FORMATION OF THE STATE AND CUSTOMS BORDERS OF THE SECOND POLISH REPUBLIC: INTERNATIONAL-POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT (1918–1922)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the formation of the state and customs borders of the Second Polish Republic, to clarify the international-political and economic foundations of their functioning, and to determine the role of borders as an instrument for ensuring state sovereignty, economic protection, and security control in 1918–1922. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, systematicity, and comprehensiveness, which involve examining the processes of the formation of the post-war security system and the establishment of the state and customs borders of the Second Polish Republic within the specific historical conditions of the interwar period. The use of the historical-genetic method made it possible to identify the prerequisites and specific features of the formation of the security system and the process of organizing state and customs borders. The historical-systemic approach allowed the state and customs borders to be considered as an important element of the overall security system of the state, which included political, military, and economic components. The historical-comparative method was applied to identify common and distinctive features in the functioning of border and customs structures at different stages of the state’s development. The historical-legal method contributed to the analysis of legal acts and international treaties that defined the legal foundations for establishing and protecting borders. The problem-chronological method ensured the consistent presentation of the studied processes within the framework of 1918–1922. The use of analysis and synthesis methods made it possible to generalize the source material and to determine the main trends and patterns in the formation of state and customs borders as components of the security system of the Second Polish Republic. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the post-war security system in the context of the formation of the state and customs borders of the Second Polish Republic as interrelated components of ensuring state sovereignty and economic protection. The main factors that influenced the formation of the post-war security system were identified, in particular international legal decisions, the geopolitical situation, and the internal administrative and economic needs of the state. The relationship between the establishment of state borders and the organization of customs infrastructure as an instrument of control, economic regulation, and protection of state interests was analyzed. Further development was given to the study of the functioning of state and customs borders as a component of the mechanism for implementing the state’s security policy during the interwar period. The establishment of borders was the result of a combination of military-political events, international treaties, and decisions of international conferences that determined the territorial boundaries of the state in the interwar period. State borders performed not only the function of territorial delimitation but were also an important element of the national security system. Their protection was ensured through the creation of specialized border formations and administrative structures whose activities were aimed at protecting the territorial integrity of the state, counteracting the illegal movement of persons and goods, and ensuring the stability of the border regime. Customs borders held an important place within the structure of the state border, performing both economic and security functions. The formation of the customs system ensured control over the movement of goods, contributed to the protection of the national economy, regulated foreign trade, and supported the replenishment of the state budget. It has been established that the state and customs borders of the Second Polish Republic were important instruments for implementing the state’s security policy and ensuring its sovereignty. Their formation and functioning were influenced both by international factors and by the internal needs of public administration and economic development. Thus, state and customs borders became an integral component of the post-war security system and an important element of the institutional strengthening of the Second Polish Republic during the interwar period of 1918–1939