Strategic Corridor: Eastern Galicia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia in French Counter-Soviet Planning (1920–1923)

This article examines the role of two historical regions — Eastern Galicia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia — in French counter-Soviet strategies from early 1920 to late 1923. The novelty lies in considering these territories not only within the framework of bilateral relations between France and states where they were located (Poland for Eastern Galicia and Czechoslovakia for Subcarpathian Ruthenia), but also within a broader context of French conceptions about security architecture, including their relationship with Moscow. The relevance of this study is underscored by current heightened military-political tensions in contemporary Eastern Europe. Based on published French diplomatic and military documents as well as archival materials from both French and Russian repositories, the author concludes that Paris attached significant importance to Eastern Galicia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia as two echelons of an anti-Soviet frontline. It is demonstrated that French authorities recognized the vulnerability of these areas and their potential transformation into a strategic corridor for advancements by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army towards Western Europe. However, it is emphasized that French calculations often diverged from local realities, thereby weakening the robustness of the socalled “sanitary cordon.”