Russia set to release secret files on Poland's policies in WWII

[FarCenter]

01/09/2009
MOSCOW, September 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) will make public a number of documents revealing the secrets of Polish internal and foreign policies in 1935-1945, an SVR spokesman said on Tuesday.

The compilation of declassified documents, dubbed 'Secrets of Polish policy. 1935-1945,' is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War, which officially started with the Nazi Germany attack on Poland on September 1, 1939. "The compilation from the SVR archives includes analytical reviews of Poland's internal and foreign policies, political correspondence, reports by military attaches, diplomats and other documents that reveal Polish secret plans on the eve of the war," Sergei Ivanov said.

According to the official, the documents will help historians, political figures and general public to find answers to questions like: what prevented political leaders of the time to form an anti-Nazi coalition before the start of the war and why the collective security in Europe did not work?

"The answers to these questions are very important today, when many politicians and leaders of some countries attempt to review the history and the outcome of the Second World War and impose the new interpretation on younger generations," Ivanov said.

Moscow has resisted attempts to challenge the Soviet Union's role in the war, which claimed the lives of 27 million Soviet nationals, according to official figures. Ex-Soviet states, including Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, view Stalin's Soviet Union as an aggressor.

<snip> http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090901/155979804.html

[Indenturedebtor]

1. The 2/3rds of my family that died in the Holocaust speak to their policies

The survivors will tell you that neighboring villages and towns sent parades to gather up the Jews for slaughter. It was a very joyous affair for many Poles.

[proteus_lives]

2. Yup, the Nazis couldn't have killed as many Jews without the support of many Poles.

Sad fact.

[tandrasz]

3. I hope you are not blaming Poland for the Holocaust...

...because that would be like blaming a rape victim for getting raped. Poland and all of the citizens of Poland were a victim of German aggression. Polish Jews were citizens of Poland and their loss is Poland's loss. I do not negate that there were many Poles who were not fond of their Jewish neighbors, but there were also many, including my wife's grandmother, who risked their lives to save fellow Jews.

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

[Indenturedebtor]

5. I wasn't blaming Poland for the holocaust... but I know that the communities of my grandparents

tried to kill them and succeeded with most of their families. I envy Europe her social programs and museums but I do do not think for a second that she harbors any love for Jews. There are exceptions of course but Europe has always hated us. Pfeh.

[Yupster]

4. Harry Turtledove writes "What if" histories

and his latest one is that the Allies stand up to Hitler in Munich and the war starts a year earlier with Hitler invaduing Czechoslovakia.

The most interesting divergence from history is Poland allying itself with Germany.

At first it was to grab the Teschen region from Czechoslovakia which it did actually do. Then it requested Germany's help to help fend off the USSR which came into the war on Czechoslovakia's side.

Realistic?

I think so. Poland has a horrible geographic position between Germany and Russia. It must ally with one or the other to avoid being squashed by the other.

Hungary, Rumania, Slovakia, Finland and Croatia all allied with Germany during the war. I could see a scenario where Poland would too.

Of course that's why "what ifs" are fun.