So as some of you may know between 1945 and 1948, the town of Haren in northwestern Germany, near the border with the Netherlands, was controlled by Stanisław Maczek's First Tank Division. It extended over 6,500 square kilometres to include the districts of Aschendorf, Meppen and Lingen as well as the counties of Bentheim, Bensbrück and Cloppenburg with all their villages. Thousands of Poles, most of whom were liberated from concentration camps and POW camps, moved here. Streets, villages, etc, were renamed to Polish names, and for a few years it basically became a Polish town.
However, three years later this occupation had concluded and the town was returned to its original German inhabitants.
Now my scenario for keeping Haren in the polish hands goes somewhat like this. The berlin blockade of 1948 happens a year earlier, in 1947. It goes roughly the same for soviets as it did IOTL but with an added consequence. In a retaliatory power play USA officially recognises the city of Maczków (along with the rest of the polish occupation zone) as a polish state.
And if so, how would this independent microstate, sandwiched between the Netherlands and Germany, develop? Economically, politically, etc.
I'm guessing it would end up being one of the founding members of the EU.
However, three years later this occupation had concluded and the town was returned to its original German inhabitants.
Now my scenario for keeping Haren in the polish hands goes somewhat like this. The berlin blockade of 1948 happens a year earlier, in 1947. It goes roughly the same for soviets as it did IOTL but with an added consequence. In a retaliatory power play USA officially recognises the city of Maczków (along with the rest of the polish occupation zone) as a polish state.
And if so, how would this independent microstate, sandwiched between the Netherlands and Germany, develop? Economically, politically, etc.
I'm guessing it would end up being one of the founding members of the EU.
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