History /
World War II - a tragic story for Poland and the World [489]
Well, I read from cover to cover 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'. It states that when Germany invaded Poland on 1st Sept 1939, the French had 100 divisions along the border with Germany. The british had 1, yes ONE infantry division. The rest were territorials or Home Guard. We really were, as Napolean put it, 'a nation of shopkeepers'. The promise to help Poland if Germany invaded was to bolster Polish morale as well as to bluff the Germans into thinking we really would launch an attack from the west. As it happened, the Germans invaded anyway and, due to the large distance from Britain to Poland, we were only able to make the odd equipment drop, which frequently landed behind German lines as they were taking territory so quickly.
I've had this discussion with many of my Polish friends about 'the Allies abandoning Poland'. I honestly don't see what more could have been done. One could even argue that Poland should have been better prepared and mobilised on a large scale, but this could have been used as a pretext for Hitler sending in his armies.
I think sometimes we British feel that we can't do right for doing wrong and every good thing we try to do ends up being criticised. Personally, I don't think the French have ever forgiven us for liberating them, as was demonstrated at the recent 65th anniversary of D-Day when Napolean Sarkozy failed to invite any of the British Royal Family.
Finally, I believe Poland is Britain's true friend in Europe as we can't ever trust France or Germany to support us when the backs are to the wall. I love the Polish stubborness to never stop believing, even when they're criticising themselves!! lol ;)
