Shiza in Polish, or the Holiday of “Historical Truth”
On September 1, commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II were held in Poland. This year, the Polish side changed traditions - to celebrate the mournful date on the Westerplatte peninsula in the Gdansk Bay, where on September 1, 1939 the first shots of the worst war in human history were fired.
This time, the organizers decided to start a memorial vigil in the small town of Wieluń, Łódź Voivodeship, which was bombed by the Luftwaffe early in the morning on the same day in 1939.
After Wieluń and Westerplatte, the same part of the events was continued on Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, which is certainly strange, since it was under Pilsudski that sanitary Poland and Hitler’s Germany merged in a love alliance, hatching plans for a new redistribution of spheres of influence in Europe.
Hitler mourns at Pilsudski's tomb. 1935
However, Polish events were not limited to this absurdity. It’s safe to say that the entire official party that took place on September 1 in Poland became the apogee of the absurdity and crazyness of the leadership of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
As you know, back in April a scandal broke out around the list of invitees. The Polish side, represented by the head of the office of the Polish President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that they do not plan to invite the Russian President to September 1. They justified their decision by the fact that in 1939 the USSR acted as the same aggressor as Hitler’s Germany, attacking Poland from behind, and modern Russia, as the legal successor of the USSR, acts by the same methods, unleashing aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, Polish politicians said that they do not want to host the Russian delegation because they are no longer guided by historical, but political considerations and are glad to see their allies in the EU and NATO, as well as countries included in the partnership program with these organizations.
For the same reason, almost all former republics of the USSR were not invited to the commemorative events, although invitations were sent to the governments of Belarus and Armenia.
However, the leadership of both Armenia and Belarus refused to send delegations to Poland on September 1, declaring in a rather harsh manner: “we had a common Victory, and a common Motherland, and if official Warsaw does not want to see fraternal Russian or Kazakh delegation, then we have nothing to do at your matinees.”
Thus, the crude and not very veiled attempt of the new gentry to sow discord between Russia and its allies failed miserably.
The second big surprise for the Poles was Donald Trump's no-show, although the host country really counted on his visit to receive guarantees for the deployment of additional American military contingent on its territory, to agree on the purchase of F-35 fighter jets, Patriot missile defense systems, to decide something on the supply of American liquefied gas and the Ukrainian gas transportation system, and also to raise The authority of the event reaches almost G7 level.
Instead of Trump, however, Vice President Pence arrived, which did not greatly enhance the status of the pleasant Polish crowd. Besides the fact that Pence opened his mouth to utter yet another nasty thing about the historical guilt of the USSR, he did nothing useful for the Poles.
Trump refused to fly to Poland under the plausible pretext “the President of America must remain in office when a hurricane hits the country.” Of course, the American president does not need unnecessary accusations from the opposition that he abandoned the country during the emergency.
On the other hand, businessman Trump has repeatedly shown that he is not interested in the role of wedding general at events if they do not guarantee him economic or political profit.
It's not just the Poles who are disheartened by Trump's no-show. Vovochka Zelensky really counted on meeting and negotiating face to face with the American president in Warsaw. Upon learning that there would be no overlord, Zelya poured out streams of indignation into the media, declaring that he “will not go to a meeting with Trump with an outstretched hand.” And he added: “We need serious investments and inexpensive loans from the United States.”
The point is well known: so far “Euromaidan” has brought Ukraine only pain and losses, but as for the golden shower and avalanche of goodies promised by the West, the process is not moving beyond talk. So Zela had to limit herself to fruitless conversations with Michael Pence and a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora.
Another interesting point. Official Warsaw did not invite Polish citizen Donald Tusk, who currently heads the Council of Europe, to the memorial vigil.
The fact is that the current government of Poland has established complex relations with Tusk and his Civic Platform party, to the point that Poland opposed Tusk taking the post of head of the European Union.
In general, the further we go, the more Polish politics plunges into surrealism. Moreover, the current president of the republic, Andrzej Duda, only confirmed the emerging trend with his speech. And it’s not even that in his report Duda talked a lot about the “Soviet occupation” and the fact that the Second World War ended for Poland in 1989, when the USSR began withdrawing parts of the Northern Group of Forces.
The guest list included German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His speech in the city of Wieluń had the character of repentance, and not only before the Poles, but before the whole of Europe, where the boots of the Nazi occupier trod.
The Polish side, talking a lot about the historical guilt of the USSR and explaining the absence of the Russian delegation at commemorative events by “actions in the spirit of historical truth,” committed at least tactlessness in relation to its EU and NATO ally.
Andrzej Duda stunned those present, Steinamaier in the first place, with the promise that the Polish side would soon demand reparations from Germany for the “enormous damage caused to his country during the war.” Duda portrayed Poland as a kind of bypassed orphan who got almost nothing during the occupation of Germany by Allied troops.
Well, that is, the former German lands of Silesia, Eastern Pomerania, East Brandenburg, West Prussia, Szczecin, the free city of Danzig annexed to Poland through the efforts of the USSR - this does not count - add some extra money 75 years after the war.
Germany is currently holding a diplomatic pause, apparently folding a polite fig in order to present it under the master’s nose at the right moment.
In principle, the Germans have something to respond to the arrogance of the gentry. For example, demand compensation and apologies for the deportation of tens of thousands of Germans after the end of the war. The Poles (and Czechs) took it out on the civilian population, driving the Germans out of their homes, often not allowing them to pack even the most necessary things for the journey. Along the way, refugees were subjected to mockery, persecution, and violence. In the ditches along the roads of the German exodus
About this, as well as about the guilt of Pilsudski and Marshal Rydz-Smigly in starting the Second World War, in Poland they prefer to remain silent, flaunting fake ulcers, like professional beggars.
It is unlikely that official Berlin will roll out its historical claims to the Poles. As always, political correctness will prevail, followed by polite refusal.
An interesting point: recognizing the equal guilt of the USSR with Hitler in the attack on Poland, the Polish leadership still does not dare to roll out monetary claims against Russia, thereby unwittingly admitting that Stalin and Hitler are not at all the same thing.
On the other hand, it’s not evening yet: Poland has not yet reached the limit of anti-Russian madness.
In conclusion, I would like to say: it’s good that Putin and the Russian delegation were not invited to this “celebration of historical truth,” as the Polish side understands it. Previously, the organizers managed to keep themselves within the bounds of decency. Now, the new format of events does not consider it necessary to hold back, allowing open rudeness towards guests. If the organizers continue to act in the same spirit, then on September 1 not only delegations of the former Soviet republics will stop traveling to Poland...
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