View source for Curzon Line

{{Short description|Historical demarcation of territories of Poland and the Soviet Union}}
{{Infobox
 | title     = Curzon Line
 | subheader = Historical [[demarcation line]] of World War II
 | image     = [[File:Curzon line en.svg|330px]]
 | caption   = ''Lighter blue line'': Curzon Line "B" as proposed in 1919. <br>''Darker blue line'': "Curzon" Line "A" as drawn by [[Lewis Namier]] in 1919. <br>''Pink areas'': [[Recovered Territories|Pre–World War II provinces]] of [[Germany]] transferred to Poland after the war. <br>''Grey area'': [[Kresy|Pre–World War II Polish territory east of the Curzon Line]] annexed by the Soviet Union after the war.
}}

The '''Curzon Line''' was a proposed [[demarcation line]] between the [[Second Polish Republic]] and the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Union]], two new states emerging after [[World War I]]. Based on a suggestion by [[Herbert James Paton]], it was first proposed in 1919 by [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]], the British [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]], to the [[Supreme War Council]] as a diplomatic basis for a future border agreement.<ref name="Sarah Meiklejohn Terry 1983 121">{{cite book |author=Sarah Meiklejohn Terry |title=Poland's Place in Europe: General Sikorski and the Origin of the Oder-Neisse Line, 1939-1943 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zOL_AwAAQBAJ&q=%22polish-soviet+boundary+since+1945%22&pg=PA121 |year=1983 |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=121|isbn=9781400857173 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Eberhardt|first=Piotr|year=2012|title=The Curzon line as the eastern boundary of Poland. The origins and the political background|url=https://www.geographiapolonica.pl/article/item/7563.html|journal=Geographia Polonica|volume=85|issue=1|pages=5–21|doi=10.7163/GPol.2012.1.1}}</ref><ref name=leslie>{{cite book |author=R. F. Leslie, Antony Polonsky |title=The History of Poland Since 1863 |year=1983 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0tYVKUsnw9IC&q=Pilsudski+coup+1919+lithuania&pg=PA135|isbn=978-0-521-27501-9}}</ref>

The line became a major geopolitical factor during World War II, when the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] [[Soviet invasion of Poland|invaded eastern Poland]], resulting in the split of Poland's territory between the USSR and [[Nazi Germany]] roughly along the Curzon Line in accordance with final rounds of secret negotiations surrounding the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]]. After the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, [[Operation Barbarossa]], the Allies did not agree that Poland's future eastern border should be changed from the pre-war status quo in 1939 until the [[Tehran Conference]]. Churchill's position changed after the Soviet victory at the [[Battle of Kursk]].<ref>Rees, Laurence (2009). ''World War Two Behind Closed Doors'', BBC Books, pp. 122, 220</ref>

Following a private agreement at the Tehran Conference, confirmed at the 1945 [[Yalta Conference]], the Allied leaders [[Franklin Roosevelt]], [[Winston Churchill]], and Stalin issued a statement affirming the use of the Curzon Line, with some five-to-eight-kilometre variations, as the eastern border between Poland and the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite web|title=Modern History Sourcebook: The Yalta Conference, Feb. 1945|url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1945yalta.html|publisher=[[Fordham University]]|access-date=2010-02-05}}</ref> When Churchill proposed to annex parts of [[Eastern Galicia]], including the city of [[Lviv]], to Poland's territory (following Line B), Stalin argued that the Soviet Union could not demand less territory for itself than the British Government had reconfirmed previously several times. The Allied arrangement involved compensation for this loss via the incorporation of formerly German areas (the so-called [[Recovered Territories]]) into Poland. As a result, the current border between [[Poland]] and the countries of [[Belarus]] and [[Ukraine]] is an approximation of the Curzon Line.
{{Territorial evolution of Poland}}

== Early history ==

[[File:Polska-ww1-nation.png|thumb|250px|Polish pre-[[WWI]] ethnographic boundaries and territorial claims]]

At the end of World War I, the [[Second Polish Republic]] reclaimed its sovereignty following the disintegration of the occupying forces of three neighbouring empires. Imperial Russia was amid the [[Russian Civil War]] after the [[October Revolution]], [[Austria-Hungary]] split and went into decline, and the [[German Reich]] bowed to pressure from the victorious forces of the [[Allies of World War I]]. The Allied victors agreed that an independent Polish state should be recreated from territories previously part of the Russian, the Austro-Hungarian and the German empires, after 123 years of [[Partitions of Poland|upheavals and military partitions]] by them.<ref name=hp1>{{cite book |title=Historia Polski 1914-1939 |trans-title=History of Poland 1918-1939 |year=1984 |publisher=[[Polish Scientific Publishers PWN]] |location=Warsaw |isbn=83-01-03866-7 |author=Henryk Zieliński |language=pl |pages=84–88 |chapter=The collapse of foreign authority in the Polish territories |chapter-url=https://pl.wikisource.org/wiki/Historia_Polski_%28Henryk_Zieli%C5%84ski%29|author-link=Henryk Zieliński }}</ref>

The [[Supreme War Council]] tasked the [[Commission on Polish Affairs]] with recommending Poland's eastern border, based on spoken language majority, which became later known as the Curzon Line.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Curzon Line {{!}} Definition, Facts, & Border {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Curzon-Line |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Their result was created December 8, 1919. The Allies forwarded it as an armistice line several times during the subsequent [[Polish–Soviet War|Polish-Soviet Wars]],<ref name=":0" /> most notably in a note from the British government to the Soviets signed by [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon of Kedleston]], the British [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]]. Both parties disregarded the line when the military situation lay in their favour, and it did not play a role in establishing the Polish–Soviet border in 1921. Instead, the final [[Peace of Riga]] (or Treaty of Riga) provided Poland with almost {{convert|135000|sqkm|sqmi}} of land that was, on average, about {{convert|250|km|mi}} east of the Curzon Line.

===Characteristics===
The Northern half of the Curzon Line lay approximately along the border which was established between the  [[Prussian Kingdom|Kingdom of Prussia]] and the Russian Empire in 1797, after the [[Third Partition of Poland]], which was the last border recognised by the United Kingdom. Along most of its length, the line at least in principle was intended to follow a generally ethnic or ethnolinguistic boundary - areas West of the line generally contained an overall Polish majority while areas to its East less so- borderland areas were inhabited by [[Ukrainians]], [[Belarusians]], [[Polish people|Poles]], [[Jews]] and [[Lithuanians]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Zara S. Steiner|title=The Lights that Failed: European International History, 1919–1933|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rJ9JJIVmFpkC&q=curzon+line+ethnographic&pg=PA149|isbn=978-0-19-822114-2}}</ref><ref name=anna2>{{cite book|author1=Anna M. Cienciala|author2=Wojciech Materski|title=Katyn: a crime without punishment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SyimWfkx0-MC&pg=PA9|access-date=3 February 2011|year=2007|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-10851-4|pages=9–11|quote=It also happened to coincide with the eastern limits of pedominantly ethnic Polish territory.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Aviel Roshwald|title=Ethnic Nationalism and the Fall of Empires: Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, 1914–1923|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ef0wXYsJATwC&q=curzon+line+ethnographic&pg=PA162|isbn=978-0-415-17893-8|author-link=Aviel Roshwald}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Joseph Marcus|title=Social and Political History of the Jews in Poland, 1919–1939|year=1983|publisher=[[Walter de Gruyter]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82ncGA4GuN4C&q=curzon+line+ethnographic&pg=PA15|isbn=978-90-279-3239-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Sandra Halperin|title=In the Mirror of the Third World: Capitalist Development in Modern Europe|year=1997|publisher=Cornell University Press|url=https://archive.org/details/inmirrorofthirdw00halp|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/inmirrorofthirdw00halp/page/41 41]|quote=curzon line ethnographic.|isbn=978-0-8014-8290-8}}</ref> Its 1920 northern extension into [[Lithuania]] divided the area disputed between Poland and Lithuania. There were two versions of the southern portion of the line: "A" and "B". Version "B" allocated [[Lviv|Lwów]] (''Lviv'') to Poland.

