Not Soviet Union per se, but Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Even though it was not a "union", but a de facto occupation, the territory of Lviv and surroundings belonged to Ukrainian SSR and now to Ukraine. You seem not to know the facts, Irony ;)
the Republic of Ukraine-:))
The country is called Ukraine, not the Republic of Ukraine. The form of the government though is a republic. Just a mild correction :)
I think the post-War Germans are a sufficiently de-fanged lot! They're not likely to go berserk any longer; the Furor Teutonicus has been silenced forever, so it seemsLOL
Germany doesn't have the demographics to invade anyone today like it did in 1939. Also, there is a self invasion of Muslims going on in Germany itself which Germans are too weak to do anything about.
To invade another country, you need a nice huge youth segment population of your country that can be used as army fodder to attack another nation. Germany doesn't have that today. Germany is getting old and the only thing the small segment of German youth care about today is luxury, partying and good times.
Furthermore, the present generation of younger Germans is as removed the older, pre-War mentality as can be imagined. To them, Hitler and the Nazis are literally as though from another planet!!!
I think the post-War Germans are a sufficiently de-fanged lot! They're not likely to go berserk any longer; the Furor Teutonicus has been silenced forever, so it seemsLOL
I think the Furor Teutonicus is now the Furor Polonicus... at least if you read this forum. :D
..the essential difference being that it was throughtout much early history, namely the Teutons, not the ancestors of the Poles, who wrought havoc and terror upon the continent of Europe. Need I remind anyone at PF, the Vikings were Germanic, and not Slavic.
Furthermore, Hitler frequently invoked the pagan forbearers of the the German 'Volk', praising the present breed of Germanophile Aryans as "..Barbarians, proud of being Barbarians."
To my certain knowledge, the Poles, even at their worst, e.g. Gen'l. Rydź-Smigły et al., NEVER once invoked the barbarism of their pagan roots as proof of their right to be inheritors of all Europe, even the entire world!
To my certain knowledge, the Poles, even at their worst, e.g. Gen'l. Rydź-Smigły et al., NEVER once invoked the barbarism of their pagan roots as proof of their right to be inheritors of all Europe, even the entire world!
And yet this forum is full of threads about the Polishness of regions which were part of medieval Poland long ago... or *never*, 19th century race theories and stupid phantasies about "re-taking" of "Slavic" or "Polish" land. Sounds like 19th century Germany to me, especially since you can't get this land peacefully.
You're right. The difference again being that with the Poles, it remained all talk, no action! No Polish army was foohardy enough to think that alone it could "reclaim", as you put it, former Polish territories from either the Western or Eastern border.
Because of her size and strength, Germany was in such a position to back her lunacy up with the necessary show of force: Dreams gone bad turned into nightmares!
Poland had pretty much a "military-industrial" system on the go in the 30's - if Germany hadn't risen, it wouldn't have shocked me if an attempt was made to take over Lithuania and parts of Czechoslovakia by force was made by the end of the 1940's.
I'm in no way insisting that Poland had zero military capabilities, only that their agenda was rather different from Hitler. The Germans still saw the Slavs as 'Untermenschen' (sub-humans) across the board, the Slavs on the other hand, witness the Czechs and the Poles, only had the highest respect for German language and culture.
And yet this forum is full of threads about the Polishness of regions which were part of medieval Poland long ago... or *never*
What's your problem ? Some lands were German, Polish, German, Polish... now they are usually again Polish. Which part you don't understand ? Lower Silesia, Pommerania etc. are simply not German anymore, a few grandpas, who was born there are no match for a few generations of Poles born there. It's simply not yours.
do you think Polish people would be comfortable living in Breslau, Oppeln or Neisse instead of Wrocław, Opole, Nysa (btw the latter are all original names)
yes some places origined as German settlements and never bore Slavic names but still I wouldn't like to live in a Hirschberg in a free Polish country
Gumishu, that's only because you've grown up in a still largely totally homogenous society! An American for instance wouldn't think twice about living in a town called Grosse Pointe right beside another town called Twin Forks etc.... We're used to the pluricity of foreignisms; diversity's in our DNA.
