[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[CougarGA7]

For those following the reports coming out of the Warthegau, or the Reichgau Wartheland as it was officially known here’s a little background on it’s head of the civil administration.

Arther Greiser was actually a native of the Posen area and readily related to Hitler in that he too felt the effect of defeat and loss of his home province as a result of World War I. Greiser was a member of the Freikorps and eventually moved on into the Nazi Party itself. He moved his way up politically in the Free City of Danzig where he worked his way up to become second in command to Gauleiter of Danzig Albert Forster. Despite his benevolent statements in the newspaper article he was somewhat less caring of the “happy” people in the Warthegau as he worked hard to deport many of the non-German citizens to the General Gouvernment controlled by Hans Frank.

Ian Kershaw quotes him as having told his officers on the issue of Germanization of the Warthegau, “The Pole is for us an enemy and I expect from every officer...that he acts accordingly. The Poles must feel that they do not have the right to put themselves on the same level as a people of culture.” (Kershaw, Hitler: 1936-1945, p.251).

[CougarGA7]

Day 62 of the Winter War, January 30, 1940

Ladoga Karelia: the Soviet offensive on the River Aittojoki ends in failure as Group Talvela holds its ground.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Group Talvela holds its ground on the Aittojoki

• Stockholm: Finnish Chargé d'Affaires Eljas Erkko passes on the main points of the Soviet Union's peace terms. The central question is the Soviet demand for bases on the Gulf of Finland. The Finnish answer is no.

• Ladoga Karelia: the Soviet offensive on the River Aittojoki ends in failure as Group Talvela holds its ground.

• Northern Finland: in the Salla sector the Russian 88th Division launches an offensive on the northern front at Saija, south of the River Tenniöjoki:

• Finland intercepts a telegram from the Soviet 9th Army's new commander, V.I. Chuikov, in which he asks the commander of the 54th Division fighting in Kuhmo whether he thinks his division is surrounded or not.

• The famous Spanish fighter pilot Nicolas Beries is on his way to Finland as a volunteer.

• Oslo: Finland's Minister of Social Affairs K.-A. Fagerholm explains the situation in Finland and appeals for Norway to send civilian labour to Finland. A group of iron and metal workers have already volunteered.

• Viktor Smeds, Chairman of the Finnish Amateur Boxing Association and President of the International Amateur Boxing Association proposes an international boxing tournament between Finland and Sweden to be held in Stockholm in February.

• Abroad: in Britain, the little princesses Elizabeth and Margaret have stopped knitting socks for British servicemen in favour of clothes for Finnish children.

[CougarGA7]

On page 8 there is a mention of a “Polish Green Book” Every heard of that before. I did some looking for it and all I could find was a reference to it in a document from February of 1940 that states they had yet to get ahold of the Polish Green Book or the Finnish White Book. I’d be interested in seeing what is in these if we can find them.