==End of World War I==
The US President [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s [[Fourteen Points]] included the statement "An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea..." Article 87 of the [[Versailles Treaty]] stipulated that "The boundaries of Poland not laid down in the present Treaty will be subsequently determined by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers." In accordance with these declarations, the Supreme War Council tasked the Commission on Polish Affairs with proposing Poland's eastern boundaries in lands that were inhabited by a mixed population of Poles, Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Belarusians.<ref name="Krickus2002">{{cite book|author=Richard J. Krickus|title=The Kaliningrad question|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sDOUZEEnHFUC&pg=PA23|access-date=25 January 2011|year=2002|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7425-1705-9|pages=23}}</ref><ref name=Boemeke/> The Commission issued its recommendation on 22 April; its proposed Russo-Polish borders were close to those of the 19th-century [[Congress Poland]].<ref name=Boemeke>{{cite book|author1=Manfred Franz Boemeke|author2=Manfred F. Boemeke|author3=Gerald D. Feldman|author4=Elisabeth Gläser|title=The Treaty of Versailles: a reassessment after 75 years|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zqj-oHp4KsgC&pg=PA331|access-date=25 January 2011|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-62132-8|pages=331–333}}</ref>

The Supreme Council continued to debate the issue for several months. On 8 December, the Council published a map and description of the line along with an announcement that it recognized "Poland's right to organize a regular administration of the territories of the former Russian Empire situated to the West of the line described below."<ref name=Boemeke/> At the same time, the announcement stated the Council was not "...prejudging the provisions which must in the future define the eastern frontiers of Poland" and that "the rights that Poland may be able to establish over the territories situated to the East of the said line are expressly reserved."<ref name=Boemeke/> The announcement had no immediate impact, although the Allies recommended its consideration in an August 1919 proposal to Poland, which was ignored.<ref name=Boemeke/><ref name="Mayer2001">{{cite book|author=Arno J. Mayer|title=The Furies: Violence and Terror in the French and Russian Revolutions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gveBKGhmskAC&pg=PA300|access-date=27 January 2011|date=26 December 2001|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-09015-3|page=300}}</ref>

[[File:Polska1912.jpg|thumb|250px|Polish ethnographic map from 1912, showing the proportions of Polish population according to pre-WW1 censuses]]
[[File:Mapa_rozsiedlenia_ludno%C5%9Bci_polskiej_z_uwzgl%C4%99dnieniem_spis%C3%B3w_z_1916_roku.jpg|thumb|250px|Polish ethnographic map showing the proportions of Polish population (incorporates data from pre-WW1 censuses and the 1916 census)]]

==Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921==
{{Main|Polish–Soviet War}}
Polish forces pushed eastward, [[Kiev offensive (1920)|taking Kiev]] in May 1920. Following a strong Soviet counteroffensive, Prime Minister [[Władysław Grabski]] sought Allied assistance in July. Under pressure, he agreed to a Polish withdrawal to the 1919 version of the line and, in [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]], an armistice near the current line of battle.<ref name=wand>{{cite book|author=Piotr Stefan Wandycz|title=France and her eastern allies, 1919-1925: French-Czechoslovak-Polish relations from the Paris Peace Conference to Locarno|url=https://archive.org/details/francehereastern0000wand_w3|url-access=registration|access-date=26 January 2011|year=1962|publisher=U of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0-8166-5886-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/francehereastern0000wand_w3/page/154 154]–156}}</ref> On {{awrap|11 July 1920}}, Curzon signed a telegram sent to the Bolshevik government proposing that a ceasefire be established along the line, and his name was subsequently associated with it.<ref name=Boemeke/>

Curzon's July 1920 proposal differed from the 19 December announcement in two significant ways.<ref name=SuyWellens1998>{{cite book|author1=Eric Suy|author2=Karel Wellens|title=International law: theory and practice : essays in honour of Eric Suy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nv6CuZ-AcoYC&pg=PA111|access-date=4 February 2011|year=1998|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers|isbn=978-90-411-0582-0|pages=110–111}}</ref> The December note did not address the issue of Galicia, since it had been a part of the Austrian Empire rather than the Russian, nor did it address the Polish-Lithuanian dispute over the [[Vilnius Region]], since those borders were demarcated at the time by the [[Foch Line]].<ref name=SuyWellens1998/> The July 1920 note specifically addressed the Polish-Lithuanian dispute by mentioning a line running from [[Grodno]] to [[Vilnius]] (Wilno) and thence north to [[Daugavpils]], [[Latvia]] (Dynaburg).<ref name=SuyWellens1998/> It also mentioned Galicia, where earlier discussions had resulted in the alternatives of Line A and Line B.<ref name=SuyWellens1998/> The note endorsed Line A, which included Lwów and its nearby oil fields within Russia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.ku.edu/~eceurope/hist557/lect11.htm|author=Anna M. Cienciala|publisher=University of Kansas|title=Lecture Notes 11 - THE REBIRTH OF POLAND|access-date=2011-01-26|author-link=Anna M. Cienciala}}</ref> This portion of the line did not correspond to the current line of battle in Galicia, as per Grabski's agreement, and its inclusion in the July note has lent itself to disputation.<ref name=wand/>

On 17 July, the Soviets responded to the note with a refusal. [[Georgy Chicherin]], representing the Soviets, commented on the delayed interest of the British for a peace treaty between Russia and Poland. He agreed to start negotiations as long as the Polish side asked for it. The Soviet side at that time offered more favourable border solutions to Poland than the ones offered by the Curzon Line.<ref name=eh-carr>E. H. Carr (1982). ''The Bolshevik Revolution 1917–1923'' (A history of Soviet Russia), volume 3 , p.260, Greek edition, ekdoseis Ypodomi</ref> In August the Soviets were defeated by the Poles just outside Warsaw and forced to retreat. During the ensuing Polish offensive, the Polish government repudiated Grabski's agreement with regard to the line on the grounds that the Allies had not delivered support or protection.<ref name="Palij1995">{{cite book|author=Michael Palij|title=The Ukrainian-Polish defensive alliance, 1919-1921: an aspect of the Ukrainian revolution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2T9zYXqL56AC&pg=PA134|access-date=27 January 2011|year=1995|publisher=CIUS Press|isbn=978-1-895571-05-9|pages=134}}</ref>

===Peace of Riga===
{{Main|Peace of Riga}}
[[Image:Caricature_for_Riga_Peace_1921.png|thumb|250px|Belarusian Caricature: "Down with the infamous Riga partition! Long live a free peasant indivisible Belarus!"]]
At the March 1921 [[Treaty of Riga]] the Soviets conceded<ref name="Ryan2004">{{cite book|author=Henry Butterfield Ryan|title=The vision of Anglo-America: the US-UK alliance and the emerging Cold War, 1943-1946|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uRGu4C1FgKsC&pg=PA75|access-date=3 February 2011|date=19 August 2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-89284-1|page=75|quote=A peace was finally concluded and a boundary, much less favourable to Russia than the Curzon Line, was determined at Riga in March 1921 and known as the Riga Line.}}</ref> a frontier well to the east of the Curzon Line, where Poland had conquered a great part of the [[Vilna Governorate]] (1920/1922), including the town of Wilno (''Vilnius''), and East Galicia (1919), including the city of Lwów, as well as most of the region of [[Volhynia]] (1921). The treaty provided Poland with almost {{convert|135000|sqkm|sqmi}} of land that was, on average, about {{convert|250|km|mi}} east of the Curzon Line.<ref name="FryGoldstein2004">{{cite book|author1=Michael Graham Fry|author2=Erik Goldstein|author3=Richard Langhorne|title=Guide to International Relations and Diplomacy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5ndamBABdIC&pg=PA203|access-date=3 February 2011|date=30 March 2004|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8264-7301-1|pages=203}}</ref><ref name="Tucker2010">{{cite book|author=Spencer Tucker|title=Battles That Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SWBkx0UlgMAC&pg=PA448|access-date=3 February 2011|date=11 November 2010|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-429-0|pages=448}}</ref> The Polish-Soviet border was recognised by the [[League of Nations]] in 1923{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2020}} and confirmed by various Polish-Soviet agreements.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2020}} Within the annexed regions, Poland founded several administrative districts, such as the [[Wołyń Voivodeship (1921–39)|Volhynian Voivodeship]], the [[Polesie Voivodeship]], and the [[Wilno Voivodeship (1926–39)|Wilno Voivodeship]].

