67th anniversary of the Soviet invasion on Poland (see pictures)

Poland.pl ^ | 2006-09-17

[lizol]

67th anniversary of the Soviet invasion on Poland

2006-09-17, 18:42

On September 17th 1939 the Red Army invaded Poland, breaking the anti aggression pact signed with Poland.

The Soviets attacked at 6 am.The Polish ambassador in Moscow was handed a note by the Soviet foreign ministry stating that the Polish government and the Polish state ceased to exist. In the years 1940-1941 over half a million Polish soldiers were taken prisoners and massive deportations of civilians took place.

[mainepatsfan]

Well the NYTimes had already published Duranty's propaganda pieces for Stalin.

[Blue Jays]

Hi lizol-

Well, the Germans did have some snappy uniforms if nothing else...

~ Blue Jays ~

[lizol]

Actually they were the best dressed up army, I suppose.

[mainepatsfan]

Hasn't Putin denied the Soviet responsibility for this?

[lizol]

He'd love to probably, but it's to late, as Gorbachev and Yeltsin formally admitted it in the beginning of 90's.

What Putinist Russia's authorities do now is refusing to recognize Katyn massacre as a genocide and war crime.

In their opinion it was a series of 20.000 single murders.

What's the goal for such a stance?
"Ordinary" murder is subject to time limitation, and after some time has passed - the killer can't be prosecuted.

It's different with perpetrators of genocide and war crimes - as according to international rules such crimes are not subject to time limitation (see Nazi war criminals, being chased around the world regardless of the fact, that they are in their 80's-90's).

[Rockiesrider]

"It's too bad we didn't lift a finger in 1939."

1939 we were nearly unarmed thanks to the no war liberals (sound familiar?)Not much we could have done then anyway.

[dfwgator]

First of all, Czechs stole that land that was granted to Poland in 1919. Second, knowing that the Nazis were about to move into the rest of Czechoslovakia, the Poles took those measures to protect the Polish majority living in the Cieszyn region. And by that time, Czechoslovakia had pretty much ceased to exist as an independant state. Granted the events of September 1939 made it a moot point.

[ozzymandus]

The sad part is how few people know this, yet consider themselves educated in history. Then again, not many people know Poland accepted Czech territory from Hitler in 1938.

[Blue Jays]

Hi lizol-

Just a tiny bit of levity added to an excellent and well-researched historical thread.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Larry Lucido]

God bless and keep our Polish allies.

[RusIvan]

What Putinist Russia's authorities do now is refusing to recognize Katyn massacre as a genocide and war crime.==

To be precise: Russian recognises Katyn massacre as a crime.
But in order to be the war crime: Soviet Union and Poland had to be in war.
In order ot be a genocide Stalin should order to kill ALL poles but he killed POW polish officers but let thier POW polish soldiers go home.
Anyways Stalin was soviet georgian not russian. So it is not place of Russia' Putin to appologise for him.
Gorby as the last president of USSR did appologise already for Katyn, didn't he?

[RusIvan]

To be strict, it was no less than Stalin who contributed to the Polish victory in 1920. He disobeyed gen. Tuchachevski's order to come to the aid of his troops charging Warsaw. Stalin and Budienny wanted to take Lvov first. However, Lwov was successfully defended and Budienny was defeated. The same was with the rest of the Soviet invasion.==

True. But the irony is that general Tukhachevski was ethnic pole himself:). And he wasn't alone. Soveit army had many poles.

Stalin never forgot who humiliated him so much. Katyn massacre was his cowardly shameful response - shooting the back of heads of those with hands tied with a barbed wire...==

They say that Katyn massacre was the Stalin revenge for those soviet POWs died in polish camps in 1920th. Stalin was ethnic georgian so very revengeful guy.
Before that he punished Tukhachevski as they say just for what you said. The Tukhachevki' critisism of Stalin.

[RusIvan]

First of all, Czechs stole that land that was granted to Poland in 1919. ==

You know ukranian and bellorussians say that the lands took by Stalin in 1939 was thier land stolen by Poland. Same logic.

You have to embelish or comdemn Poliash goverment in 1938 and Stalin in 1939. They did same thing.

[twinself]

True. But the irony is that general Tukhachevski was ethnic pole himself:). And he wasn't alone. Soveit army had many poles.

Is that supposed to be used as an argument? Hitler's army had many russians. So what?

[twinself]

You know ukranian and bellorussians say that the lands took by Stalin in 1939 was thier land stolen by Poland. Same logic.

Czechs took advantage of Poland fighting with Soviets in the 1920 and Poles did the same in the face of threat to them. Rule of reciprocity - as simple as that. But as East Polish lands were overtaken directly by Soviet Russia I don't remember Stalin offering Belarussians and Ukrainians any sort of independence. Do you? Instead they became slaves to Kremlin rulers for 6 decades and thousands of their elits perished in gulags. They had to wait that long until the state of their oppressors fell under its own absurdity. I think you would agree that USSR was a criminal regime that killed millions of your compatriots, wouldn't you?

[RusIvan]

I think you would agree that USSR was a criminal regime that killed millions of your compatriots, wouldn't you?
==

I agree of cause. I just notice that ukranians and bellorussians sametimes do not eager to return those lands took by Stalin from Poland in 1939.
Just because they think then and now the same that it is THIERS not polish hence for THEM Stalin did right thing in 1939. Opposite Russians got nothing from 1939.