract

Weimar Germany, not recognizing the western borders of the Second Polish Republic, never came to terms with the consequences of defeat in World War I. They sought to revise the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, rebuild military potential and retaliate. The Weimar Republic conducted extensive espionage activity against Poland. An important role in this respect was played not only by state institutions, but also by private and political groups. The Abwehr, implementing the guidelines of the most important German military authorities, used its field posts, which were established at the headquarters of military districts, for intelligence purposes. Its development was related to the expansion of the scope of espionage interests. The 2nd Department of the General Staff (Main) of the Polish Army dealt with the recognition and combating of German intelligence in the Second Polish Republic. The Polish counterintelligence worked out the espionage activities of Germany to the extent possible. The article, based on archival materials, shows that the secret services of Germany conducted a wide range of espionage activities against Poland, the recognition of which was an important part of preparations for military operations.