As a concern of possible expansion of Polish territory, Polish politicians traditionally could be subdivided into two opposite groups advocating contrary approaches: restoration of Poland based on its former western territories one side and, alternatively, restoration of Poland based on its previous holdings in the east on the other.

During the first quarter of the 20th century, a representative of the first political group was [[Roman Dmowski]], an adherent of the [[Pan-Slavism|pan-slavistic movement]] and author of several political books and publications<ref>Roman Dmowski: ''La question polonaise''. Paris 1909, in French, translated from the Polish 1908 edition of ''Niemcy, Rosja a sprawa polska'' (''Germany, Russia and the Polish Question'', reprinted in 2010 by Nabu Press, U.S.A., {{ISBN|978-1-141-67057-4}}).</ref> of some importance, who approached the issue pragmatically, but advocating for incorporation of available land based on a [[Ethnography|ethnographic principle]] combined with a theory of easy assimilation of Belarusians within a centralised Polish state- the task potentially to be shared with Russia concerning Belarusians beyond the border which he viewed it would be possible to incorporate and assimilate.

This resulted in a modification of the [[Dmowski Line]] in negotiations for the Treaty of Riga, in which the Polish delegation (consisting of a majority of parliamentary representatives, Dmowski’s [[Zjednoczenie Ludowo-Narodowe]] being the strongest party) unilaterally ceding claims to the Minsk area without basis on the line of actual control, and despite it having a higher Polish-identified population (in absolute and proportionally) than many of the areas still claimed within the border. The goal is thought to be jeopardising Józef Piłsudski’s ambitions for creating a Polish-Belarusian federation, as a remnant of his ‘federationist idea’ (opposed to Dmowski’s ‘incorporation its idea’) with a Belarusian capital in Minsk. It was predicted that a Belarusian entity without [[Minsk]] would be deemed politically illegitimate and untenable to the local population. An anti-communist, but believing in the inevitability of a [[White movement|White]] victory in the Russian Civil War he wished to concentrate on resisting a more dangerous enemy of the Polish nation than Russia, which in his view was Germany.

The most powerful representative of the opposed group was [[Józef Piłsudski]], a former [[Socialism|socialist]] who was born in the Vilna Governorate annexed during the 1795 Third Partition of Poland by the Russian Empire, whose political vision was essentially a far-reaching restoration of the borders of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], ideally in the form of a multinational federation. Because the Russian Empire had collapsed into a state of civil war following the [[Russian Revolution of 1917]], and the [[Soviet Army]] had been defeated and been weakened considerably at the end of World War I by Germany's army, resulting in the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], Piłsudski took the chance and used military force in an attempt to realise his political vision by concentrating on the east and involving himself in the Polish–Soviet War.

==World War II==
{{Main|Invasion of Poland|Soviet invasion of Poland}}
The terms of the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] of August 1939 provided for the partition of Poland along the line of the [[San (river)|San]], [[Vistula]] and [[Narew]] rivers which did not go along the Curzon Line but reached far beyond it and awarded the Soviet Union with territories of Lublin and near Warsaw. In September, after the military defeat of Poland, the Soviet Union annexed all territories east of the Curzon Line plus Białystok and Eastern Galicia. The territories east of this line were incorporated into the [[Byelorussian SSR]] and [[Ukrainian SSR]] after falsified referendums{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} and hundreds of thousands of Poles and a lesser number of Jews were deported eastwards into the Soviet Union. In July 1941 these territories were seized by [[Nazi Germany]] in the course of the [[Operation Barbarossa|invasion of the Soviet Union]]. During the German occupation most of the Jewish population was deported or killed by the Germans.

In 1944, the Soviet armed forces recaptured eastern Poland from the Germans. The Soviets unilaterally declared a new frontier between the Soviet Union and Poland (approximately the same as the Curzon Line). The [[Polish government-in-exile]] in London bitterly opposed this, insisting on the "Riga line". At the [[Tehran Conference|Tehran]] and [[Yalta Conference|Yalta conferences]] between [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] and the western Allies, the allied leaders [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] and Churchill asked Stalin to reconsider, particularly over Lwów, but he refused. During the negotiations at Yalta, Stalin posed the question "Do you want me to tell the Russian people that I am less Russian than Lord Curzon?"<ref name="Plokhy2010">{{cite book|author=Serhii Plokhy|title=Yalta: The Price of Peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wOKfjnXdAUC&pg=PT190|access-date=3 February 2011|date=4 February 2010|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-670-02141-3|pages=190}}</ref> The altered Curzon Line thus became the permanent eastern border of Poland and was recognised by the western Allies in July 1945. The border was later adjusted several times, the biggest revision [[1951 Polish–Soviet territorial exchange|being in 1951]].

When the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991, the Curzon Line became Poland's eastern border with Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.

== Ethnicity east of the Curzon Line until 1939 ==
[[File:GUS languages1931 Poland.jpg|thumb|Mother tongue in Poland in 1931: red/green = Polish/other languages]]
[[File:Polacy_na_Kresach_1931.PNG|thumb|Percent of Poles in Kresy due to 1931 census]]
[[File:Poland1937linguistic.jpg|Polend 1937]]
[[File:Kresy Pn.png|thumb|Linguistic (mother tongue) and religious structure of Northern Kresy (today parts of Belarus and Lithuania) according to the Polish census of 1931]]

The ethnic composition of these areas proved difficult to measure, both during the interwar period and after World War II. A 1944 article in ''[[The Times]]'' estimated that in 1931 between 2.2 and 2.5 million Poles lived east of the Curzon Line.<ref>''[[The Times]]'' of 12 January 1944; cited according to Alexandre Abramson (Alius): ''Die Curzon-Line'', Europa Verlag, Zürich 1945, p. 45.</ref> According to historian Yohanan Cohen's estimate, in 1939 the population in the territories of interwar Poland east of the Curzon Line gained via the Treaty of Riga totalled 12 million, consisting of over 5 million Ukrainians, between 3.5 and 4 million Poles, 1.5 million Belarusians, and 1.3 million Jews.<ref>{{cite book|author=Yohanan Cohen|publisher=SUNY Press|year=1989|title=Small Nations in Times of Crisis and Confrontation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aN96TB0RUB8C&q=curzon+line+12+million&pg=PA63|page=63|isbn=978-0-7914-0018-0}}</ref> During World War II, politicians gave varying estimates of the Polish population east of the Curzon Line that would be affected by [[World War II population transfers|population transfers]]. Winston Churchill mentioned "3 to 4 million Poles east of the Curzon Line".<ref name="Churchill1986">{{cite book|author=Winston Churchill|title=Triumph and Tragedy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_6cljKX0uUC&pg=PA568|access-date=25 January 2011|date=11 April 1986|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0-395-41060-8|pages=568}}</ref> [[Stanisław Mikołajczyk]], then Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile, counted this population as 5 million.<ref name="Erickson1999">{{cite book|author=John Erickson|title=The road to Berlin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UaU6ZLqK4UC&pg=PA407|access-date=25 January 2011|date=10 June 1999|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-07813-8|pages=407}}</ref>

Ukrainians and Belarusians if counted together composed the majority of the population of interwar Eastern Poland.<ref name="Cienciala"/> The area also had a significant number of Jewish inhabitants. Poles constituted majorities in the main cities (followed by Jews) and in some rural areas, such as Vilnius region or Wilno Voivodeship.<ref name="Cienciala">Anna M. Cienciala. "The foreign policy of Józef Piłsudski and Józef Beck 1926-1939: Misconceptions and interpretations". ''The Polish Review''. Vol. LVI, Nos 1-2. 2011. p. 112.</ref><ref name="Wnuk">Rafal Wnuk. "The Polish underground under Soviet occupation, 1939-1941". ''Stalin and Europe: Imitation and Domination, 1928-1953''. [[Oxford University Press]]. 2014. p. 95.</ref><ref>Piotr Eberhardt, Jan Owsinski (2003). ''Ethnic Groups and Population Changes in Twentieth Century Eastern Europe: History, Data and Analysis''. Routledge. p. 29.</ref>

