Disinfo: Warsaw was liberated by the Polish People’s Army, which was a Polish national formation

Summary

The Polish capital, destroyed by the Germans, was liberated by the Polish units. The Polish People’s Army was a Polish national formation. It is true that part of its officers was replaced by the Red Army officers with the necessary experience, but the operational documents of this formation were issued in the Polish language.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – since 1944, the Soviet Union presented the “puppet” Polish Communist authorities and the USSR-controlled Polish People’s Army as independent and legitimate institutions representing the Polish nation.

In 1943-1944, the Soviet authorities established the so-called “Polish Army” or the Polish People’s Army, which was formally subordinated to the USSR-controlled Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN). This step was a part of the Soviet political and propaganda strategy aimed at taking over national symbols and institutions associated with the independent Polish state. The establishment of the USSR-controlled Communist Government of Poland and the Polish People’s Army was used by the Soviet authorities for construction of a totalitarian Communist state in Poland in the after-war years.

In March 1945, the share of the Soviet officers in the Polish People’s Army was about 52% - it is direct evidence for complete Soviet control over this military formation. The Polish People’s Army took part in the Soviet operations against the German troops on the territory of Poland, but its role was mainly symbolic.

The very fact that the Red Army captured Warsaw and pushed the German troops out of Poland in 1945 does not mean that the USSR brought freedom to the Polish people. According to the statements of the Polish MFA, Poland respects the sacrifice of the Soviet soldiers in the fight with Nazism, but in 1945, Stalin's regime brought to Poland terror and atrocities. The Red Army liberated Warsaw from Nazi occupation but it didn’t mean liberty for Poland as the Soviet Army stayed in Poland for 48 years, which resulted in decades of communist oppression.

According to mainstream Polish historians and views of the predominant part of Polish society, in 1944-1945, the USSR occupied Poland, establishing the undemocratic and repressive Communist Poland. De facto, Poland appeared under the Soviet military occupation until 1989, while the Russian troops were withdrawn from Poland only in 1993.

See other examples referring to the Soviet occupation of Poland - It is thanks to Russia that Poland today exists as a country and the Red Army liberated Poland and preserved the country’s economic power.

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pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 183
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19/01/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Polish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, Russia
  • Keywords: Historical revisionism, Red Army, USSR, WWII, Nazi/Fascist
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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.