DISINFO: Poland was an ally of Nazi Germany and had a role in the outbreak of WWII
SUMMARY
The fact that they, in the European Parliament, are condemning the Russian view of Poland’s role at the beginning of World War II is logical. On September 19, 2019, the European Parliament passed a resolution on “the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe ”, which blamed Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union for the outbreak of World War II.
This is the position of Poland, Romania, the Baltic states and many others. They want historical justice for themselves, as they see it because for 45 years they have been under the control of the Soviet Union and are now trying to punish Russia for the twentieth century.
This debate was motivated by the Russian President’s statements about World War II and Poland’s role in it. Putin mentioned that, shortly before the war broke out, Poland was with Nazi Germany. In 1938, Poland participated in the division of Czechoslovakia.
RESPONSE
This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact by stating that Poland was a Nazi ally, so it should blame itself.
Claims are not confirmed by any available historical documents. Before WWII, Poland had tense political relations with Nazi Germany, which expressed open territorial claims to Poland (revision of the status of the Free City of Danzig and control over the “Polish Corridor”). Despite intense political pressure from Hitler, Poland consistently refused to become a part of the Nazi block.
According to the plans of Hitler, Poland was supposed to be part of the “living space”/ Lebensraum for the Third Reich – a large part of its territory was incorporated into the German state and millions of Poles and Polish Jews were supposed to be exterminated.
Read similar examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning Poland - Poland posed a military threat to the USSR in 1938-1939, Nazi Germany considered Poland its best ally, If Poland realized a rational policy in 1939, Moscow would have had a different approach towards it and Poland re-writes the history of the Warsaw uprising accusing the USSR of its failure.