Poland 1939

Pilsudski got nearly to Kiev before getting beaten back. The Soviet Polish 1939 border was very likely more a ceasefire line than a demarcation based on ethnic boundaries.

 

When the Soviets occupied Eastern Poland on September 17th, 1939, they took over 51.6% of Poland's land, and 31.7% of Poland's population.

Demographically, in this area, Poles and Ukrainians made up equal thirds of the population, while the remaining third was divided among Jews, Belorussians, and a mixed Orthodox peasantry. The populations of the towns and cities differed greatly from the surrounding countryside. Jews, only 10.2% of the population total of Eastern Poland, made up 38% of the Urban population, and where 79% of those involved in commerce, and probably over half the numbers of lawyers and doctors.

About 1.4 million Polish citizens were sent to the Soviet interior between 1939 and 1941, including about 400,000 Jews. Conditions for the deportees were severe; perhaps one-third died of cold, malnutrition, or disease.

 

Unfortunately, you could take almost any nation and create a map like that.

 

The Achilles tendon of the SU was the nationality question (only some 50 % of the population were Russians) : an independent Ukraine was a mortal danger for the SU,and for Poland (that's why Hitler blocked in march 1939 the creation of an independent Ukraine:it would only result in a rapprochement between Poland and the SU):if he had to accept it, Stalin would let have Poland a part of the Ukraine,but Hitler: never .If Hitler occupied the whole of Poland,he could blackmail the SU with the threat to create an independent Ukraine .

 

I'm going to need some clarification on that statement, first how exactly did Hitler block the creation of a independent Ukraine in March 1939, Why would Stalin give up Soviet territory to appease Poland (or anyone for that matter) and finally how would Nazi controlled Poland be a threat to create a independent Ukraine?

One thing the Soviets did well is internal control.

 

http://www.cambridgescholars.com/download/sample/58565

 

In march 1939 (coup of Prague) Ruthenia also wanted to become independent,but Hitler blocked it (he refused to give this any support)and Ruthenia was occupied by Hungary .An independent Ruthenia would be the Piedmond of Ukraine .

In 1920,Stalin had accepted,unwillingly,the border with Poland :a part of the Ukraine belonging to Poland was bad,but an independent Ukrainian state was worse .

If in september 1939,Hitler occupied Poland completely ,what would he do with eastern Poland,inhabited mostly by Ukrainians? The risk was that he would create an Ukrainian state,that of course would be a German satellite ,and this could be a mortal danger for the SU .
The fact that he didn't do it in 1941 is irrelevant,he could have done it :he used 2 batallions of Ukrainians (Nachtigall and Roland) and the Ukrainian nationalists declared the independence of the Ukraine.