That the Danzig issue was not the cause of the German–Polish war in 1939 is a well-documented fact. What is more difficult to ascertain is the relevance of the issue to the general state of tension which existed between Germany and Poland during the late 1930s. At first glance the Free City of Danzig appears to have been a permanent object of friction between the two states. But was it the source of that friction or was it only a reflection of a general absence of goodwill between Poland and Germany? Since neither side was prepared to abandon the issue and since both clung steadfastly to their claims, the matter is not easy to disentangle from other equally and, at times, more important sources of tension.

The German and Nazi side of the argument has received some attention, and literature on the subject is available to English-speaking readers. In addition any writer dealing with the origins of war does usually cover the subject. The Polish side of the conflict is not so well covered. The result is that it is generally accepted that the Danzig issue was not merely a constant source of conflict and a source of tension between the two states but additionally one over which the Poles were particularly intransigent.

In reality neither of the above assertions is wholly true, for the period 1933–8 is, interestingly, a time of stability in German–Polish relations.