The Upper Silesian plebiscite

1921-03-20

The plebiscite took place on 20 March 1921. Voters chose between remaining in Germany and joining Poland. Ballot cards carried the names of both states. The Allied commission supervised the vote; it was not a plebiscite administered by the League of Nations.

Sources for this passage

An IPN account dated 11 January 2022 reports 707,393 votes for Germany and 479,365 for Poland. The chart below uses these totals. Other institutional accounts give slightly different totals. The broad result is consistent: roughly 60% of valid votes for Germany and 40% for Poland.

Full reconciliation requires the commission’s original return. Chart percentages are calculated from the sum of votes for the two options.

Sources for this passage

Sources

  1. Plebiscyt i III Powstanie Śląskie 1921 roku

    Mirosław Węcki · IPN / Przystanek Historia · 2021-05-03

  2. Treaty of Versailles, Article 88 and Annex; editorial notes in FRUS

    Allied and Associated Powers; US Department of State editors · Office of the Historian, US Department of State · 1919 (treaty); 1947 (FRUS volume)

  3. The Upper Silesian plebiscite of 20 March 1921 – the course of voting

    Institute of National Remembrance · 2022-01-11

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