Let's start with a statement from the Polish National Remembrance Institute. So, what did the proud lords say? Yes, that's what- "Under the pretext of a" non-aggression pact "Germany and the Soviet Union outlined their spheres of influence in a secret protocol, dividing the territories of other independent states among themselves. Both states thus prepared for the policy of imperial conquest of free nations - with the aim of their enslavement and subordination to the totalitarian regimes of Moscow and Berlin. " "This pact became a precondition for World War II."
Nicely said, isn't it? “This pact became a prerequisite for World War II.” - that is, the USSR concluded a pact, and that's it, this opened the way for war. The Polish gentlemen, as always, distort and distort the facts. Let's see where this war REALLY began, but let's see if Poland was as peaceful as it wants to seem.
The formal beginning of the history of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is considered November 11, 1918, when Polish troops disarmed the German garrison in Warsaw, and the revolutionary leader Jozef Piłsudski, who returned from German captivity, took military power from the hands of the Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland. Three days later (November 14, 1918) Pilsudski also assumed civil authority. In 1919, according to the Versailles Peace Treaty, Poland was transferred most of the German province of Posen, as well as a part in Pomerania, which gave the country access to the Baltic Sea. That is, Poland had little of its territories initially, it wanted to squeeze out more. In 1919-1921 Poles organized three uprisings in German Upper Silesia. The Upper Silesia region was characterized by rich mineral deposits and developed heavy industry, mines,metallurgical and steel works. Silesian mines produced almost a quarter of coal from the annual production of Germany, 81% of zinc and 34% of lead from national production. And "peace-loving" Poland really wanted to bite off such a piece. As a result, part of the region, by decision of the League of Nations, goes to Poland. And what do you think the Poles have calmed down? Yes shchaaazzz…. From 1018 to 1919, a conflict flared up between Poland and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. The defeat of the ZUNR in the war with Poland led to the establishment in July 1919 of the complete occupation of Eastern Galicia by Polish troops. Incidentally, the League of Nations, in its decision of February 23, 1921, recognized that Eastern Galicia was under Polish military occupation and condemned the anti-Ukrainian policy of the Warsaw leadership. In the 1920s, a policy of forced assimilation and polonization was pursued. A stream of immigrants poured into Galicia, to whom the Polish government provided land and housing. So, in Galicia alone, the Polish part of the population got 200,000 hectares of land, another 113,000 hectares were transferred to the Volyn Poles. Immediately, the Poles begin the Soviet-Polish war, during which, thanks to Tukhachevsky's "genius", the Battle of Warsaw was lost.
As a result of the defeat at Warsaw, the Soviet troops of the Western Front suffered heavy losses. On March 18, 1921, in Riga between Poland on the one hand and the RSFSR (whose delegation also represented the Byelorussian SSR) and the Ukrainian SSR, on the other, the Riga Peace Treaty was signed, which brought the final line under the Soviet-Polish war. As a result, Western Belarus and Western Ukraine retreat to Poland.
And how do you like the scope? Anyway. Further, in the occupied territories, the Poles are pursuing an active policy of "polonization". The local population actively chokes, and the lands are given to Polish settlers. Ban on Ukrainian and Belarusian languages, ethnic cleansing. The slogan “Poland for Poles” sounds at the official level. Lithuanians, Germans, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians were thrown out of their homes and lands. Any resistance was mercilessly punished. (Well, how did they differ from the Germanic Nazis?)
And more - more than 146 thousand Red Army soldiers were captured by the Poles. Of these, 65,000 returned home. The brave Polish cavalrymen were very fond of organizing competitions in felling, putting defenseless prisoners on the parade ground and competing to see who would best cut the Russian.
Polish poster.
In October 1920, the Polish general Zheligovsky carried out an operation to seize Vilnius (which was immediately renamed Vilno) and the adjacent region - in total, the Poles captured about a third of the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. You see what kind of peacefulness.
Polish poster * Colonies for Poland *.
Yes, if you are told that Poland was a democracy, then - DO NOT BELIEVE !!!!
