There was historic justice in these restitutions, and the Bolshevists
did not resist the demands. But the terms of the Treaty of Riga
incensed the Russian intellectuals, who hate Poles worse than
Bolshevists. The defeat before Warsaw, far from causing the Moscow
Soviet to collapse, resulted in rallying round Lenin, especially
for the army, elements whose support he had not before been able to
command. The territorial greed of Poland, afterward demonstrated to the
disadvantage of the Ukrainians by the incorporation of Eastern Galicia,
increased the hatred of the Russians and contributed in large measure
to the new nationalism which has become so unexpected a development in
the Soviet régime.
Czechoslovakia, created by the Peace Conference without consulting
Russia, has managed to keep on good terms with her big Slav cousin. The
Czechoslovak Legion did great harm to the Bolshevists in Siberia, but,
as it had been launched before the birth of Czechoslovakia, the Prague
Government was not held responsible for it. During the Russian drive on
Poland in 1920 Czechoslovakia, like Germany, declared her neutrality.
The premier, Dr. Benes, like Premier Nitti of Italy, believed that the
Bolshevists could not help being recognized as the party indisputably
in the saddle. Czechoslovak policy, therefore, dictated the wisdom
and prudence of _de facto_ relations with Russia; and after the Genoa
Conference Prague and Moscow exchanged trade missions, with diplomatic
immunity and the right to issue passports.
After the collapse of Germany, Rumania had renounced the Treaty of
Bucharest and received delegates in her Parliament, elected by a
Bessarabian assembly, which had declared the union of this Russian
province with the Rumanian Kingdom. In March, 1920, the union was
recognized by the Entente Powers without consultation with Russia.
This was one of the most important decisions taken by the former
allies of Russia. For it was the first one by which they arrogated
to themselves the right to dispose of a Russian province summarily.
Moscow, of course, declared the decision null and void, and the status
of Bessarabia has yet to be definitely settled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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