Russian chopper down in Chechnya

A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter has crashed in the war-ravaged Chechnya region, with some reports saying six people on board were killed. The crash happened 20km (13 miles) from the main Russian military base at Khankala, near Grozny.

It is not clear whether the crash was caused by technical difficulties or rebel activity.

Chechen separatists have been battling Russian forces in the region for more than five years.

But sources differed on casualty figures, with some officials saying no one had died.

Helicopter crashes are common in Chechnya, with a number lost to rebel ground fire, but others coming down because of pilot error or technical malfunctions.

The last incident happened on 11 March, when a helicopter hit power lines, killing 11 soldiers.

The crash came just three days after the death of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov.

Few people in the west know who Colonel Jozef Beck was but he is a central character in the lead up to WW2. It was because of German demands on Poland and the Poles refusal to grant these demands that WW2 broke out. Beck had been Polish foreign minister since 1932 and was in charge of negotiations with Germany. Beck had a military background in the cavalry and has been described as an elegant dandy (extravagantly fond of dress) with a taste for beautifull women and called by Litvinov (Soviet foreign minister) a Nazi pimp. He was distrusted by both the French and the British. That Poland lined up with Britain and France was suprising as Poland had enjoyed good relations with Nazi Germany for years, they both despised the Soviet Union, had co-operated in the fall of Czechoslovakia and Poland was not a democracy. In January 1934 a non-aggression pact was signed between Poland and Germany. It seems Hitler hoped to conclude a settlement with Poland which would turn her against Russia but the Poles would not take the bait. If Poland sided with Germany it would have ended any danger from the Polish French alliance if Germany attacked in the west. Relations with the Soviets were put on hold to demonstrate good faith to the Poles.

In 1936 Poland offered to join France with whom they were allied in joint military action over the occupation of the Rhineland.

In May 1938 the French asked the Polish ambassador in Paris what Polish policy would be in the event of war over Czechoslovakia. He replied "we will not move" and if France attacked Germany over Czechoslovakia then France would be the agressor. Daladier (French Premier) told the Soviet ambassador "not only can we not count on Polish support, but we have no faith Poland will not strike us in the back". In April 38 the French ambassador in Berlin told the Soviet charge d`affairs Poland "was clearly helping Germany" in its anti-Czech activities. In September 38 the French military attache in Warsaw asked for information on German troop movements his Polish counterpart replied he could say little in view of the French attitude over Teschen.

On October 4 1938 Lipski Polish ambassador in Berlin met Ribbentrop for lunch and was presented with a plan for a joint solution of Polish German differences. The restoration of Danzig to the Reich, an extra territorial autobahn and railway across the corridor and Poland to join the anti-comintern pact. Beck rejected the offer Poland was not prepared to sacrifice Danzig for the sake of a Polish German accord. He offered a guarantee for the German majority in Danzig over their national and cultural way of life stating ".......any other solution.......would eventually lead to conflict". Given the difference in size between Poland and Germany and the nature of the Nazi state to imagine Poland could hold onto Danzig and the corridor without concessions was a blunder par excellence. On January 5 1939 Beck visited Hitler at Berchtesgaden where Hitler stated that "Germany would be greatly interested in the continued existence of a strongly nationalist Polish state...........Germanys attitude to Russia would always be marked with extreme caution........... the existance of a strong Polish army lightened Germanys load to a considerable extent". It seems Hitler was prepared to accept Poland as a junior partner for the time being if they gave up Danzig etc. On the 30th of January Hitler in a speech to the Reichstag emphasised German Polish friendship. Some further talks had taken place with Ribbentrop in late January but Beck would not agree to the required concessions. In March Hitler broke the Munich agreement and occupied Prague everything now changed as Hitler pushed for a settlement of the Danzig/corridor problem.

Sources used are :

A.G.P. Taylor - English History 1914- 1945

Nicholas Bethell - The War Hitler Won

Michael Carley - 1939 The Alliance That Never Was & The Coming Of WW2

Liddell Hart - History Of The Second World War

Donald Watt - Reader International History University Of London (articles written in the 1970s)

Colonel Baur (Swiss Army) - Article written in the 1970s on the origins of WW2

Ian Kershaw - Hitler

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