Originally posted by Boroda
I don't see any difference. I also want you to enlighten me about "open warfare and murder" between Poland and USSR in 1939. I need to read some stories about great battles between brave Polish warriors and evil Soviets, with blood and gutters all over the border.
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Oh, you guys did a great job of lying to the Poles.
There existed between Poland and the Soviet Republic a pact of non-aggression dated July 25,1932, which on May 5, 1934, was extended until December 31, 1945
If that wasn't enough to lull them into trusting you,
On August 27 Izvestia published an interview with Marshal Vorosilov who stated that the new understanding with Germany would not prevent Russia from supplying raw materials and even war materials to Poland...But complete tranquillity reigned in the Eastern Provinces of Poland. Mobilisation had taken place under normal conditions and perfectly smoothly; all public authorities were functioning without interruption...
....In any event, the entrance of the Russian troops was such a surprise, not only to the population but also to the civil and military authorities, that in many places it was thought that the Bolsheviks had entered Poland as allies against Nazi Germany.
Sorry, but by Sept, 16th, Poland was only a "geographical concept". Sad but true.
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Yeah, the Germans invaded on Sept 1. I don't suppose you could have told the Poles you were going to fight with them against the Nazis and actually DONE that. You could have offered to move troops to the front with Polish permission and fought. Instead, you waited nearly three weeks and then invaded the Poles.
Fighting? I know Polish troops were fighting the Red Army at Lvov and surrendered on 22 September.
Polish border defences forces (Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza) in the east (about 25 battalions) were unable to defend the border and were ordered by Edward Rydz-Smigly to fall back. This however did not prevent some clashes and small battles.
The Soviet invasion was one of the decisive factors that convinced the Polish government that the war in Poland was lost. Prior to the Soviet attack from the East, the Polish military plan called for long-term defence against Germany in the southern-eastern part of the Poland (near the Romanian border), while awaiting relief from an attack on the western border of Germany by the Western Allies. Facing two powerful enemies - Nazi Germany and Soviet Union - the Polish government decided that it was impossible to carry out the defence on Polish territories and ordered all units to evacuate Poland and reorganize in France.
Why don't we ask some of the Polish posters here how it went?
How did they expect USSR to help Poland against Germany without entering Polish territory?
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The Red Army would have to enter Poland to help them. The Red Army DID NOT have to enter Poland to
attack them. That's not help.
[/b]2) Leave Poland alone, let nazis seize it all and have nazi army at the gates. Also that meant leaving Baltic states to nazis and having them 100km from Leningrad in case of war. Definetly not the best decision.
Like it MATTERED! Not!
Barbarossa jumped off on June 22, 1941, ~21 months after the USSR stabbed Poland in the back and invaded. In those 21 months, Russia suppled Nazi Germany with war materials.
On June 24, Army Group North had the 56th Panzer Corps all the way to the Dvinsk highway. One hundred and five miles deep in Russian territory.
June 27, Minsk, the capital of Byelorussia, well behind West Front's original defensive lines, is taken by the Panzer forces of Army Group Center.
In less than a week, Hoth's and Guderian's Panzer Groups have met, closing a giant pincer at Minsk, some two hundred and thirty miles deep in Soviet territory.Oh yeah... stabbing Poland in the back really held the Nazis back.TWO WHOLE DAYS before the Nazis were
through your gates with Army Group North. This after you had two years to prepare... except of course you
didn't prepare.
If Hilter the putz hadn't delayed Barbarossa to deal with Yugoslavia, Moscow would likely have fallen. The whole story might be different then. So betraying Poland gained you nothing.
So - we had to give up land that was so vital in 1941[/quote
The land you stabbed Poland in the back to get cost the Nazis about one day to take in Barbarossa. Vital? Pfffft.
You'd have done better to let the Nazi have all of Poland, realize the threat and actually prepared to meet them at your borders.