After the Soviet deportation of Poles and Jews in 1939&ndash;1941 (see [[Polish minority in Soviet Union]]), [[The Holocaust]] and the [[Massacres of Poles in Volhynia|ethnic cleansing of the Polish population]] of Volhynia and East Galicia by Ukrainian Nationalists, the Polish population in the territories had decreased considerably. The cities of Wilno, Lwów, Grodno and some smaller towns still had significant Polish populations. After 1945, the Polish population of the area east of the new Soviet-Polish border was in general confronted with the alternative either to accept a different citizenship or to emigrate. According to more recent research, about 3 million Roman Catholic Poles lived east of the Curzon Line within interwar Poland's borders, of whom about 2.1 million<ref>{{cite book |first=Jörg-Detlef |last=Kühne |title=Die Veränderungsmöglichkeiten der Oder-Neiße-Linie nach 1945 |edition=2nd |publisher=Nomos |location=Baden-Baden |year=2007 |at=see footnote no. 2 |isbn=978-3-8329-3124-7 |language=de}}</ref> to 2.2 million<ref>{{cite book |first=Manfred |last=Alexander |title=Kleine Geschichte Polens |edition=2nd enlarged |publisher=Reclam |location=Stuttgart |year=2008 |page=321 |isbn=978-3-15-017060-1 |language=de}}</ref> died, fled, emigrated or were expelled to the newly annexed German territories.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=http://www.igipz.pan.pl/en/zpz/Political_migrations.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626151411/http://www.igipz.pan.pl/en/zpz/Political_migrations.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-06-26|title=Political Migrations in Poland 1939-1948|last=Eberhardt|first=Piotr|publisher=Didactica|year=2006|isbn=9781536110357|location=Warsaw}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=http://rcin.org.pl/Content/15652/WA51_13607_r2011-nr12_Monografie.pdf|title=Political Migrations On Polish Territories (1939-1950)|last=Eberhardt|first=Piotr|publisher=Polish Academy of Sciences|year=2011|isbn=978-83-61590-46-0|location=Warsaw}}</ref> There still exists a big [[Poles in Lithuania|Polish minority in Lithuania]] and a big [[Poles in Belarus|Polish minority in Belarus]] today. The cities of Vilnius, Grodno and some smaller towns still have significant Polish populations. [[Vilnius District Municipality]] and [[Sapotskin]] region have a Polish majority.

Ukrainian nationalists continued their partisan war and were imprisoned by the Soviets and sent to the [[Gulag]]. There they revolted, actively participating in several uprisings ([[Kengir uprising]], [[Norilsk uprising]], [[Vorkuta uprising]]).

Polish population east of the Curzon Line before World War II can be estimated by adding together figures for Former Eastern Poland and for pre-1939 Soviet Union:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!1. Interwar Poland
!Polish mother tongue (of whom Roman Catholics)
!Source (census)
!Today part of:
|-
|South-Eastern Poland
|2,243,011 (1,765,765)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://konsnard.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/liczba-i-rozmieszczenie-ludnosci-polskiej-na-czesci-kresow-obecnie-w-granicach-ukrainy/|title=Liczba i rozmieszczenie ludności polskiej na części Kresów obecnie w granicach Ukrainy|date=2011|website=Konsnard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Eberhardt |first=Piotr |title=Ethnic Groups and Population Changes in Twentieth-century Central-Eastern Europe: History, Data, and Analysis |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |year=2003 |isbn=9780765606655 |pages=241, Table 4.45 |language=English}}</ref>
|1931 Polish census<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Polish_census_of_1931|title=Polish census of 1931}}</ref>
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|North-Eastern Poland
|1,663,888 (1,358,029)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://konsnard.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/liczebnosc-polakow-na-kresach-w-obecnej-bialorusi/|title=Liczebność Polaków na Kresach w obecnej Białorusi|date=2011|website=Konsnard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://konsnard.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/liczba-i-rozmieszczenie-ludnosci-polskiej-na-obszarach-obecnej-litwy/|title=Liczba i rozmieszczenie ludności polskiej na obszarach obecnej Litwy|date=2011|website=Konsnard}}</ref>
|1931 Polish census
|{{Flagicon|Belarus}} and {{Flagicon|Lithuania}}
|-
!2. Interwar USSR
!Ethnic Poles according to official census
!Source (census)
!Today part of:
|-
|Soviet Ukraine
|476,435
|[[First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union#Population of the USSR sorted by most common nationalities in 1926|1926 Soviet census]]
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|Soviet Belarus
|97,498
|1926 Soviet census
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|Soviet Russia
|197,827
|1926 Soviet census
|{{Flag|Russia}}
|-
|rest of the USSR
|10,574
|1926 Soviet census
|
|-
!3. Interwar Baltic states
!Ethnic Poles according to official census
!Source (census)
!Today part of:
|-
|Lithuania
|65,599 {{refn|Polish sources estimated, based on the percentage of votes for Polish parties in the 1923 Lithuanian parliamentary election, that the real number of ethnic Poles in [[interwar Lithuania]] in 1923 was 202,026.|group=Note}}
|[[Lithuanian census of 1923|1923 Lithuanian census]]
|{{Flag|Lithuania}}
|-
|Latvia
|59,374
|1930 Latvian census<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov.lv/en/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/census/search-in-theme/185-third-population-and-housing-census-latvia-1930|title=Third Population and Housing Census in Latvia in 1930 (in Latvian and in French)|website=State Statistical Office}}</ref>
|{{Flag|Latvia}}
|-
|Estonia
|1,608
|[[Demographics of Estonia#Ethnic groups|1934 Estonian census]]
|{{Flag|Estonia}}
|-
!TOTAL (1., 2., 3.)
!4 to 5 million ethnic Poles
!
!
|}

Two tables below show the linguistic ([[First language|mother tongue]]) and religious structure of interwar South-Eastern Poland (nowadays part of [[Western Ukraine]]) and interwar North-Eastern Poland (nowadays part of [[Western Belorussia|Western Belarus]] and southern Lithuania) by county, according to the 1931 census.

South-East Poland:

