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freshwest

(53,661 posts)
5. They've been on edge since the annexation of Crimea. And it's not like it never happened before...
Thu Jul 31, 2014, 11:55 AM
Jul 2014

Last edited Sat Aug 30, 2014, 12:42 AM - Edit history (2)

17 wars were fought between Poland (including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and Russia (including the Soviet Union).

When Hitler invaded them from the West, Stalin invaded them from the East. That's the one Americans remember, but the USSR held onto to them a long time after WW2. That's why they're in NATO.

Invasion of Poland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland

Note the Polish casualties in each event. More than we lost in a decade in Vietnam in a smaller country.

But it wasn't the first time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland_%28disambiguation%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Soviet_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland

At one time, Russia and Poland fought Napoleon's Army and defeated the French Allied Army. A painting of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow which was the beginning of the end for his ambitions:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_invasion_of_Russia

That's a tough neighborhood:



They first among the first of the nations in NATO to call for assistance when Russia reclaimed Crimea, which was involved in another war on Poland:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1589_invasion_of_Poland

One might note the history between the Tatars and the Russians mentioned there. It is the percursor of much of what we've seen since, with biological warfare used by the Mongols, setting off the Black Death in Europe that killed 75% of the total population or 75 million depending on the source. All I know is that it changed things in Europe profoundly.

IMO, Americans are unable to understand these conflicts as they don't know the history. The situation appears bizarre and an aberration to the order established after WW2. The West has tried, for the best of reasons, to avoid another such war:



But it's been a short period of mixed peace in comparison to the history of the region. And I'm betting the people in that region were killing each other long before those wars mentioned in Wikipedia...


Well. going into all of that was fun for me, hope you enjoyed it too.

Warsaw says Russian ban on Polish produce is revenge for EU sanctions tridim Jul 2014 #1
Seriously does Poland not expect Russia to retaliate malaise Jul 2014 #10
Why did Russia essentially annex Poland and keep it under its control for so long after WW2? Cali_Democrat Jul 2014 #20
That was the Soviet Union malaise Jul 2014 #21
Ya...Russia gobbled up a bunch of countries and called it the Soviet "Union" Cali_Democrat Jul 2014 #22
And I sure don't blame them malaise Jul 2014 #24
It is more complicated than that TT_Progress Aug 2014 #35
Why would they be surprised? nt MattSh Jul 2014 #11
NATO Poland Base May Be Prepared For Blitz Against Russia big_dog Jul 2014 #14
The whole situation is very serious. The diplomatic apparatis is almost non-existant TT_Progress Aug 2014 #34
Jeepers! Coventina Jul 2014 #2
huh ?? nt steve2470 Jul 2014 #3
They've been on edge since the annexation of Crimea. And it's not like it never happened before... freshwest Jul 2014 #5
yes, I was just surprised by the urgency steve2470 Jul 2014 #7
No, historically they're first on the list! See my edited post that you just replied to above. freshwest Jul 2014 #12
That was a lot of work and fun to read, however... steve2470 Jul 2014 #19
I think the Belarus and Ukraine were seized upon in an opportunistic fashion only. But freshwest Jul 2014 #25
Good post. Current geopolitics are extremely complicated and we are also making mistakes TT_Progress Aug 2014 #37
It was a test alert I just heard from my source, no big deal- snooper2 Jul 2014 #4
Goes to show how tense things are and how they could get out of hand TT_Progress Aug 2014 #36
I have a sausage source inside Poland. Dreamer Tatum Jul 2014 #6
Their Vodka is good. alfredo Jul 2014 #17
For real? A store 840high Jul 2014 #33
Wolverines! eShirl Jul 2014 #8
lots of talk in Europe handmade34 Jul 2014 #9
Putin is not going to invade a NATO country. True Blue Door Jul 2014 #13
Putin is just looking for some lebensraum alfredo Aug 2014 #39
Poland calls for larger U.S. military presence in eastern Europe freshwest Jul 2014 #15
happy it was just a test dembotoz Jul 2014 #16
They should have told their people that. My friend was freaked out. alfredo Jul 2014 #18
"...the us has not been invaded since 1812..." Jenoch Jul 2014 #23
I have relatives there. Oh no. Thanks for heads up Alfredo. nt Laura PourMeADrink Jul 2014 #26
My friend is in the south east. He is attached to the military, so he was really twitching today. alfredo Jul 2014 #28
Poland is a European crossroads... HooptieWagon Jul 2014 #27
There's a story of a Polish farmer responding to the Mongol invasions. He said alfredo Aug 2014 #38
Not just Mongols. HooptieWagon Aug 2014 #40
I guess that is why my family is in the US. We lived in Prussia. alfredo Aug 2014 #41
So of course cancervatives love Pooty-Poot. xfundy Jul 2014 #29
They envy his power. alfredo Jul 2014 #31
family member is in Romania for the summer grasswire Jul 2014 #30
I hate to see this shit. alfredo Jul 2014 #32
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