Russian TV claims Poland was WW II aggressor

thenews.pl ^ | 24.08.2009

[lizol]

Russian TV claims Poland was WW II aggressor

24.08.2009 03:35

On the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact on August 23, 1939, the Russian state-controlled Rossiya TV channel broadcast a documentary claiming Poland was planning an invasion with Nazi Germany of the Soviet Union.

The documentary claims that the government in Warsaw was in a secret alliance from 1933 with Nazi Germany and Japan in plans to invade the Soviet Union. The deal was struck within the, as yet, unpublished part of a non-aggression treaty between Poland and Germany signed in January 1934.

Hitler’s portrait in the cabinet of Poland’s pre-war Foreign Minister Jozef Beck proves the thesis, claims Russian TV journalists.

In June, after part of the documentary was broadcast, the Polish embassy in Moscow strongly protested.

“The report is deceitful and unreliable. It is a striking example of the falsification of history,” read the official statement by the embassy. “

Russia’s Foreign Ministry retaliated saying that the Kremlin is not responsible for the content of programmes aired on state TV. “Opinions voiced on TV channels should not come under the consideration of state agencies. What times, exactly, is it being suggested we return to?”

Foreign Ministry – no comment

Poland’s Foreign Ministry in Warsaw has yet to make a formal response, a stance approved of by former head of Polish diplomacy Adam Rotfeld. He argues that the Polish government should only react to statements made by state authorities rather than to claims made in TV programmes.

But the Kremlin appears to back the claims made in the documentary. In a bulletin published by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, President Dmitri Medvedev is on record as saying: “The Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was a reaction to the efforts of western states at directing German expansion eastwards.”

Another former foreign minister, Dariusz Rosati, however, stated that Poland should take a firm stand on the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact and the reasons behind the outbreak of World War II.

[PzLdr]

Poland was invaded, in part, after they refused a sort of junior partnership in the Axis that would have required them to give Germany the Danzig Corridor, and Danzig itself, as well as free passage [and support] to the German Wehrmacht for an invasion of the Soviet Union.

Poland’s cooperation with Nazi Germany was limited to taking a piece of Czechoslavakia [along with others] when Hitler moved into the rest of the country in 1939.

[PzLdr]

Wait ‘til the Japanese get with the [Russian] program, and claim the Free Poles bombed Pearl Harbor.

[SolidWood]

There were basically two camps among the Germans in 1939-1941: The Nazi ideologues around Rosenberg, who wanted the ultimate showdown with the Soviets, viewing the pact as merely temporarily, and on the other side the OKH around General Jodl, who wanted a alliance with the Soviets against the British Empire, even planning a joint German-Soviet offensive into India.

Hitler originally cautiously favored the pro-Soviets, and in November 1940 made Stalin the offer to join the Axis formally. However Stalin demanded Finland and the Dardanelles, which infuriated Hitler. He then switched firmly to the anti-Soviet camp and decided to invade Red Joe. Had Stalin and Hitler be a bit more compromising on their territiorial claims, the Nazi-Commie alliance may have well survived some time longer...

[Lx]

You’re right. Poland got the corridor that separated the Reich from Prussia in the Versailles treaty. Germany actually had a legitimate beef on this one.

I forgot what biography of Hitler I read it in but in it, the Poles thought they could beat the Wehrmacht!

[Joe Boucher]

Too funny PzLdr,
but not beyond the realm of propaganda.
Guess it depends on who wins.

[Marty62]

Thank You.
I have not read about the India Plan. Was this to have a foothold to consolidate with Japan assuming total control of the entire Euro/Asian Continent? Stalin and Hitler good grief. Talk about two insane Dictators going head to head.

[mc6809e]

I forgot what biography of Hitler I read it in but in it, the Poles thought they could beat the Wehrmacht!

And they were probably right -- a decade before they were invaded.

Should be a warning to everyone just how quickly things can change.

[mc6809e]

I forgot what biography of Hitler I read it in but in it, the Poles thought they could beat the Wehrmacht!

And they were probably right -- a decade before they were invaded.