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Linguistic and religious structure of South-East Poland in 1931<ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.wołyńskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.wo%C5%82y%C5%84skie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.tarnopolskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.tarnopolskie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.stanisławowskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.stanis%C5%82awowskie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.lwowskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.lwowskie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1937 |title=Plik:M.Lwów-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M.Lw%C3%B3w-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref>
!County
!Pop.
!Polish
!%
!Yiddish & Hebrew
!%
!Ukrainian & Ruthenian
!%
!Other language
{{refn|Includes German and Czech, etc.|group=Note}}
!%
!Roman Catholic
!%
!Jewish
!%
!Uniate & Orthodox
!%
!Other religion
{{refn|Includes Protestants, Old Believers, etc.|group=Note}}
!%
|-
|[[Dubno]]
|226709
|33987
|15.0%
|17430
|7.7%
|158173
|69.8%
|17119
|7.6%
|27638
|12.2%
|18227
|8.0%
|173512
|76.5%
|7332
|3.2%
|-
|[[Horokhiv]]
|122045
|21100
|17.3%
|9993
|8.2%
|84224
|69.0%
|6728
|5.5%
|17675
|14.5%
|10112
|8.3%
|87333
|71.6%
|6925
|5.7%
|-
|[[Kostopil]]
|159602
|34951
|21.9%
|10481
|6.6%
|105346
|66.0%
|8824
|5.5%
|34450
|21.6%
|10786
|6.8%
|103912
|65.1%
|10454
|6.6%
|-
|[[Kovel]]
|255095
|36720
|14.4%
|26476
|10.4%
|185240
|72.6%
|6659
|2.6%
|35191
|13.8%
|26719
|10.5%
|187717
|73.6%
|5468
|2.1%
|-
|[[Kremenets]]
|243032
|25758
|10.6%
|18679
|7.7%
|196000
|80.6%
|2595
|1.1%
|25082
|10.3%
|18751
|7.7%
|195233
|80.3%
|3966
|1.6%
|-
|[[Liuboml]]
|85507
|12150
|14.2%
|6818
|8.0%
|65906
|77.1%
|633
|0.7%
|10998
|12.9%
|6861
|8.0%
|65685
|76.8%
|1963
|2.3%
|-
|[[Lutsk]]
|290805
|56446
|19.4%
|34142
|11.7%
|172038
|59.2%
|28179
|9.7%
|55802
|19.2%
|34354
|11.8%
|177377
|61.0%
|23272
|8.0%
|-
|[[Rivne]]
|252787
|36990
|14.6%
|37484
|14.8%
|160484
|63.5%
|17829
|7.1%
|36444
|14.4%
|37713
|14.9%
|166970
|66.1%
|11660
|4.6%
|-
|[[Sarny]]
|181284
|30426
|16.8%
|16019
|8.8%
|129637
|71.5%
|5202
|2.9%
|28192
|15.6%
|16088
|8.9%
|132691
|73.2%
|4313
|2.4%
|-
|[[Volodymyr, Volyn Oblast|Volodymyr]]
|150374
|40286
|26.8%
|17236
|11.5%
|88174
|58.6%
|4678
|3.1%
|38483
|25.6%
|17331
|11.5%
|89641
|59.6%
|4919
|3.3%
|-
|[[Zdolbuniv]]
|118334
|17826
|15.1%
|10787
|9.1%
|81650
|69.0%
|8071
|6.8%
|17901
|15.1%
|10850
|9.2%
|86948
|73.5%
|2635
|2.2%
|-
|[[Borshchiv]]
|103277
|46153
|44.7%
|4302
|4.2%
|52612
|50.9%
|210
|0.2%
|28432
|27.5%
|9353
|9.1%
|65344
|63.3%
|148
|0.1%
|-
|[[Brody]]
|91248
|32843
|36.0%
|7640
|8.4%
|50490
|55.3%
|275
|0.3%
|22521
|24.7%
|10360
|11.4%
|58009
|63.6%
|358
|0.4%
|-
|[[Berezhany]]
|103824
|48168
|46.4%
|3716
|3.6%
|51757
|49.9%
|183
|0.2%
|41962
|40.4%
|7151
|6.9%
|54611
|52.6%
|100
|0.1%
|-
|[[Buchach]]
|139062
|60523
|43.5%
|8059
|5.8%
|70336
|50.6%
|144
|0.1%
|51311
|36.9%
|10568
|7.6%
|77023
|55.4%
|160
|0.1%
|-
|[[Chortkiv]]
|84008
|36486
|43.4%
|6474
|7.7%
|40866
|48.6%
|182
|0.2%
|33080
|39.4%
|7845
|9.3%
|42828
|51.0%
|255
|0.3%
|-
|[[Kamianka-Buzka]]
|82111
|41693
|50.8%
|4737
|5.8%
|35178
|42.8%
|503
|0.6%
|29828
|36.3%
|6700
|8.2%
|45113
|54.9%
|470
|0.6%
|-
|[[Kopychyntsi]]
|88614
|38158
|43.1%
|5164
|5.8%
|45196
|51.0%
|96
|0.1%
|31202
|35.2%
|7291
|8.2%
|50007
|56.4%
|114
|0.1%
|-
|[[Pidhaitsi]]
|95663
|46710
|48.8%
|3464
|3.6%
|45031
|47.1%
|458
|0.5%
|38003
|39.7%
|4786
|5.0%
|52634
|55.0%
|240
|0.3%
|-
|[[Peremyshliany]]
|89908
|52269
|58.1%
|4445
|4.9%
|32777
|36.5%
|417
|0.5%
|38475
|42.8%
|6860
|7.6%
|44002
|48.9%
|571
|0.6%
|-
|[[Radekhiv]]
|69313
|25427
|36.7%
|3277
|4.7%
|39970
|57.7%
|639
|0.9%
|17945
|25.9%
|6934
|10.0%
|42928
|61.9%
|1506
|2.2%
|-
|[[Skalat]]
|89215
|60091
|67.4%
|3654
|4.1%
|25369
|28.4%
|101
|0.1%
|45631
|51.1%
|8486
|9.5%
|34798
|39.0%
|300
|0.3%
|-
|[[Ternopil]]
|142220
|93874
|66.0%
|5836
|4.1%
|42374
|29.8%
|136
|0.1%
|63286
|44.5%
|17684
|12.4%
|60979
|42.9%
|271
|0.2%
|-
|[[Terebovlia]]
|84321
|50178
|59.5%
|3173
|3.8%
|30868
|36.6%
|102
|0.1%
|38979
|46.2%
|4845
|5.7%
|40452
|48.0%
|45
|0.1%
|-
|[[Zalishchyky]]
|72021
|27549
|38.3%
|3261
|4.5%
|41147
|57.1%
|64
|0.1%
|17917
|24.9%
|5965
|8.3%
|48069
|66.7%
|70
|0.1%
|-
|[[Zbarazh]]
|65579
|32740
|49.9%
|3142
|4.8%
|29609
|45.2%
|88
|0.1%
|24855
|37.9%
|3997
|6.1%
|36468
|55.6%
|259
|0.4%
|-
|[[Zboriv]]
|81413
|39624
|48.7%
|2522
|3.1%
|39174
|48.1%
|93
|0.1%
|26239
|32.2%
|5056
|6.2%
|49925
|61.3%
|193
|0.2%
|-
|[[Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast|Zolochiv]]
|118609
|56628
|47.7%
|6066
|5.1%
|55381
|46.7%
|534
|0.5%
|36937
|31.1%
|10236
|8.6%
|70663
|59.6%
|773
|0.7%
|-
|[[Dolyna]]
|118373
|21158
|17.9%
|9031
|7.6%
|83880
|70.9%
|4304
|3.6%
|15630
|13.2%
|10471
|8.8%
|89811
|75.9%
|2461
|2.1%
|-
|[[Horodenka]]
|92894
|27751
|29.9%
|5031
|5.4%
|59957
|64.5%
|155
|0.2%
|15519
|16.7%
|7480
|8.1%
|69789
|75.1%
|106
|0.1%
|-
|[[Kalush, Ukraine|Kalush]]
|102252
|18637
|18.2%
|5109
|5.0%
|77506
|75.8%
|1000
|1.0%
|14418
|14.1%
|6249
|6.1%
|80750
|79.0%
|835
|0.8%
|-
|[[Kolomyia]]
|176000
|52006
|29.5%
|11191
|6.4%
|110533
|62.8%
|2270
|1.3%
|31925
|18.1%
|20887
|11.9%
|121376
|69.0%
|1812
|1.0%
|-
|[[Kosiv]]
|93952
|6718
|7.2%
|6730
|7.2%
|79838
|85.0%
|666
|0.7%
|4976
|5.3%
|7826
|8.3%
|80903
|86.1%
|247
|0.3%
|-
|[[Nadvirna|Nadvírna]]
|140702
|16907
|12.0%
|11020
|7.8%
|112128
|79.7%
|647
|0.5%
|15214
|10.8%
|11663
|8.3%
|113116
|80.4%
|709
|0.5%
|-
|[[Rohatyn]]
|127252
|36152
|28.4%
|6111
|4.8%
|84875
|66.7%
|114
|0.1%
|27108
|21.3%
|9466
|7.4%
|90456
|71.1%
|222
|0.2%
|-
|[[Ivano-Frankivsk|Stanyslaviv]]
|198359
|49032
|24.7%
|26996
|13.6%
|120214
|60.6%
|2117
|1.1%
|42519
|21.4%
|29525
|14.9%
|123959
|62.5%
|2356
|1.2%
|-
|[[Stryi]]
|152631
|25186
|16.5%
|15413
|10.1%
|106183
|69.6%
|5849
|3.8%
|23404
|15.3%
|17115
|11.2%
|108159
|70.9%
|3953
|2.6%
|-
|[[Sniatyn]]
|78025
|17206
|22.1%
|4341
|5.6%
|56007
|71.8%
|471
|0.6%
|8659
|11.1%
|7073
|9.1%
|61797
|79.2%
|496
|0.6%
|-
|[[Tlumach]]
|116028
|44958
|38.7%
|3677
|3.2%
|66659
|57.5%
|734
|0.6%
|31478
|27.1%
|6702
|5.8%
|76650
|66.1%
|1198
|1.0%
|-
|[[Zhydachiv]]
|83817
|16464
|19.6%
|4728
|5.6%
|61098
|72.9%
|1527
|1.8%
|15094
|18.0%
|5289
|6.3%
|63144
|75.3%
|290
|0.3%
|-
|[[Bibrka]]
|97124
|30762
|31.7%
|5533
|5.7%
|60444
|62.2%
|385
|0.4%
|22820
|23.5%
|7972
|8.2%
|66113
|68.1%
|219
|0.2%
|-
|[[Dobromyl]]
|93970
|35945
|38.3%
|4997
|5.3%
|52463
|55.8%
|565
|0.6%
|25941
|27.6%
|7522
|8.0%
|59664
|63.5%
|843
|0.9%
|-
|[[Drohobych]]
|194456
|91935
|47.3%
|20484
|10.5%
|79214
|40.7%
|2823
|1.5%
|52172
|26.8%
|28888
|14.9%
|110850
|57.0%
|2546
|1.3%
|-
|[[Horodok, Lviv Oblast|Horodok]]
|85007
|33228
|39.1%
|2975
|3.5%
|47812
|56.2%
|992
|1.2%
|22408
|26.4%
|4982
|5.9%
|56713
|66.7%
|904
|1.1%
|-
|[[Yavoriv]]
|86762
|26938
|31.0%
|3044
|3.5%
|55868
|64.4%
|912
|1.1%
|18394
|21.2%
|5161
|5.9%
|62828
|72.4%
|379
|0.4%
|-
|[[Lviv|Lviv City]]
|312231
|198212
|63.5%
|75316
|24.1%
|35137
|11.3%
|3566
|1.1%
|157490
|50.4%
|99595
|31.9%
|50824
|16.3%
|4322
|1.4%
|-
|[[Lviv Raion|Lviv County]]
|142800
|80712
|56.5%
|1569
|1.1%
|58395
|40.9%
|2124
|1.5%
|67430
|47.2%
|5087
|3.6%
|67592
|47.3%
|2691
|1.9%
|-
|[[Mostyska]]
|89460
|49989
|55.9%
|2164
|2.4%
|37196
|41.6%
|111
|0.1%
|34619
|38.7%
|5428
|6.1%
|49230
|55.0%
|183
|0.2%
|-
|[[Rava-Ruska]]
|122072
|27376
|22.4%
|10991
|9.0%
|82133
|67.3%
|1572
|1.3%
|22489
|18.4%
|13381
|11.0%
|84808
|69.5%
|1394
|1.1%
|-
|[[Rudky]]
|79170
|38417
|48.5%
|4247
|5.4%
|36254
|45.8%
|252
|0.3%
|27674
|35.0%
|5396
|6.8%
|45756
|57.8%
|344
|0.4%
|-
|[[Sambir]]
|133814
|56818
|42.5%
|7794
|5.8%
|68222
|51.0%
|980
|0.7%
|43583
|32.6%
|11258
|8.4%
|78527
|58.7%
|446
|0.3%
|-
|[[Sokal]]
|109111
|42851
|39.3%
|5917
|5.4%
|59984
|55.0%
|359
|0.3%
|25425
|23.3%
|13372
|12.3%
|69963
|64.1%
|351
|0.3%
|-
|[[Turka, Ukraine|Turka]]
|114457
|26083
|22.8%
|7552
|6.6%
|80483
|70.3%
|339
|0.3%
|6301
|5.5%
|10627
|9.3%
|97339
|85.0%
|190
|0.2%
|-
|[[Zhovkva]]
|95507
|35816
|37.5%
|3344
|3.5%
|56060
|58.7%
|287
|0.3%
|20279
|21.2%
|7848
|8.2%
|66823
|70.0%
|557
|0.6%
|-
!'''South-East Poland'''
!6922206
!2243011
!32.4%
!549782
!7.9%
!3983550
!57.6%
!145863
!2.1%
!1707428
!24.7%
!708172
!10.2%
!4387812
!63.4%
!118794
!1.7%
|}

