Piotr Przybytek
The excellent Polish publicist Konstanty Srokowski in his two reports – W stolicy białego cara and Likwidacya caratu – presents the image of Russia in the years 1904–1905, so during the war with Japan and the revolutionary boiling. In illustrating the political situation of that country, he notices the relationship between geographical and historical factors, and its emergence and functioning. Srokowskis observations and conclusions are sometimes convergent with the views of the creators of Russian geopolitics, not only Polish. Only partially did his political forecasts work. For example, he postulated the transformation of Russia into a federation. It was not until a dozen or so years later that the Bolsheviks did so, and even then only in name; nevertheless, federalism, as Russia’s form of government, survived the collapse of the USSR. The now-defunct Polish state was supposed to Europeanise Russia, so Srokowski believed that the Russians were wrong to abolish them. In addition, he claimed that Poles from the Russian partition should change their tactics towards the Russian Empire during the revolution that was underway at that time.