Veikti, nedera ignoruoti: Prancūzijos reakcija į 1938-1939 m. Lietuvai įteiktus ultimatumus

LTStraipsnyje (1) nagrinėjama Prancūzijos vyriausybės reakcija į Lietuvos Respublikai 1938 m. ir 1939 m. pateiktus Lenkijos ir Vokietijos ultimatumus. Atskleidžiamos šios didžiosios Europos demokratinės valstybės požiūrio į Lietuvai pateiktus ultimatumus specifinės priežastys, nurodomi Prancūzijos užsienio reikalų ministerijos poveikio Lenkijai 1938 m. būdai, pagrindžiamas šios demokratinės valstybės pasyvumas 1939 m. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Prancūzija (France); Vokietija (Germany); Lenkija (Lenkijos karalystė. Kingdom of Poland. Poland); Ultimatumas; Reakcija; France; Germany; Ultimatum; Reaction.

ENThe foreign policy of Lithuania lived through two difficult challenges in the period of 1938–1939: it accepted Polish and German ultimatums. Being the most influential democratic power in continental Europe, France, which was addressed by Lithuania for assistance, took a different approach towards them. Its position was mostly affected by political interests and the specific relations with the countries presenting the ultimatums. The call for assistance expressed by the Government of Lithuania upon receipt of the Polish ultimatum of 17 March 1939 gave France the opportunity to demonstrate its discontent with the political flirt between its allies Poland and Germany. Although the French prime minister or the minister of foreign affairs did not express their official position on the ultimatum, Leon Noël, the French ambassador in Warsaw was assigned to organise two démarches to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The interference of the Great Powers helped to mitigate the content of the document. Poland limited itself to the demand to establish the previously non-existing bilateral diplomatic relations, which the French Government factually supported by protesting against the ultimatum type of the demands and the threats to initiate armed hostilities in case they were rejected. The Government supported and probably unofficially promoted the stormy reaction of the French press towards the Polish ultimatum to Lithuania by demonstrating to its ally the limits of freedom to act independently. The Polish Government was well aware of the French hint. The wave of discontent with the French support to Lithuania highlighted the crisis of bilateral relations with the powerfulally.The French reaction towards the ultimatum presented by Germany on 20 March 1939 demanding to give up the autonomous territory under Lithuania’s rule was identical to that demonstrated upon the delivery of German ultimatums to Austria and Czechoslovakia. Being one of the signatories of the Klaipėda Convention, France avoided to trigger a new world war and to face Germany in the battlefield. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed the progress in the Klaipėda issue, but it was not planning on providing political support to Lithuania. Kaunas did not even expect its political commitment. Once informed about the presentation of the ultimatum, the French Government took a passive position. The signatory of the Klaipėda Convention took a voluntary step of refusing the powers to solve the fate of the Klaipėda Region entrusted to it by the stated legal instrument. Nevertheless, like a year ago, it did not restrict the freedom of the press to denounce the political aggression. The French Government was aware of the inevitability of war as soon as March 1938. When the Munich Agreement was signed at the end of September, the French policy circles were inspired by the moods of the temporary thaw in relations with Germany. Czechoslovakia’s occupation and the annexation of the Klaipėda Region in March 1939 heightened the imminence of war without leaving any last illusions to keep peace. [From the publication]