North-East Poland:
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Linguistic and religious structure of North-East Poland in 1931<ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.nowogrodzkie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.nowogrodzkie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1936 |title=Plik:Woj.wileńskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.wile%C5%84skie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Statystyczny |first=Główny Urząd |title=English:  Dane spisu powszechnego 1931 - Miasto Wilno |date=1937 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M.Wilno-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.poleskie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.poleskie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Plik:Woj.białostockie-Polska spis powszechny 1931.pdf – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woj.bia%C5%82ostockie-Polska_spis_powszechny_1931.pdf |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=commons.wikimedia.org |language=pl}}</ref>
!County
!Pop.
!Polish
!%
!Yiddish & Hebrew
!%
!Belarusian, Poleshuk & Russian
!%
!Other language {{refn|Includes Lithuanian and Ukrainian, etc.|group=Note}}
!%
!Roman Catholic
!%
!Jewish
!%
!Orthodox & Uniate
!%
!Other religion
{{refn|Includes Old Believers, Protestants, etc.|group=Note}}
!%
|-
|[[Baranavichy]]
|161038
|74916
|46.5%
|15034
|9.3%
|70627
|43.9%
|461
|0.3%
|45126
|28.0%
|16074
|10.0%
|99118
|61.5%
|720
|0.4%
|-
|[[Lida]]
|183485
|145609
|79.4%
|14546
|7.9%
|20538
|11.2%
|2792
|1.5%
|144627
|78.8%
|14913
|8.1%
|23025
|12.5%
|920
|0.5%
|-
|[[Nyasvizh]]
|114464
|27933
|24.4%
|8754
|7.6%
|77094
|67.4%
|683
|0.6%
|22378
|19.6%
|8880
|7.8%
|82245
|71.9%
|961
|0.8%
|-
|[[Novogrudok]]
|149536
|35084
|23.5%
|10326
|6.9%
|103783
|69.4%
|343
|0.2%
|28796
|19.3%
|10462
|7.0%
|109162
|73.0%
|1116
|0.7%
|-
|[[Slonim]]
|126510
|52313
|41.4%
|10058
|8.0%
|63445
|50.2%
|694
|0.5%
|23817
|18.8%
|12344
|9.8%
|89724
|70.9%
|625
|0.5%
|-
|[[Stowbtsy]]
|99389
|51820
|52.1%
|6341
|6.4%
|40875
|41.1%
|353
|0.4%
|37856
|38.1%
|6975
|7.0%
|54076
|54.4%
|482
|0.5%
|-
|[[Shchuchyn]]
|107203
|89462
|83.5%
|6705
|6.3%
|10658
|9.9%
|378
|0.4%
|60097
|56.1%
|7883
|7.4%
|38900
|36.3%
|323
|0.3%
|-
|[[Valozhyn]]
|115522
|76722
|66.4%
|5261
|4.6%
|33240
|28.8%
|299
|0.3%
|61852
|53.5%
|5341
|4.6%
|47923
|41.5%
|406
|0.4%
|-
|[[Braslaw]]
|143161
|93958
|65.6%
|7181
|5.0%
|37689
|26.3%
|4333
|3.0%
|89020
|62.2%
|7703
|5.4%
|29713
|20.8%
|16725
|11.7%
|-
|[[Dzisna]]
|159886
|62282
|39.0%
|11762
|7.4%
|85051
|53.2%
|791
|0.5%
|56895
|35.6%
|11948
|7.5%
|88118
|55.1%
|2925
|1.8%
|-
|[[Maladzyechna|Molodechno]]
|91285
|35523
|38.9%
|5789
|6.3%
|49747
|54.5%
|226
|0.2%
|21704
|23.8%
|5910
|6.5%
|63074
|69.1%
|597
|0.7%
|-
|[[Ashmyany|Oshmyany]]
|104612
|84951
|81.2%
|6721
|6.4%
|11064
|10.6%
|1876
|1.8%
|81369
|77.8%
|7056
|6.7%
|15125
|14.5%
|1062
|1.0%
|-
|[[Pastavy]]
|99907
|47917
|48.0%
|2683
|2.7%
|49071
|49.1%
|236
|0.2%
|50751
|50.8%
|2769
|2.8%
|44477
|44.5%
|1910
|1.9%
|-
|[[Švenčionys]]
|136475
|68441
|50.1%
|7654
|5.6%
|16814
|12.3%
|43566
|31.9%
|117524
|86.1%
|7678
|5.6%
|1978
|1.4%
|9295
|6.8%
|-
|[[Vilyeyka]]
|131070
|59477
|45.4%
|5934
|4.5%
|65220
|49.8%
|439
|0.3%
|53168
|40.6%
|6113
|4.7%
|70664
|53.9%
|1125
|0.9%
|-
|[[Trakai|Vilnius-Trakai]]
|214472
|180546
|84.2%
|6508
|3.0%
|9263
|4.3%
|18155
|8.5%
|201053
|93.7%
|6613
|3.1%
|2988
|1.4%
|3818
|1.8%
|-
|[[Vilnius|Vilnius City]]
|195071
|128628
|65.9%
|54596
|28.0%
|9109
|4.7%
|2738
|1.4%
|125999
|64.6%
|55006
|28.2%
|9598
|4.9%
|4468
|2.3%
|-
|[[Brest, Belarus|Brest]]
|215927
|50248
|23.3%
|32089
|14.9%
|115323
|53.4%
|18267
|8.5%
|43020
|19.9%
|32280
|14.9%
|135911
|62.9%
|4716
|2.2%
|-
|[[Drahichyn]]
|97040
|6844
|7.1%
|6947
|7.2%
|81557
|84.0%
|1692
|1.7%
|5699
|5.9%
|6981
|7.2%
|83147
|85.7%
|1213
|1.3%
|-
|[[Kamin-Kashyrskyi]]
|94988
|6692
|7.0%
|4014
|4.2%
|75699
|79.7%
|8583
|9.0%
|6026
|6.3%
|4037
|4.3%
|83113
|87.5%
|1812
|1.9%
|-
|[[Kobryn]]
|113972
|10040
|8.8%
|10489
|9.2%
|71435
|62.7%
|22008
|19.3%
|8973
|7.9%
|10527
|9.2%
|93426
|82.0%
|1046
|0.9%
|-
|[[Kosava, Belarus|Kosava]]
|83696
|8456
|10.1%
|6300
|7.5%
|68769
|82.2%
|171
|0.2%
|7810
|9.3%
|6333
|7.6%
|68941
|82.4%
|612
|0.7%
|-
|[[Luninyets]]
|108663
|16535
|15.2%
|7811
|7.2%
|83769
|77.1%
|548
|0.5%
|13754
|12.7%
|8072
|7.4%
|85728
|78.9%
|1109
|1.0%
|-
|[[Pinsk]]
|184305
|29077
|15.8%
|25088
|13.6%
|128787
|69.9%
|1353
|0.7%
|16465
|8.9%
|25385
|13.8%
|140022
|76.0%
|2433
|1.3%
|-
|[[Pruzhany]]
|108583
|17762
|16.4%
|9419
|8.7%
|81032
|74.6%
|370
|0.3%
|16311
|15.0%
|9463
|8.7%
|82015
|75.5%
|794
|0.7%
|-
|[[Stolin]]
|124765
|18452
|14.8%
|10809
|8.7%
|92253
|73.9%
|3251
|2.6%
|6893
|5.5%
|10910
|8.7%
|105280
|84.4%
|1682
|1.3%
|-
|[[Grodno]]
|213105
|101089
|47.4%
|35354
|16.6%
|69832
|32.8%
|6830
|3.2%
|89122
|41.8%
|35693
|16.7%
|87205
|40.9%
|1085
|0.5%
|-
|[[Vawkavysk|Volkovysk]]
|171327
|83111
|48.5%
|13082
|7.6%
|74823
|43.7%
|311
|0.2%
|76373
|44.6%
|13283
|7.8%
|80621
|47.1%
|1050
|0.6%
|-
!North-East Poland
!3849457
!1663888
!43.2%
!347255
!9.0%
!1696567
!44.1%
!141747
!3.7%
!1512478
!39.3%
!356632
!9.3%
!1915317
!49.7%
!65030
!1.7%
|}

