Polish-Japanese relations in 1904–1939

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the development of Polish-Japanese relations, which emerged during the years 1904–1905 on the basis of a shared anti-Russian agenda. Particular attention is devoted to the evolution of these relations in the interwar period, especially in the context of Poland’s Promethean strategy. This geopolitical concept sought the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the annexation of parts of its territory under the guise of establishing quasi-independent national republics. The methodological framework of the study is grounded in the principles of historicism and scholarly objectivity. Among the general scientific methods applied, the logical method made it possible to explore the spatial dynamics of Polish-Japanese relations, while the historical method enabled an examination of their evolution over time. The scholarly novelty of this research lies in its use of these methods to uncover the historical context in which Polish-Japanese relations emerged during the period of Poland’s statelessness. The analysis of Józef Piłsudski’s policies in fostering cooperation with Japan demonstrates a convergence of interests between the two nations in the dismemberment of Tsarist Russia and, later, the Soviet Union into separate national states. It is established that Polish-Japanese cooperation was characterized by a distinctly anti-Russian, anti-Soviet, and anti-communist orientation. Conclusions. The origins of Polish-Japanese cooperation can be traced back to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, where their shared opposition to the Russian Empire provided a common strategic foundation. In the interwar period, this antagonism persisted, though within a significantly altered geopolitical landscape: in 1918, an independent Polish state was restored, and in 1922, the Bolsheviks consolidated most of the former territories of the Russian Empire into the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1930s, Polish-Japanese relations evolved within the framework of Poland’s Promethean strategy, which sought the fragmentation of the Soviet Union into separate national states. Japan’s interests, shaped by its Pan-Asian doctrine, aligned with Poland’s objectives – particularly with regard to the idea of establishing a puppet Ukrainian state, known as Zeleny Klyn (Green Ukraine), in the Russian Far East. Although these plans proved unrealistic and unattainable during the 1930s, bilateral cooperation between Poland and Japan continued to develop in a sustained and mutually beneficial manner.