Poland's Foreign Policy 2100-ERASMUS-PFPO

I. Determinants and History of Poland's Foreign Policy

1. Foreign policy theory

Typology of foreign policy determinants. Domestic and international determinants. Objective and subjective determinants. Dynamics of the determinants of Poland’s foreign policy between 1918 and 2026.

2. Poland's foreign policy from 1918 to 1933

Determinants of Poland’s foreign policy in the years 1918-1933. The concepts of Józef Piłsudski and Roman Dmowski. The struggle for borders 1918-1921. The Polish-Czechoslovak conflict over Zaolzie 1918-1920. Prometheism and the concept of the Intermarium

3. Poland's foreign policy from 1933 to 1945

Foreign policy of sanationist governments. Attitude towards the League of Nations. Poland towards the war. Concept of the Polish-Czechoslovak confederation. Concepts of foreign policy during World War II. Polish government in exile towards the Polish western border after World War II.

4. Foreign policy of the People's Poland (People’s Republic of Poland) 1945-1989

Reorientation of Poland's foreign policy after World War II. Yalta and Potsdam decisions on Poland. Poland’s relations with socialist states. Poland’s relations with Western countries. Poland’s relations with developing countries (the Third World). Poland’s activity in favor of détente, disarmament, and peace; participation in the CSCE process.

5. Changes in Poland’s foreign policy after 1989

Reorientation of Polish foreign policy after the Round Table Talks. Disintegration of the Warsaw Pact and Comecon. CSCE, WEU, neutrality or NATO? – dilemmas in Polish security policy in the early 1990s. German reunification as a challenge for Poland. Normalization of relations with new neighbors. The issue of withdrawing Soviet/Russian troops from Poland. Poland’s accession to the Council of Europe. Relations with the Holy See. Cooperation within the Weimar Triangle.
II. Poland in Relations with the USA, NATO, and the EU

6. Polish security policy. Relations with the United States

Process of Poland’s integration with NATO (diplomatic efforts, participation in the “Partnership for Peace,” accession negotiations, efforts for ratification of the accession protocol). Poland’s position and role within NATO. Strategic partnership with the United States.

7. Polish European policy – European Union

Association Agreement with the European Communities and accession criteria. Accession negotiations. Poland’s role and position in the European Union: stance on EU reform; position on the CFSP; position on the CSDP. Poland’s stance toward attempts to strengthen the European Union. Poland’s EU presidency (2011) and further activity in the EU. Conflict with the European Commission over the rule of law. Poland’s 2025 EU presidency.

III. Relations with European states

8. Relations with the most important European partners: Germany

Poland’s stance on German reunification. Final settlement of the Oder–Neisse border issue. Treaty on Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation. Germany’s support for Poland’s Euro-Atlantic orientation. Issues complicating Polish–German cooperation. The issue of reparations in relations with Germany.

9. Relations with the most important European partners: France and Great Britain

Historical traditions of bilateral relations with France and United Kingdom. Enhanced cooperation in relations with France after the Nancy Treaty (2025). The history and future of the Weimar Triangle. Cooperation with the United Kingdom after Brexit.

10. Poland's policy in the Central European region

Visegrad Group. The Three Seas Initiative and the North-South axis. Council of the Baltic Sea States. Relations with the Scandinavian countries.

IV. Polish Eastern Policy

11. Polish eastern policy: Ukraine

Historical traditions of Poland’s Eastern Policy. Initial stage of Eastern policy; the “dual-track” policy toward Eastern neighbors during the dissolution of the USSR.
Poland’s stance on Ukraine’s independence and establishment of bilateral cooperation. Treaty on Good Neighbourhood, Friendly Relations, and Cooperation. Concept of strategic partnership and its implementation. Reassessments in bilateral relations. Poland’s assistance after Russia’s full-scale aggression in 2022.

12. Polish eastern policy: Russia and Belarus

Poland’s relations with Russia. Complexities of bilateral relations. The process of normalization and prospects for Polish–Russian reconciliation. Poland’s stance toward Russia’s aggressive policy after 2014.
Building the legal basis for neighborly cooperation with Belarus (1990–1994). Difficulties in bilateral relations (1994–2008). Return to bilateral cooperation (since 2008) and new tensions. Events of 2020 and the migration crisis.

IV. Poland’s Position in the International Arena

13. Poland's activity in international organizations, the importance of international law

Poland’s role in the UN and in the OSCE. Polish initiatives for strengthening cooperative and collective security at the regional and global level. Poland’s participation in peacekeeping operations. Poland’s stance on UN reform.

14. Non-European directions of Poland’s foreign policy

Polish relations with states of Asia (CPR, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam), Africa and Latin America.
Conceptualization of Poland’s international role as a “middle power”. Expected, declared, and enacted roles.