Disinfo: Polish politicians are editing the past and interpret it themselves

Summary

Tonnes of grain, millet, vegetables, flour, clothes and medicines were sent to Poland urgently by order from Moscow after WWII. They do not like to remember this in Poland now, politicians are doing their utmost to edit the past and give their new assessments and interpretations.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism. It accuses Poland of “the falsification and re-writing” of its history. According to this policy, the official Russian historiography is the only “true” way of interpreting the historical events of the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. On January 9th, the Polish Parliament adopted a resolution “condemning the provocative and untrue statements by representatives of the highest authorities of the Russian Federation attempting to hold Poland liable for the Second World War”. The other part of the disinformation is about USSR's help to Poland after WWII. It aims to portray the USSR as a peacemaker and liberator. The statements about the “generous Soviet support for Poland” after Red Army’s entrance to this country go against historical facts, which prove that the Red Army carried out massive confiscations of all types of Polish property, sending it back to the USSR as “trophies”. The Polish historians note that throughout 1945, the robberies and violence realized by the Red Army soldiers on the territory of Poland against the local civilian population had a systemic character. After its entering to Poland, the Red Army established specialized units, which realized large-scale transportation of confiscated Polish property, values of culture, industrial equipment, food, livestock, etc. to the Soviet Union. This intense stealing of the Polish property by the USSR throughout 1945 worsened the socio-economic situation of the Poles even more. As a result of these actions, the attitude of the Poles towards the advancing Soviet troops dramatically changed. 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. See similar cases connected to this issue such as "The Red Army liberated Poland and preserved the country’s economic power" and "It is thanks to Russia that Poland today exists as a country". Read similar examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning Poland - Nazi Germany considered Poland its best ally and USSR was forced and reluctant to sign Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

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NTV - YouTube (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 183
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19/01/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: USSR, Poland, Russia
  • Keywords: Historical revisionism, WWII
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Disinfo: Poland was an ally of Nazi Germany and had a role in the outbreak of WWII

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.

Jan 18, 2020
Disproof

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.

Disinfo: Claims about Russia’s interference into US elections are unfounded

US accusations of Moscow’s alleged interference in the internal affairs of other states is an illusion, as well as a “desire to wishful thinking” in order to get some kind of external adversary whose presence helps to solve domestic political issues.

Jan 18, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation denying Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Available evidence suggests that Russian meddling the 2016 US presidential poll - which was specifically aimed to damage Clinton's campaign and aid her opponent - did affect the outcome of the vote, particularly in three critical swing states where Trump's victory margins were the thinnest.

Disinfo: Euromaidan was a coup led by fascists

In 2014 (…) a coup happened in Ukraine with the participation of the Nazis, who were used to taking power into their own hands, and blaming Russia for all of Ukraine’s problems of Ukraine.

Jan 18, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives painting the 2013-14 Ukrainian revolution as a coup d'etat, and Ukrainian politics as dominated by fascist/Nazi groups and ideology.

The Euromaidan was not a coup but a nationwide popular protest against the government's sudden announcement that it would not sign the EU Association Agreement. See the full debunk here.