[duke_h3]

Do a little study on the ("earlier") maps found here and come back and tell me again who was the serpent and which were the innocent and in which era. http://stabi.hs-bremerhaven.de/whkmla/histatlas/eceurope/haxpoland.html

While most of these maps are interesting, none provide any detail of the conflict in question. Actually the 38 conflict is only mentioned in brief, as is common with all literature on the subject. But that is beside the point. In 38 Poland created its own downfall, as did France when they chose to allied themselves with Nazi Germany. To solely blame the war on Germany is to ignore vital parts of history.

Revisionist history always seeks to lay blame with whoever is the weakest or least PC in that era so you want to kick Poland because Germany invaded Poland?

Revisionist of history chose to blame whoever fits there bill. The historians who wrote modern history chose to ignore Poland’s role in the Munich agreement. They wanted to see Poland as an innocent victim of an aggressive Germany and USSR. The truth is that the USSR turned on Poland only after Poland turned on the Czechoslovakia an ally of the USSR. Germany followed simply an old pattern using trouble with the German minorities to gain dominance over its neighbours. Poland suffered the same fait that they had prepared for the Czechs just a year earlier, on the same grounds. Then as now did Poland seek to gain advantage over its neighbours by aligned them self with the dominant power (Germany / USA). History shows that it wasn’t wise then and I don’t find it wise now. The US will turn on the Poles as fast as Germany did then, it is in there pattern.

Interesting indeed, line up with or behind some Jews (see the beginning of the thread) and a whole bunch of others who refuse to see the beam in their own eyes. In view of the fact that Poland has now aligned with US perhaps your admonition ("in the case of Poland, the lessons learned should be that if you sleep with a serpent you should expect to get bitten") should be trumpeted at them immediately (since Germany cannot possibly be a serpent that bites). ´

I think Poland’s foreign policy is short sited, and in the long run will cost them dearly.

[Spirited]

There was more to the cited url than maps. Apparently the written historical portions meant nothing and maps which show what the Czechs and Germans wrested from others mean nothing in your view. Have you persuaded yourself that Germany was the innocent/justified in WWI as well as WWII?

We can very apparently agree to disagree on just about anything you want to propose except, perhaps, this.
"I think Poland’s foreign policy is short sited (sic), and in the long run will cost them dearly"

Since Poland is effectively and chronically weak and sandwiched by several historically aggresive and land hungry war-loving "greats" who would prefer to enjoy her resources that is likely true.

WWII should have demonstrated that we don't mind liberating FRance and Germany but think nothing of using Poland as pocket change (slaves) to pay off whomever wishes to look in her direction (in that case, Russia who was as classically delighted with Germany's aggression as any two peas-in-a-pod until Germans turned on her).

The US is not often faithful to the weaker nations who help her. (Try the Serbs who served her interests in WWII or Taiwan now). Poland is not likely to come out well.

Those among us who dispise her for trying to retake the land which was wrested from her earlier (in areas of which there were more ethnic-and born-on-that-land Poles than Czechs) are likely to have reason to rejoice.

[Spirited]

There was more to the cited URL than maps. Apparently the written historical portions meant nothing and maps, which show what the Czechs and Germans wrested from others, mean nothing in your view. The entire history is meaningless because you can only center on 1938 when Poland retook land which had been hers. Have you persuaded yourself that Germany was the innocent, honorable/justified in WWI as well as WWII?

We can very apparently agree to disagree on just about anything you want to propose except, perhaps, this:
"I think Poland’s foreign policy is short sited (sic), and in the long run will cost them dearly"

Since Poland is effectively and chronically militarily weak and sandwiched by several historically aggressive and land hungry war-loving "greats" who would prefer to enjoy her resources that is likely true.

WWII should have demonstrated that we don't mind liberating and rebuilding France and Germany but think nothing of using Poland as pocket change (slaves) to pay off whomever wishes to look in her direction. (In that case it was Russia who was as classically delighted with Germany's aggression as any two peas-in-a-pod until Germany turned on her).

The US is not often faithful to the weaker nations who help her. (Try the Serbs who served her interests in WWII or Taiwan now). Poland is not likely to come out well.

Those among us who despise her for trying to retake the land which was wrested from her earlier (in areas of which there were more ethnic-and born-on-that-land Poles than Czechs) are likely to have reason to rejoice.

[A. Pole]

In 38 Poland created its own downfall,[...] To solely blame the war on Germany is to ignore vital parts of history.

Oh, come on! This that Poland took small Zaolzie(Cieszyn) area back from Czechs was the cause of German attack and World War Two? Strange, what do they teach in those schools.

[dfwgator]

The truth is that the USSR turned on Poland only after Poland turned on the Czechoslovakia an ally of the USSR.

Poppycock!!! The USSR from day one envisioned Poland as being just another SSR in the Soviet Union. That is why the Poles launched their pre-emptive attack on the Bolsheviks in 1920, they knew the Bolsheviks would eventually attack. Ever since the "Miracle on the Vistula" the Soviets were craving revenge. As far as Nazi Germany, anyone who read "Mein Kampf" would have known that Poland was destined to be "lebensraum."