Should be a warning to everyone just how quickly things can change.

[PzLdr]

Their war plan called for an invasion of Germany, and a march on Berlin. One of the reasons they were deployed so far forward [coupled with the unrealistic belief they could hold their entire border].

BAD miscalculation. Germany had them surrounded on three sides [the U.S.S.R had the fourth], and except for the mountains in southwest Poland, the Poles had no readily defensible geography before the Vistula and Narew Rivers. The Germans were able to execute a concentric double envelopment.

[LowTaxesEqualProsperity]

And Poland also took part of Lithuania, after issuing an ultimatum to them, before the war started, if I recall correctly.

[crazydad]

Yes and I bet the Poles really enjoyed 50 years of the russians raping the country after they took it over after ww2. Is this russias next target after Ukraine and Georgia?The sleeping Bear is stiring.

[dfwgator]

Poland’s cooperation with Nazi Germany

There was no "cooperation" there, the Germans just chose to look the other way while Poland reclaimed land stolen from her in 1920s, it was a moot point to the Germans knowing what Poland's ultimate fate was to be.

[lizol]

And Poland also took part of Lithuania, after issuing an ultimatum to them, before the war started, if I recall correctly.

You recall it wrongly.

Actually - in the early 20s Poland took territory, that both nations considered as belonging to them (around Vilnius).
Because of that - relation between both countries during the intrebellum period were tense. The had no diplomatic relations.
In 1938 Poland issued an ultimatum - demanding, that Lithuania agrees to establish diplomatic relations with Warsaw. The establishment of diplomatic relations meant a de facto renunciation of Lithuanian claims to the region containing Vilnius.

So - Poland did not take any part of Lithuania in 1938.

[calex59]

Russia, still re-writing history.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Or as Freeper Dumpsterbaby so eloquently refers to Obamaloon.....

His Majesty Wee Wee The Magnificent !

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

and the loyal US Leftists continued to adore their Stalin....just like they adore Obozo now, even if he signed a pact with General Motors...the evil pharma companies, and other capitalists....oh, wait, he did!

[lizol]

Their war plan called for an invasion of Germany, and a march on Berlin. One of the reasons they were deployed so far forward [coupled with the unrealistic belief they could hold their entire border].

Not exactly.
Poland's war plans were based on the military alliance between Poland and France and Great Britain.
And - if the allies actually respected the alliance - the war probably would have looked much different.

As to "the unrealistic belief they could hold their entire border" - Polish commanders were fully aware of the fact, that it would be impossible, and they considered building the line of defense inside the country.
The problem was, that there was a big risk, that the German troops will enter Polish territory, reach the line of German border of 1914, and stop there.
In such a case - you know - Chamberlain would have probably announced happily the next "Peace for our time" - paid with the price of large part of Polish territory (without any resistance from the Polish Army).

[lizol]

A voice of sanity from Russia
Detrimental denial (Nazi - Soviet alliance)

[SolidWood]

The plan to invade India by land route trough Iran is as old as Napoleon... if one doesn't go back to Alexander. The plan by Jodl and Niedermeyer of the OKH wasn't very advanced yet, and the literature I got this from was more concerned with the Mid-East theatre, but it's overall aim was destroying the British Empire overseas and eventually teaming up with Japan.

The German Generals advocating sucha joint German-Soviet offensive in the Mid-East were partly those Reichswehr officers who in the 1920's and 30's were training secretly with the Soviets, and partly those (Niedermayer) who had WW1 experience with expeditions in Iran and Afghanistan.

The most important immediate gain however was the control of the oil of the Persian Gulf.

In his negotiations with the Soviets, Hitler granted them the "general direction towards the Persian Gulf", in other words Iran and it's oil.

A very "generous" offer by the Germans, but Stalin was just as insatiable as Hitler.

[HenpeckedCon]

Poland was invaded because Hitler wanted “lebensraum” for the “arischen Herrenrasse.” Danzig was always just an excuse to invade. Hitler believed the Poles to be untermenschen barely above Jews so anything other than an abject surrender by the Poles would have been useless in preventing war.