Józef Piłsudski proclaims the slogan of "moral rehabilitation". In August 1926, significant amendments were made to the 1921 Constitution. The President received the right to early dissolve the Seimas and the Senate and call new elections, issue decrees that have the force of law until they are approved or not approved by parliament. The Diet began to work on a session basis, and not on a permanent basis. Only the president had the right to open and close his sessions. Preliminary censorship of the press was introduced. The reorganization established authoritarian rule, fought against communism, proclaimed the theses about the crisis of democracy, the need for a strong government and the elimination of opposition parties. On the whole, the Pilsudski regime was of a center-right, conservative-paternalistic character. Examples of fighting the opposition, among others, were: the creation of a concentration camp in Bereza-Kartuzskaya,Brest trial, outlawing the Camp of Greater Poland, as well as the National Radical Camp, restricting freedom of the press and assembly. He was still a regime.
On January 26, 1934, the Non-Aggression Pact was signed between Germany and Poland, the Pilsudski-Hitler Pact, also known as the "Declaration on the Non-Use of Force between Germany and Poland" (That is, they could do it !!! …
Familiar faces? Pilsudski with guests.
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement (Munich Agreement) is signed. Agreement between Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy. Czechoslovakia and the associated Soviet Union were not invited to the conference. The agreement stipulated that Czechoslovakia would liberate and cede the Sudetenland to Germany within 10 days. On October 1, 1938, without waiting, the German Wehrmacht invaded Czechoslovakia and occupied the Sudetenland. On the same day, Czechoslovakia was forced to withdraw its troops from the Cieszyn region, which on October 2 was occupied by Poland. (Pay attention Poland happily chopped off a piece of territory from Czechoslovakia). By the way, it was one of the most industrially developed regions of Czechoslovakia - at the end of 1938 it produced more than 40% of pig iron and more than 45% of steel from all Polish production. If only the Poles would not stretch their grabbing paws to such a piece.
Polish army in the Cieszyn region.
By the way, at first Germany courted Poland like an elderly womanizer young girl. But the Poles were prevented by their ambition.
In February 1937, during negotiations between Hermann Goering and the commander-in-chief of Poland, Marshal Rydz-Smigl, Goering stated that not only Bolshevism, but also Russia as such, posed a threat to Poland and Germany, regardless of whether there was a monarchical, liberal or any other build.
Polish poster.
On August 31, 1937, the Polish General Staff repeated this idea in Directive No. 2304/2/37, stressing that the ultimate goal of Polish policy is "the destruction of all Russia."
Polish poster.
Polish poster. Doesn't it look like anybody's posters?
Polish poster.
So the proud lords were already preparing to march to the East. But why did it not work out with Germany? Yes, everything is just ambition. On October 24, 1938, the Germans turned to Poland with proposals.
1. "Free City" Danzig returns from the League of Nations to Germany.
2. An extraterritorial highway and an extraterritorial four-track railway, which will belong to Germany, are being built through the "Polish Corridor".
3. The German-Polish treaty of 1934 will be extended from 10 to 25 years.
There were a few more minor requirements - the implementation of which depended on the results of plebiscites in some disputed territories, while the Germans considered it necessary to conduct the above plebiscites under the supervision of Great Britain, France and the USSR.
And it seems like nothing terrible and did not ask..
Poland refused. In March 1939, Poland began a hidden mobilization for the war with Germany, while the Polish leadership was confident of victory and whipped up anti-German hysteria. In April 1939, the Polish massacre of Germans began who lived in the Danzig corridor. The Danzig massacre began. About 58,000 Germans were killed, and their property was looted and appropriated by the Poles. They killed everyone, regardless of gender and age. Germany at that time sent protests to the League of Nations against the destruction of civilians.
On August 24, Poland shoots down two civilian aircraft of the Lufthansa company; on August 30, German consul August Schillinger was killed in Krakow.
Anti-German hysteria is on the rise.
Quote from Pilsudski is quoted:
This is such a "peaceful and innocent" Poland. When the war with Germany had already begun, the Poles showed themselves to be another massacre. On September 3, 1939, units of the Polish army, gendarmerie and police carried out mass murders of the civilian German population of the cities of Bydgoszcz (formerly German Bromberg).
Bydgoszcz.
Bydgoszcz.
I am in no way making excuses for Hitler or the Nazis. But it is worth recognizing Poland in the 30s is the same culprit in unleashing the war, and in general, the same fascist regime.
And the current statements of the Poles. Very similar to one situation. Just imagine - the court, and the criminal begins to talk about what happened not from the moment he took out the knife, but from the moment when he was given a face in response.