Russian Kaliningrad: The Bizarre Global Decisions After WW I and II Have Sown the Seeds of Conflict

The Austria-Hungary Empire of pre-World War I was one of the most successful empires of the day.  Unlike similar empires which were assembled through conquest, Austria-Hungary was assembled through voluntary association, mainly in fear of aggression by the Muslim Ottoman Turks who were hell bent on conquest for their entire existence.  Countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Montenegro became part of the Austria-Hungary Empire for this reason.  One exception was the takeover of Bosnia Herzegovina in 1878 when it was awarded control by the Congress of Berlin.  In 1908 Austria-Hungary annexed it, to the chagrin and objection of the Bosnians.

Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, was the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne in 1914 when he decided to visit and tour Bosnia-Herzegovina in an open car.  He was shot to death June 28, 1914, at the hands of a Serbian national, Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. These two men are credited with starting World War I.  The Archduke had to know that this was a very bad idea, but perhaps he did not; it was.  For some bizarre reason, he wanted an open car parade.  There was a first failed attempt against him, which he survived, he brushed it off and continued.  His driver took a wrong turn and he, and his wife, Sophie, were killed; both shot to death.  One stupid move by one man and the world pays the price. Four empires were destroyed after World War I:  The Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the German Empire and the Austria-Hungary Empire.

At the end of World War I and World War II, twenty years later, international politicians made some of the most bizarre and destructive decisions of all time, again: the not ready for prime-time players.  The Treaty of Versailles produced some of the most poorly decided dumb decisions.  One example is President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, on his own authority, and overriding other European leaders, decided to ignore the Treaty of London of 1915 which promised territory concessions to Italy if it agreed to enter the war (WW I).  Second, the Treaty of Versailles after WW I created the conditions that caused the second World War.  

Among the many controversial decisions made after the world wars was the redrawing of borders that helped shape the new Yugoslavia. In the process, Italy lost territories with long-standing Italian communities, including the Istrian Peninsula, the city of Fiume, and parts of the Dalmatian Coast. To critics, these decisions appeared to represent another act of appeasement—rewarding Josip Broz Tito’s communist regime while disregarding the historical and ethnic complexities of the region. The consequences were severe: ethnic tensions intensified, and Italian civilians suffered atrocities at the hands of Tito’s communist forces, known as the Foibe Massacres between 1943 and 1950.

 Reward a tyrant, such as Tito, and he will like you better, was the thought.  All this at the price of thousands of people losing their lives and stoking ethnic hate for the long term.  History has shown that all these decisions were disastrous.  After the death of the dictator Tito, Yugoslavia broke up and a war of independence of the member states caused more atrocities.  From 1991to 1995 over 100,000 people were killed.  Some of these decisions reverberate with us today such as the enclave of Kaliningrad, the German city known before 1946 as Konigsberg, the largest German easternmost city, gifted to the Soviets at the Potsdam Agreement in 1945.  Who thought that this was a good idea but the Soviets?  Look at the map of where it is compared to the Russian border.  Appeasement roars its ugly head again and the world pays the price.  Just yesterday (8/24/26) the Wall Street Journal had a story about how the Russians are drawing plans for mobilization of the Kaliningrad residents.  This suggests they have aggressive military plans. Déjà vu all over again.  Will we ever lean?

Land Transfers that Boggle the Mind

 

Among the most bizarre land transfers in history is the transfer, after World War II, of what was the capital of East Prussia, Konigsberg, which was renamed by Stalin to Kaliningrad after his good buddy, Kalinin.  Stalin, as you may know, went nuts in renaming cities after himself, such as Stalingrad, and other Communists of the Russian revolution, like Leningrad, after his hero, Vladimir Lenin.  

                                                

 

After Germany’s defeat in WW II, the Potsdam Conference, which included three of the victorious allies, Russia, UK and the United States, decided to give this city of about 500,000 to the Russians, giving in to a demand from Stalin.  What is more bizarre is that this city is not contiguous with Russia but wedged between Poland and Lithuania.  This gives Russia a huge advantage of stirring trouble there with Poland and the Baltic states.  This has recently come home to roost after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.  The Baltic states stopped having inter commerce transportation in and out of Kaliningrad.  This enraged the Russians who now threaten the Baltic States.  One of the threats, as reported in the Italian daily, Corriere Della Sera on 22 June 2022 was that Russia would declare the seceding of the Baltic states from the Soviet Union in 1991 as null and void.  Of course, this would obviously mean a Russian invasion of the states.  Play with fire and you’re sure to get burned, sooner or later.