the thing is foreign sounding names in the States form a variety (a hodge-podge) not a monotonous German toponomastic that would be a case if Poles kept German names in today's western Poland - and well why should Poles leave the name Breslau if it had a Polish name - we even use Polish names for cities that have never been Polish (Paryż, Londyn, Monachium, Mediolan, Rzym, Florencja, Belgrad, Wiedeń, Marsylia, Norymberga, Kopenhaga, Kijów, Stambuł, Ateny, Neapol, Wenecja, Wormacja (Worms), Wittenberga, Lipsk (probably the original Slavic name), Brema (Bremen), Kilonia (Kiel), Lubeka (Luebeck), Bruksela (Brussels), Edynburg, Dunkierka (Dunkirk, Dunquerque), Nicea (Nice), Zagrzeb (Zagreb), Turyn (Torino, Turin), Hanower (Hannover), Ratyzbona (Regensburg), Rejkjawik (Reykyavik), Nowy Jork, Waszyngton, Filadelfia, Brunszwik (Braunschweig), Nowy Brunszwik, Kalifornia, Nowy Meksyk, Luizjana, Floryda, Wilno, Kowno, Ryga, Kłajpeda, Dynenburg (Daugavspils), Nowa Południowa Walia (New South Wales), Pekin (Beijing), Nankin (Nanking), Ren (Rhein), £aba(Elbe), Wezera(Weser), Men (Mein) - as in Frankfurt nad Menem (Frankfurt am Mein), Kolonia (Koeln), Moguncja (Meinz), Akwizgran (Aachen) - Akwizgran is becoming very rare actually (most traditional names of German cities are becoming rare - it is only educated people who use them)
I wouldn't like to live in a Hirschberg in a free Polish country
maybe because Liw is in Masovia and never was part of Germany, huh?
I don't see why not. Nobody's thought of changing the names of Theydon Bois or Ulleskelf.
for several reasons - one reason is cities like Breslau, Oppeln, Neisse had long established Polish names (these names were originally Polish/Slavic) other thing is many names were clearly germanized Polish (or if you insist Slavic names) and why use a germanized if we can use Slavic sounding names - (even if we don't get the previous name)
and you surely underestimate the comfort factor of living around Slavic sounding names instead of 'dorf's' around
btw - the English changed many local names in Ireland (Wexford, Waterford, Limerick)
do you think Polish people would be comfortable living in Breslau, Oppeln or Neisse instead of Wrocław, Opole, Nysa
btw - make a poll and ask if Poles of this forum would rather have Wrocław, Opole, Brzeg, Szczecin i Gdańsk or perhaps Breslau, Oppeln, Brieg, Stettin and Danzig?
maybe because Liw is in Masovia and never was part of Germany, huh?
Who said it was German - the root of the word is from another non-Slavic language. Do your homework.
(these names were originally Polish/Slavic) other thing is many names were clearly germanized Polish
And many never had such a name - some are post-war creations. But you knew that anyway.
and you surely underestimate the comfort factor of living around Slavic sounding names instead of 'dorf's' around
Ah. Comfort above respect for a town or village's history.
btw - the English changed many local names in Ireland (Wexford, Waterford, Limerick)
And the three examples you name are still called that by their inhabitants - now Ireland's independent very few towns have felt the need to manipulate the maps.
'Think the bottom line here's gotta be that the issue of rightful name is scarcely a Polish-German/Germano-Slavic sore point, but rather, a worldwide colonial one which obviously can be transferred to almost ANY country out there with either neighbors or a history of colonization. And that includes EVERYBODY!!!
Japan - China
Korea - China
Poland - Germany
Hungary - Austria - Czech Republic
US - Native American land disputes: Forced Renaming of former Colorado Territories etc...