We cannot let any repetition of this large tragedy of planet War II

Sławomir Mentzen on X.

On 1 September 1939 the biggest catastrophe in Poland's past began. The attack by the Germans and then the Soviets swept from the surface of the Second Polish Republic, caused the deaths of millions of Poles, demolition of cities, towns and villages. The war led to the demolition of the foundations of the tissue of the Polish nation, and then drove us into decades of poorness and communist captivity.

This large tragedy should always be a informing to us, so that neither we nor our children or grandchildren always gotta live through it again.

Before the war, Poles were convinced that the Polish Army was a power. They remembered the triumph in the war against Bolsheviks, and were besides fed with propaganda, according to which Poland was on the right way to becoming a power. Those critical of this imagination were bullied and persecuted. The example of editor Stanislaw Mackiewicz, who went to Bereza Kartuska in the spring of 1939 for “hitting assurance in the defence capabilities of the state, lowering the seriousness of the state authorities and spreading the defensive moods.” If 1 side of the dispute does not let 1 to express one's own opinion, there is clearly a consensus in the public debate, which can be, as many times we have observed, completely disconnected from reality.

Unfortunately, the most crucial people in the country believed in their own propaganda. abroad policy is completely different erstwhile 1 is convinced of the large strength of his own army and, rather differently, erstwhile 1 is aware of its actual state.

Poles besides believed that France and Britain would join the war immediately in the event of the German attack. The French were expected to enter Germany in a fewer days and Polish soldiers would decision to Berlin. Of course, we all know.

The attack on Ukraine by Russia has made it impossible to escape the question, are we better prepared to defend against aggression than in 1939? According to politicians, we have a good army that will be highly strong and modern in a fewer years, and we have powerful allies. But if you look at numbers, hard data, it's hard to realize that enthusiasm. The equipment we owned, we gave back Ukraine, the fresh 1 hasn't arrived yet. We produce trace amounts of ammunition, we don't have any reservists. And our allies have neglected their troops even more than we have. The exception is, of course, the US, which, in turn, is increasingly looking at China and do not gotta want to full engage in the war in Europe.

I am convinced that our allies, as well as our enemies, are aware of the current capabilities of the Polish army. They know how much we deficiency equipment, ammunition and reservists. They are aware of the capacity of the Polish arms industry. This awareness is unfortunately not common in our public opinion. Listening to the statements of the most crucial Polish politicians, specified as Marshal Szymon Holownia about trampling Putin into the ground, 1 can besides have the impression that this awareness does not be at the top of power.

It gives emergence to apparent risks. any of their own strength and support of allies Polish politicians can make a tragic decision, specified as sending our soldiers to Ukraine.

We cannot let any repetition of this large tragedy of planet War II. We must do everything possible to avoid armed conflict. At the same time, we must be strong adequate to defend ourselves without counting on allies. due to course they can, but they don't gotta aid us. And most of all, they don't gotta do that in a fewer days. On the next anniversary of the outbreak of planet War II, let us remember the victims, callback the heroism of our ancestors and their large sacrifice, but let us besides remember that we have a work to guarantee that this communicative never happens again.

On 1 September 1939 the biggest catastrophe in Poland's past began. The attack by the Germans and then the Soviets swept from the surface of the Second Polish Republic, caused the deaths of millions of Poles, demolition of cities, towns and villages. The war led to the demolition of the basic tissue of the Polish nation, and...