===Largest cities and towns===

In 1931, according to the Polish National Census, the ten largest cities in Polish Eastern Borderlands were: [[Lviv|Lwów]] (pop. 312,200), [[Vilnius|Wilno]] (pop. 195,100), [[Ivano-Frankivsk|Stanisławów]] (pop. 60,000), [[Hrodna|Grodno]] (pop. 49,700), [[Brest, Belarus|Brześć nad Bugiem]] (pop. 48,400), [[Boryslav|Borysław]] (pop. 41,500), [[Rivne|Równe]] (pop. 40,600), [[Ternopil|Tarnopol]] (pop. 35,600), [[Lutsk|Łuck]] (pop. 35,600) and [[Kolomyia|Kołomyja]] (pop. 33,800).

In addition, [[Daugavpils]] (pop. 43,200 in 1930) in inter-war [[Latvia]] was also a major Polish community with 21% ethnic Polish inhabitants.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Ethnolinguistic structure (mother tongue) of the population in 24 largest cities and towns in Kresy according to the censuses of 1931<ref name=":02" /> and 1930<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eberhardt |first=Piotr |date=1998 |title=Problematyka narodowościowa Łotwy |url=https://rcin.org.pl/Content/34420/PDF/WA51_44706_r1998-nr54_Zeszyty-IGiPZ.pdf |journal=Zeszyty IGiPZ PAN |volume=54 |pages=30, Tabela 7 |via=Repozytorium Cyfrowe Instytutów Naukowych}}</ref>
!City
!Pop.
!Polish
!Yiddish & Hebrew
!German
!Ukrainian & Ruthenian
!Belarusian
!Russian
!Lithuanian
!Other
!Today part of:
|-
|[[Lviv|Lwów]]
|312,231
|{{percent and number|198212|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|75316|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|2448|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|35137|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|24|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|462|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|6|312231|1}}
|{{percent and number|626|312231|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Vilnius|Wilno]]
|195,071
|{{percent and number|128628|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|54596|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|561|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|213|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|1737|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|7372|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|1579|195071|1}}
|{{percent and number|385|195071|1}}
|{{Flag|Lithuania}}
|-
|[[Ivano-Frankivsk|Stanisławów]]
|59,960
|{{percent and number|26187|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|22944|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|1332|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|9357|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|3|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|50|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|1|59960|1}}
|{{percent and number|86|59960|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Grodno]]
|49,669
|{{percent and number|23458|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|20931|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|99|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|83|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|1261|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|3730|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|22|49669|1}}
|{{percent and number|85|49669|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Brest, Belarus|Brześć]]
|48,385
|{{percent and number|20595|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|21315|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|24|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|393|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|3434|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|2575|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|1|48385|1}}
|{{percent and number|48|48385|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Daugavpils]]
|43,226
|{{percent and number|9007|43226|1}}
|{{percent and number|11636|43226|1}}
| -
| -
|{{percent and number|1006|43226|1}}
|{{percent and number|8425|43226|1}}
| -
|{{percent and number|13152|43226|1}}
|{{Flag|Latvia}}
|-
|[[Boryslav|Borysław]]
|41,496
|{{percent and number|22967|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|10538|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|209|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|7686|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|4|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|37|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|41496|1}}
|{{percent and number|53|41496|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Rivne|Równe]]
|40,612
|{{percent and number|11173|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|22557|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|327|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|3194|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|58|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|2792|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|4|40612|1}}
|{{percent and number|507|40612|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Ternopil|Tarnopol]]
|35,644
|{{percent and number|27712|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|5002|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|14|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|2896|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|6|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|35644|1}}
|{{percent and number|12|35644|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Lutsk|Łuck]]
|35,554
|{{percent and number|11326|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|17267|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|813|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|3305|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|36|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|2284|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|1|35554|1}}
|{{percent and number|522|35554|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Kolomyia|Kołomyja]]
|33,788
|{{percent and number|21969|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|6798|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|1220|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|3742|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|6|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|33788|1}}
|{{percent and number|51|33788|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Drohobych|Drohobycz]]
|32,261
|{{percent and number|18840|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|7987|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|120|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|5243|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|13|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|21|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|32261|1}}
|{{percent and number|37|32261|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Pinsk|Pińsk]]
|31,912
|{{percent and number|7346|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|20181|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|45|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|82|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|1373|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|2866|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|31912|1}}
|{{percent and number|17|31912|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Stryi|Stryj]]
|30,491
|{{percent and number|12897|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|9561|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|501|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|7510|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|10|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|30491|1}}
|{{percent and number|12|30491|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Kovel|Kowel]]
|27,677
|{{percent and number|10295|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|12786|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|50|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|2489|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|27|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|1954|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|1|27677|1}}
|{{percent and number|75|27677|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Volodymyr-Volynskyi|Włodzimierz]]
|24,591
|{{percent and number|9616|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|10611|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|138|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|3446|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|18|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|724|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|24591|1}}
|{{percent and number|38|24591|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Baranavichy|Baranowicze]]
|22,818
|{{percent and number|9758|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|9423|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|25|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|50|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|2537|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|1006|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|1|22818|1}}
|{{percent and number|18|22818|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Sambir|Sambor]]
|21,923
|{{percent and number|13575|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|5325|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|28|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|2902|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|4|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|4|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|21923|1}}
|{{percent and number|85|21923|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Kremenets|Krzemieniec]]
|19,877
|{{percent and number|3108|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|7245|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|23|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|8430|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|6|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|883|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|19877|1}}
|{{percent and number|180|19877|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Lida]]
|19,326
|{{percent and number|12239|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|6300|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|5|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|28|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|414|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|328|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|19326|1}}
|{{percent and number|10|19326|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Chortkiv|Czortków]]
|19,038
|{{percent and number|10504|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|4860|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|11|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|3633|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|17|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|19038|1}}
|{{percent and number|13|19038|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Brody]]
|17,905
|{{percent and number|8031|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|6266|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|37|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|3548|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|5|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|9|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|0|17905|1}}
|{{percent and number|9|17905|1}}
|{{Flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|[[Slonim|Słonim]]
|16,251
|{{percent and number|8452|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|6683|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|9|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|45|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|656|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|369|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|2|16251|1}}
|{{percent and number|35|16251|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|-
|[[Vawkavysk|Wołkowysk]]
|15,027
|{{percent and number|7448|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|5827|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|7|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|10|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|1038|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|689|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|3|15027|1}}
|{{percent and number|5|15027|1}}
|{{Flag|Belarus}}
|}

