Orta Avrupa’da Polonya’nın Jeostratejik ve Jeopolitik Konumu 1918-1939

Due to the terminological difficulties as well as diverse definitions of the region that it is possible to come across in literature it seems necessary to clarify the notion of the region as well as its spatial extent in Europe. The term region is commonly used in three different meanings corresponding to three different concepts of "part of the area". The division of space into specific areas can serve as a tool for the intended research, either for the organization of a specific social action in the space or may constitute the subject of research. There are many arguments for distinguishing Central Europe that can be understood as the belt of countries which runs west of the border of Germany, Austria and Italy, and to the east of the border of Russia (without the Kaliningrad enclave), Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova. These arguments can be divided into geographical, economic, historical, political and cultural criteria. Putting them together indicates the existence of a separate specific spatial formation with distinct features different from the surrounding area and at the same time with the borderline that is difficult to determine. From a political point of view, based on historical premises and the ranges of various religions, the center of Central Europe, which included countries being in the former USSR sphere of influence between 1918 and 1939, consists of the present territories of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Today there are following countries in a border zone: Lithuania, Latvia, western Belarus, Kaliningrad Oblast (Kaliningrad), and the western part of Ukraine, Romania, Vojvodina in Serbia, Slovenia, the eastern part of Austria and the eastern part of Germany. Clearly defined regions of Western Europe, Scandinavia, the European part of Russia and the Balkans are bordering with this area.