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Disinfo: Poland created a fertile ground for Holocaust because of its pre-war anti-Semitism

Summary

The largest portion of Jewish people in Europe was exterminated in Poland, and it’s no coincidence. Hundreds of concentration camps were located in this country. In many aspects, this situation was caused by the pre-war atmosphere in Poland and its government’s position which stoked anti-Semitic sentiment in society, creating fertile ground for the subsequent genocide and the Holocaust. The current Polish authorities should apologise to the Jews and the entire world for what happened in Poland during the pre-war years.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and part of the ongoing disinformation attack from Russia on Poland. This statement goes against all historical facts and opinions of mainstream historians concerning the history of the Holocaust.

The Auschwitz Museum reacted to this statement with an appeal to Vyacheslav Volodin to consult a set of online lessons dedicated to the complicated history of the Holocaust in order to prevent shameful falsifying and distortion of history. The authorities of Nazi Germany were responsible for the Holocaust and the functioning of the German concentration camps constructed on the territory of the occupied Polish state. The German authorities continue to underline the responsibility of their country for the extermination of Jews and other peoples during WWII.

Poland has the highest number of Righteous Among the Nations (people saving Jews from Nazis) in the world.

See other examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning Poland such as the Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact thwarted the UK’s expansionist plans in Europe, The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not violate the rights of the Polish state, The shift of all blame for WWII outbreak at the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact the best example of manipulation of history.

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publication/media

pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue180
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14/01/2020
  • Language/target audience: Polish
  • Country: Germany, Poland
  • Keywords: Holocaust, Historical revisionism, Jews, WWII

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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The Polish authorities are overtaken by Russophobic hysteria and historical arrogance

History is being re-written before our eyes. The Hitler-Pilsudski Pact, signed in 1934, about Warsaw efforts to divide the USSR together with Germany, about the division of Czechoslovakia and the Polish refusal to allow the Red Army to pass through its territory has somehow been forgotten about. The minds of the Polish authorities have been overtaken by Russophobic hysteria and historical arrogance. The recent statements of Polish politicians cause astonishment and indignation.

January 19, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and part of the ongoing disinformation attack by Russia on Poland.

Both Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR were harsh totalitarian regimes, which directly caused the deaths of tens of millions of people. It is a proven historical fact that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact contained the Secret Supplementary Protocol, which assumed the division of Poland and other Eastern European countries between the USSR and Germany.

The Polish economy was revived thanks to the Soviet Union

The USSR provided huge economic assistance to ruined Poland, and the Polish economy was revived thanks to the Soviet Union. The recent statements of the Polish authorities is another attempt to rewrite history according to the current anti-Russian sentiments prevailing among the Polish elite. The USSR not only liberated Poland but also helped to rebuild this country.

January 19, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of Russian historical revisionism and part of a disinformation campaign portraying the USSR as a peacemaker and liberator.

The Sovietisation of Poland and other countries of the so-called Eastern Bloc after WWII was accompanied by terror, massive repressions, nationalisation of industry, expropriation of privately owned land, destruction of market economy and restrictions of civil and political freedoms. The Warsaw Treaty Organisation (the Warsaw Pact) was the Soviet Union’s “external empire”, where people faced daily strife, including shortages of food and housing. Read more about life in Poland under the Communist rule. As a result of the post-war Soviet “economic assistance”, the Polish economy was turned into an inefficient Communist-type economy, unable to provide its citizens with a decent level of life.

Poland tries to adjust history to politics, misinterpreting the historical facts

Warsaw tries to adjust history to politics. Due to the current political situation, within the so-called historical policy, the historical facts are interpreted in a way, which often does not have any connection to history. They are adapted to justify the current political goals.

January 19, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it accuses Poland of “falsification and re-writing” of its history and of the alleged information war against Russia. According to this policy, the Russian official historiography is the only “true” way of interpretation of historical events for the countries of Eastern and Central Europe.

Both Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR were harsh totalitarian regimes, which directly caused the deaths of tens of millions of people. It is a proven historical fact that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact contained the Secret Supplementary Protocol, which assumed the division of Poland and other Eastern European countries between the USSR and Germany. Thus, the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact enabled the German and Soviet military aggression against Poland in September 1939, which resulted in the occupation of this country by Germany and USSR, triggering the beginning of WWII.