== Poles east of the Curzon Line after expulsion ==
Despite the expulsion of most ethnic Poles from the Soviet Union between 1944 and 1958, the Soviet census of 1959 still counted around 1.4 million ethnic Poles remaining in the USSR:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Republic of the USSR
!Ethnic Poles in [[Soviet Census (1959)#Ethnic groups|1959 census]]
|-
|[[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]]
|538,881
|-
|[[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]
|363,297
|-
|[[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian SSR]]
|230,107
|-
|[[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Latvian SSR]]
|59,774
|-
|[[Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic|Estonian SSR]]
|2,256
|-
|[[Soviet Union|rest of the USSR]]
|185,967 
|-
!TOTAL
!1,380,282
|}
According to a more recent census, there were about 295,000 Poles in Belarus in 2009 (3.1% of the Belarus population).<ref name="2009census2">{{cite web|url=http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/census/2009/pc2009.php|title=Population census 2009|publisher=belstat.gov.by|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004231628/http://belstat.gov.by/homep/en/census/2009/pc2009.php|archive-date=4 October 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref>

== Ethnicity west of the Curzon Line until 1939 ==
{{main|Zakerzonia}}

According to Piotr Eberhardt, in 1939, the population of all territories between the Oder-Neisse Line and the Curzon Line—all territories which formed post-1945 Poland—totalled 32,337,800 inhabitants, of whom the largest groups were ethnic Poles (approximately 67%), ethnic Germans (approximately 25%), and Jews (2,254,300 or 7%), with 657,500 (2%) Ukrainians, 140,900 Belarusians and 47,000 people of all other ethnic groups also in the region.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Eberhardt|first=Piotr|date=2000|title=Przemieszczenia ludności na terytorium Polski spowodowane II wojną światową|url=http://rcin.org.pl/Content/6242/WA51_16148_r2000-nr15_Dokumentajca-Geogr.pdf|journal=Dokumentacja Geograficzna|language=pl, en|location=Warsaw|volume=15|pages=75–76|via=Repozytorium Cyfrowe Instytutów Naukowych}}</ref> Much of the Ukrainian population was forcibly resettled after World War II to Soviet Ukraine or scattered in the new Polish [[Recovered Territories]] of [[Silesia]], [[Pomerania]], [[Lubusz Land]], [[Warmia]] and [[Masuria]] in an ethnic cleansing by the Polish military in an operation called [[Operation Vistula]].

== See also ==
* 1893 [[Afghanistan]]’s [[Durand Line]]
* 1914 India–China [[McMahon Line]]
* 1947 India–Pakistan [[Radcliffe Line]]
* ''[[I Saw Poland Betrayed]]'' by [[Arthur Bliss Lane]]
* [[Lewis Bernstein Namier]]
* [[Molotov Line]]
* [[Oder–Neisse line]]
* [[Spa Conference of 1920]]
* [[Territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II]]
* [[Zakerzonia]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources==
* Borsody, Stephen. 1993. ''The New Central Europe''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060501074254/http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/newce/13newce.htm Chapter 10: "Europe's Coming Partition"]. New York: Boulder. {{ISBN|0-88033-263-8}}.
* Byrnes, James F. [http://www.cvce.eu/obj/james_f_byrnes_speaking_frankly-en-b382d69f-63b0-40a6-a12e-d127198030ab.html ''Speaking Frankly'']. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1947, pp.&nbsp;25–32. From the memoirs of [[James F. Byrnes]], on the Yalta Conference.
* Churchill, Winston S. [http://www.cvce.eu/obj/winston_s_churchill_closing_the_ring-en-dd0fb1f7-e936-4f55-963a-1432e53fd1d4.html ''Closing the Ring'']. 2nd ed. ''[[The Second World War (book series)|The Second World War]]'' Volume 5. London: The Reprint Society Ltd, 1954, pp.&nbsp;283–285; 314-317. From the memoirs of Winston Churchill.
* Churchill, Winston S. [http://www.cvce.eu/obj/winston_s_churchill_triumph_and_tragedy-en-f6ef178a-47ea-4c8d-a476-0bddb9586b59.html ''Triumph and Tragedy'']. 2nd ed. ''[[The Second World War (book series)|The Second World War]]'' Volume 6. London: The Reprint Society Ltd, 1956, pp.&nbsp;288–292. From the memoirs of Winston Churchill, on the Yalta Conference.
* [http://www.cvce.eu/obj/report_on_the_crimea_conference_yalta_11_february_1945-en-d0503236-c181-4b84-b8ae-d233645365ac.html Crimea Conference, in Parliamentary Debates]. 1944–45, No. 408; fifth series, pp.&nbsp;1274–1284. Winston Churchill's statement to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]], 27 February 1945, describing the outcome of the Yalta Conference.
* Nabrdalik, Bart. April 2006. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060419045046/http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/79/Hidden_Europe_Bieszczady_Poland.html "Hidden Europe-Bieszczady, Poland"]. ''Escape from America Magazine''. Vol. 8, Issue 3.
* Rogowska, Anna. Stępień, Stanisław. [http://www.ji.lviv.ua/n20texts/pol/rog-st-pol.htm "Polish-Ukrainian Border in the Last Half of the Century"] {{In lang|pl}}. (The Curzon Line from the historical perspective.)
* Wróbel, Piotr. 2000. [http://www.warsawuprising.com/paper/wrobel1.htm "The devil's playground: Poland in World War II"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702064210/http://www.warsawuprising.com/paper/wrobel1.htm |date=2018-07-02 }}. The Wanda Muszynski lecture in Polish studies. Montreal, Quebec: Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies of the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences.

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |last=Bohdan |first=Kordan |year=1997 |title=Making Borders Stick: Population Transfer and Resettlement in the Trans-Curzon Territories, 1944–1949 |journal=International Migration Review |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=704–720 |doi=10.2307/2547293 |jstor=2547293 |pmid=12292959 }}
* Rusin, B., [https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102914/http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/fulltxt.php?ICID=1127276 "Lewis Namier, the Curzon Line, and the shaping of Poland's eastern frontier after World War I"]

== External links ==
* [http://src-h.slav.hokudai.ac.jp/index-e.html Slavic Research Center]
{{Borders of Poland}}

[[Category:Belarus–Poland border]]
[[Category:Eponymous border lines]]
[[Category:Foreign relations of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Belarus]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Poland]]
[[Category:Historical geography of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Aftermath of World War II in Poland]]
[[Category:Poland–Soviet Union border]]
[[Category:Second Polish Republic–Soviet Union relations]]
[[Category:Poland–Ukraine border]]
[[Category:Poland–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:Aftermath of World War I in Poland]]
[[Category:Soviet Union–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:Western Belorussia (1918–1939)]]
[[Category:Military history of Lviv]]