Influence of strategic culture on Polish foreign policy: Giedroyc doctrine, "kresy" and Latgale
ENThe purpose of this article is to analyses impact of strategic culture on Polish foreign policy and how ideologies affect Poland’s foreign policy thinking and action in areas historically located in the Polish political and cultural space (“kresy”). This article discusses the doctrine of Jerzy Giedroyc which focuses on the belief that Poland in relations with the eastern neighbors, the most important thing was to recognize the right to national self-determination and to abandon any territorial claims that Poland could have against them. The concept of strategic culture is viewed from the point of view of authors of neoclassical realism. The influence of domestic factors on the political elites’ political choices is unquestionable. One of the key elements of unit-level variables that has an impact on how systemic incentives are perceived, on the decision-making process and how policy is implemented is a strategic culture. In the Poland’s case the strategic culture is formed by ideologies, which plays a key role in process of building it. Certainly, historical experience and the geopolitical situation have an impact on the Polish strategic culture, which further forms Poland’s foreign policy choices. The Polish strategic culture is made of political elites and societies beliefs which are influenced by the ideas and beliefs of ideologies on the Poland’s place in European politics and foreign policy choices. Key words: Poland, strategic culture, foreign policy, Jerzy Giedroyc, Latgale. [From the publication]
