09/01/1939: Hitler Invades Poland Today
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Adolf Hitler salutes parading troops of the German Wehrmacht in Warsaw, Poland, on Oct. 5, 1939. Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, 80 years ago. (AP photo)
From the article Sunday (today) marks exactly 80 years since Nazi Germany invaded Poland, on Sept. 1, 1939, the attack that triggered a nearly six-year world conflict that left more than 70 million people dead before Germany and Japan surrendered in 1945.
… from the Baltics and Poland to Hungary and Russia, where fighting, deportations and mass executions happened, there are many shades of gray: heroic resistance and martyrdom but also collaboration — and a liberation by Soviet forces that spelled the start of decades of occupation and oppression for those behind the Iron Curtain.
That leaves a lot of room for differing ways to remember the war.
In the past week the Russian government put out a video that seeks to rehabilitate the pact, arguing that the USSR was forced into it by the failure of the West to stand up to Hitler’s aggression and even blaming Poland for the war.
“Today there are, unfortunately, many trying to falsify history,” Duda said recently. “They suggest that, in fact, World War II began in 1941. No — the war began with the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939 based on the arrangements of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.” – article
In case you’re wondering about that pact, the 1939 article from The Guardian is here:
Both articles are well worth the time it takes to read them. The issue of collaboration with the Nazis has been downplayed by some politicians. And while Vlad Putin went to the anniversary of the invasion of Poland in 2009, he wasn’t invited this time because of his assimilation – er, annexation: yeah, that’s it! – of the Crimea peninsula in Ukraine.
Russia’s policy now is to change the date of the invasion of Poland to 1941, as opposed to the real date, which was 1939. The Soviet in Vlad simply won’t give up. Rewriting history must be an expanding hobby.
Category: Historical, NATO
“Rewriting History must be an expanding hobby.” Word! To the victors goes the spoils…and the ability to write the “history.” When you have a generation or two that has not been taught history, it is way yonder more easy to rewrite it.
We have been seeing the same policy here in our Republic.
The Polish people caught hell from both sides. Raped and pillaged by the Germans and then raped, pillaged, and occupied by the Soviets. And some folks wonder why they would invite the US to build bases there.
Good reminder for everyone Ex. So an old school motion picture the other day on broadcast about the Polish Airmen that had escaped and ended up in England and were finally allowed to form a Polish Fighter Squadron.
There’s a recent movie on Netflix right now about 303 Squadron, featuring Mel Gibson’s kid.
I tend to believe the Russian occupation of Poland in ’39 was payback for getting their ass kicked in 1920.
https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/polish-soviet_war_1920-1921
Pretty much. A joke from Poland: A Polish soldier with a rifle w/ a bayonet and one bullet is a attacked by a Russian and and German soldier, which does the Polish soldier use the bullet on? The German– business before pleasure. (Poles DO NOT like the Russkies.)
That’s both funny and so very true.
Of course Poles don’t like Russkies. While Poles are a Slavic people, they have traditionally considered themselves Western from a cultural and religious standpoint. They didn’t want to be under the “protection” of that grand guarantor of Slavic culture that is Russia!
Before I got a job on the armoured trucks, I worked for Mapo which was an A/C company and I was a helper with a mechanic named Abe who was born in Poland and when it was invaded, he fled and eventually was taken into the Russian army. He was riding in a Russian deuce and a half with a bunch of conscripts drinking vodka and half shit faced that was made from a home made still when someone yelled aircraft and everyone un assed the truck only to see a flock of birds flying overhead.
…and confiscation of guns soon followed…
I trust someone will correct me if I am wrong.
Peace to all.
b out
No, you are quite correct.
👍
Cue the self fellatiating seagull to tell us how we’re wrong on every aspect of this… I’m curious how he’ll praise Stalin, yet bash Putin in the same post.. should be amusing to see the verbal / mental gymnastics…
Fuck that guy and his commie heroes.
What I want him to explain is that if Trump equals Hitler, why hasn’t Trump invaded another country after almost three years in power. But I guess he will cite those “concentration camps” on our border that people are walking thousands of miles to get into.
You mean he might comment on the war by/of the left wing socialists, 1939-1941?
A lot gets ignored about the invasion of Poland these days. The Battle of Wizna on September 8, 1939 saw a heavily-outnumbered but entrenched and well-led Polish unit kick the dogshit out of an entire Wehrmacht division. They only retreated afterwards because German advances nearby left their flanks open. The Swedish historical metal band Sabaton did a tribute song about Wizna titled “40:1.” https://youtu.be/epeQwq-aYV0 Captain Witold Pilecki led a horse cavalry company against the German invasion and successfully knocked out multiple tanks. With Poland being overrun, Pilecki and his CO formed the resistance group TAP, which later joined several other movements to form the Polish Home Army. In 1940, he volunteered to infiltrate the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp to gather firsthand information about nazi war crimes. He remained for nearly three years, smuggling reports to his commanders in Warsaw and doing what he could to give the other inmates hope. Pilecki escaped in 1943 ahead of a Gestapo crackdown on Home Army personnel in the camps. He led a company in action during the Warsaw Uprising, where Pilecki, now a major, was one of the highest-ranking survivors. He was liberated from Oflag VII-A by the US 12th Armored Division. Pilecki returned to his homeland after the war and sent intelligence on the activities of the Soviet occupation force and their Polish communist collaborators to the western Allies, especially concerning human rights violations. Pilecki was captured and tortured in 1947. He would not break under torture, and was executed at Mokotów Prison on May 25, 1948. Sabaton also did a song about him, “Inmate 4859.” https://youtu.be/wvDg7UftJw8 It’s also notable that Polish cavalry was a lot more effective against German armor than they’re given credit for. Contrary to the popular version, their horse cav were well-equipped with light anti-armor weapons and would use feints by mounted troops to lure kraut tanks into ambushes by concealed AT guns, while mounted tankbusters would flank the German vehicles and hit them from the sides and rear with AT grenades and satchel charges (it also didn’t hurt that the krauts were mostly driving Panzer Is and IIs,… Read more »
Believe I read that despite the Panzer-led image of the Wehrmacht, it was never less than 50% horsedrawn.
