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Disinfo: WWII started before September 1, 1939

Summary

The Polish Parliament should note – before September 1, 1939, during World War II, 10 million Chinese citizens had already lost their lives.

Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism. These words of Vyacheslav Nikonov (grandson of Molotov) are an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact by stating that WWII started before September 1, 1939 (referring to Munich Agreements, the Japanese invasion of China, etc.).

The World War II started on September 1, 1939, from the German attack on Poland. This invasion was a direct consequence of the Secret Protocols to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, where Nazi Germany and the USSR divided the “spheres of influence” in Eastern and Central Europe. The Soviet Union attacked Poland on September 17, 1939, implementing its part of the Secret Protocols.

Mainstream historiography traditionally perceives such historical developments as the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935), the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), the Japanese invasion of China (1937), Anschluss (1938), Munich Agreement (1938) as the pre-war events. These historical episodes lead the World to WWII, but they are not perceived as parts of WWII, which lasted from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945.

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.

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publication/media

pl.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue179
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/01/2020
  • Language/target audience: Polish
  • Country: China, Poland
  • Keywords: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, USSR, Historical revisionism, WWII, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin

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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Opposing the Union State of Belarus and Russia: an attempt to set up a geopolitical catastrophe

The Union State of Belarus and Russia is necessary for national security and national interests of both states. The two countries are an inseparable civilizational body with historic, linguistic, spiritual, and cultural unity. Belarusian history is an integral part of all-Russian history and the current Belarusian statehood is a result of the centuries-long formation of all-Russian consciousness. The establishment of the Union State is a process of economic, political, social, and moral recovery of Russia, Belarus, and all other post-Soviet countries. It would also mean the elimination of corruption, criminal, demographic crisis and the termination of other adverse effects provoked by the disruption of the union.

Active organisers of the USSR’s collapse, a geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, currently work to destroy Russia and Belarus, that is to organize a geopolitical catastrophe of 21st century. Opposition to the Union State of Belarus and Russia is Russophobia. Adopting Western values and carrying out economic reforms in post-Soviet countries resulted in the impoverishment of people and the degradation of statehood. By demanding to replace national values and traditions with foreign ideas, to change the mentality of Russians and Belarusians, adversaries attempt to move the countries to the periphery of world development.

January 13, 2020
Disproof

This is a mix of conspiracies which is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin propagandistic narratives about Belarus as an integral part of the Russian world and the West's attempts to disrupt Belarus-Russia relations.

It equals opposition to the Union State to Russophobia and puts forward a false dilemma about the direction of Belarus and other post-Soviet countries' political development (union with Russia vs. unavoidable degradation) and promotes the concept of all-Russian civilisation, an imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology that is a favoured pro-Kremlin narrative aimed at weakening the national identity of Belarusians and Ukrainians, as well as their sovereignty.

Polish Parliament creates its own version of the history of the XX century

The Polish Sejm resolution condemning the statements of Vladimir Putin on WWII creates its own version of the history of the XX century. This vision of history is damaging to Poland and the Poles. It promotes the message that everything, which has been done by Poland in the past, is right and cannot be criticized. At the same time, the actions of other sides, primarily Russia and the USSR, are presented as wrong and anti-Polish.

January 13, 2020
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it accuses Poland in “falsification and re-writing” of its history. 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.

On January 9, the Polish Parliament adopted the 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 Polish Parliament states that World War II was started by two totalitarian powers, which on 23 August 1939 signed the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The main goal of this resolution is to prevent Russia from using the “imperial lies”, which hamper the historical dialogue between Russia and other nations.

NATO openly participates in the Donbas conflict

It is no secret that NATO has been heavily involved in the conflict [in Donbas]. There are pictures of the presence of American soldiers. Nobody talked about it. We know there were soldiers, Polish mercenaries, it’s very annoying. After a six-month investigation, evidence has been recovered confirming that the Americans were present and supplied a whole bunch of weapons. They were not shy about it. A journalist doing his job could have found this information. Russia has been accused of being the main actor and aggressor in the conflict, but no one has questioned the role of NATO and the Americans. And we know that. Just type in Google, you will find this information but it has always been silenced.

January 12, 2020
Disproof

No evidence is given concerning the presence of NATO troops or Polish mercenaries among pro-Ukrainian forces. This is a recurrent conspiracy narrative advanced by Russian media.

Pro-Kremlin sources repeatedly accuse foreign military of taking part in the war in Ukraine without providing any evidence, see dozens of cases in our database. Earlier, Polish Ministry for National Defence  and Lithuania's Armed Forces have confirmed that their soldiers have only delivered trainings to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and do not take part in combat actions.