Posted on 08/31/2009 9:20:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A day of commemorations has begun in Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.
The first ceremony took place at dawn on Westerplatte peninsula near Gdansk, where a German battleship fired the first shots on a Polish fort in 1939.
Poland's president and prime minister led the ceremony at the fort.
Foreign leaders from 20 countries including Germany and Russia are expected in Gdansk later in the day as ceremonies continue.
At 0445 (0245 GMT) Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk joined war veterans beside a monument to the heroes of Westerplatte.
The ceremony marked the exact time on 1 September 1939 when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire at point-blank range on the Polish fort there.
At the same time, the German Wehrmacht invaded Poland over three frontiers.
The attacks triggered Britain and France's declaration of war against Germany two days later.
Important symbol
At the time of the attack by the Schleswig-Holstein - which was moored in the Polish harbour on a friendship visit - Gdansk was known as the free city of Danzig.
The 182 Polish troops defending the Polish fort were expected to resist for about 12 hours. Despite coming under fire from the air, sea and land, they held out against a force of more than 3,000 Germans for seven days.
According to a survey published on Monday, Westerplatte is the most important symbol of Polish resistance in the whole of the war.
A wreath-laying ceremony will take place later in the day and, of the speeches expected throughout the ceremonies, it is Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's which is the most keenly anticipated in Poland, reports the BBC's Adam Easton, in Gdansk.
According to the historian Professor Pawel Machcewicz, the Poles are expecting some sort
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Thanks for posting. My Dad was born in the Langfuhr district, a western suburb of Danzig, not far from Westerplatte. My Grandfather, Grandmother and three kids left 12 years before the war broke out in Danzig. My Great Grandfather stayed in Langfuhr throughout the war until he was forced out in 1945 when the communists came in.
September 2009 is also the 2000th anniversary of the German victory over Varus’ legions at the battle of the Teutoburger Forest. There are celebrations planned for that in Germany...an event much more satisfying to think about than the events of September 1939.
Love the Teutoburger Wald. The Herman Demkal Statue is a site to see.... And a story from Germany that is inspiring and heroic.
The German invasion had been scheduled for Aug 26, 1939. When a decision to postpone the invasion was made, not all units received notice and a German-Slovak unit occupied the Jablonka Pass on August 26, 1939,
It was only about 15 years or so ago that the site of the battle was finally determined for sure (not for lack of trying earlier).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.