Russian military historian blames Poland for WWII - Yahoo! News

As the Kremlin presses a campaign to recast Russia's 20th century history in a more favorable light, a research paper published Thursday on the Defense Ministry's Web site blamed Poland for starting World War II.

The research paper posted on Russia's Defense Ministry Web site is not an official government statement. But the author is listed as Col. Sergei Kovalyov, director of the scientific-research department of military history, part of the Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense.

The paper, titled "Fictions and Falsifications in Evaluating the USSR's Role On the Eve of World War II," recounts how in the run-up to Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler demanded that Poland turn over control of the city of Danzig as well as a land corridor between Germany and the territory now known as Kaliningrad.

"Everyone who has studied the history of World War II without bias knows that the war began because of Poland's refusal to satisfy Germany's claims," he writes.

Kovalyov called the demands "quite reasonable." He observed: "The overwhelming majority of residents of Danzig, cut off from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, were Germans who sincerely wished for reunification with their historical homeland."

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No wonder why the Poles still loathe the Russians. That "Col" is a mOrOn.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

couldn't have said it better myself Carl!

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Scott

Nice of the Russians to conveniently forget that little non-aggression pact that guaranteed to the Germans the Russians would not come knocking and allowed him to begin WWII in the first place. Oh and lets not forget the Germans were going to go into Poland regardless, and the Soviets sure wanted their own part of the pie.

The Russians were just another bad-guy in WWII, they just happened to be less bad than the Nazi's and our ally. As much as I respect the Russian soldier for his sacrifice, I don't forget they occupied much of Europe longer than the Nazi's did, stripping millions of their freedom and attempting to force an ideology on them from above. The Russians were without a doubt the major factor that defeated Germany, but they were in the wrong almost as much as Germany was. Having the Kremlin try to ignore that reality falls into the pathetic category.

I remember a quote, from I believe George Orwell; "Russia is the only nation on earth with an unpredictable past!"

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Happy Trails,
Clint.

I wonder what that guy would have to say about Katyn and the ethnic cleansing done by the Russians in eastern Poland in 1939-41....

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Probably something along the lines of...

"Katyn? What is Katyn?"

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-Paardeburg-Ypres-Mont Sorrel-The Somme -Vimy Ridge-Passchendaele-Cambrai-Mons-The Battle of Britain-The Battle of the Atlantic-Hong Kong-Dieppe-Ortona-The Liri Valley-Juno Beach-Falaise-The Scheldt-The Netherlands-Hochwald Forest-Kapyong-The Medak Pocket-Afghanistan-

Remember...

Since it seems Germany has been excused in some recent threads around here... yes, it's OK to blame someone... let's say... Poland.

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Thank you Scott, and thats a wonderful quote CLint-thank you both ;-))

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

He will probably write a volume two and blame another country such as Latvia. Clearly someone nostalgic and frustrated.

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It amazes me that in this day and age of information, maroons like this think they can re-write history. But I suppose if every country in the world had rolled over and played dead when Hitler came calling, there wouldn't have been any war at all. Yep, all of the rest of us were to blame for WWII.

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"I do not have to tell you who won the war. You know, the artillery did." - Gen. George S. Patton
"In 9 months and 3 days of combat on the Continent the 949th FA Bn had fired 51,000 rounds of ammunition, approimately 2,550 tons." - Unit History