Yes, I was shocked to learn that most of their field artillery was horse drawn.
John III Sobieski, King of Poland, saved Western Civilization by defeating the Turk invasion of Europe at the Battle of Vienna, 1683.
Eighteen -thousand- Cavalry wrecked the Ottoman army, the largest Cavalry charge ever.
Casimir Pulaski played a significant role in forming the US Cavalry during the Revolution.
A pattern, no?
Poles will fight. And their current -impressive- buildup has got to be alarming the folks who attacked them in 1939.
Poles are badasses.
Re: the Angel Wing Hussars at the Battle of Vienna, Sabaton also has a song about that.
https://youtu.be/eWkrQQly6xU
Dammit TOW, you seem intent on making me spend time listening to all their stuff!
I’m here to help! Here’s some more for ya.
“Primo Victoria,” Omaha Beach
https://youtu.be/IrJAwCBbnuc
“No Bullets Fly,” Charlie Brown & Franz Stigler
https://youtu.be/TETrRCGru2U
“The Last Battle,” Castle Itter
https://youtu.be/JIkWVSYo0RE
“Screaming Eagles”
https://youtu.be/eFO0Xo9TZ54
“Bismarck,” the battleship, not the chancellor
https://youtu.be/oVWEb-At8yc
“Midway”
https://youtu.be/74wVlwRBoO0
“Red Baron,” Von Richthofen
https://youtu.be/io14H6fqnv4
“Fields of Verdun”
https://youtu.be/xP8G-LwWNn0
“The Lost Battalion”
https://youtu.be/aLnweK8poL0
“The Last Stand,” the Swiss Guard’s delaying action at Castel Santangelo in 1527. If you’re Catholic (as I am), this will inspire a proud moto-boner.
The band members are such proud fellow history nerds that they have a “Sabaton History” channel on YouTube.
Share with your crew!
I think Major Pilecki was the subject of a post on this blog a while back. Dude was a straight up badass.
The Other Whitey-
Outstanding post.
V/R
In 1920 & in 1930, The Polish armed forces fought like tigers. They have a strong military tradition which includes saving most of modern-day Europe from The Turk at the Siege of Vienna.
I’m glad to be able to say that their military traditions today are as strong as they’ve ever been. I trained several times with GROM and I have Brother Teamguys who conducted a joint op with GROM in the opening minutes of the attack on Iraq, they said the GROM shooters didn’t miss a beat/step, as was expected.
LONG LIVE FREE POLAND
1930 = 1939. I am a weak poster. 😉
na zdrowie!
🙂
I agree Sharkman.
Long live Free Poland 🇵🇱!
Niech żyje wolna Polska!
Hope we open a base there….!!
A US base has been under construction, and may be finished by now.
Camp Trump Card
I bet it will have all the tricks.
I’ve said it before:
Camp Pulaski
Camp Kosciusko
Camp Sobieski
Any one of those would be fine
I wouldn’t mind a deployment out there. I love Polish food and I hear the beer 🍻 is pretty good, too.
Growing up I knew a man who had the ultimate misfortune of being a member of the Polish Army on 1 September 1939. Misfortune considering the result of the war against the Nazis.
He was also Jewish.
He ended up spending the war in three camps: Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau. Liberated at Dachau.
He lucked out and got a job in the kitchens. Because of that job, he got to know some of the “elite” in the camps. Knew Mengele as an example. A dangerous proposition.
I used to talk to him about the camps and he never told me a sad story. Always things about how he fucked with the Germans and how he snuck as much food as he could to his fellow prisoners.
A good man who deserves to be remembered.
Rest in peace, Mr. Shattan!
What’s truly amazing is that this post has been up since yesterday and Commissar Lars hasn’t showed up to chastise any of us TAH “Fascists” who might be clicking our heels and rendering hand salutes in tribute to the Nazi invaders.
Shhhhhhhhhh, Poe. He might hear you.
I think that deep in his heart, he IS one of them but won’t admit it out loud.
He’s too busy prancing around in his SS-themed Blue Oyster attire.
Somehow, I doubt you meant he is Cosplaying while listening to “Astronomy” and “Godzilla”.
Who does he think he persuades with his screeds? He couldn’t persuade a buzzed pothead to eat Doritos.
Don’t mind me. I’m just stealing the comment above!🙃
I seem to remember reading about a Polish soldier/mercenary who, when asked what it felt like to kill a man replied, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve only ever killed Communists.”