▁H abs burg s ▁following ▁the ▁ 1 7 4 2 ▁war ▁went ▁to ▁Czech oslov ak ia , ▁while ▁Lower ▁S iles ia ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁remained ▁in ▁Germany . ▁The ▁eth nic ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁became ▁more ▁complex ▁as ▁the ▁division ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁into ▁Polish ▁and ▁German ▁parts ▁led ▁to ▁eth nic ▁polar ization . ▁The ▁people ▁that ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁part ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁were ▁subject ▁to ▁a ▁strong ▁German ▁cultural ▁influence , ▁where ▁those ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁part ▁of ▁S iles ia ▁started ▁to ▁identify ▁with ▁the ▁Polish ▁culture ▁and ▁state hood . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁its ▁after math ▁ampl ified ▁this ▁polar ization . ▁Three ▁groups ▁took ▁shape ▁within ▁the ▁S iles ian ▁population . ▁The ▁Polish ▁group ▁was ▁the ▁strong est ; ▁the ▁German ▁group , ▁which ▁was ▁primarily ▁in ▁central ▁S iles ia , ▁was ▁clearly ▁less ▁numerous . ▁A ▁third ▁group ▁supported ▁separ at ism ▁and ▁an ▁independent ▁S iles ian ▁nation - state . ▁The ▁separ at ists ▁were ▁of ▁marg inal ▁importance , ▁finding ▁little ▁support ▁among ▁native ▁S iles ians . ▁ ▁The ▁reasons ▁for ▁these ▁trans itions ▁were ▁boundary ▁sh ifts ▁and ▁population ▁changes ▁that ▁came ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁German ▁S iles ia ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁Poland , ▁with ▁smaller ▁regions ▁remaining ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁( which ▁later ▁became