Poland!
This is coolbert:
In a previous blog entry, I have mentioned that of all the combatants in World War Two [WW2], it would be universally recognized that the military of Italy gave the poorest performance among all the combatants of that war. I would agree that this is without question.
Some may ask. "Well, what about other nations, such as Poland?? Did they not get beaten in thirty days?? Is this not also a poor performance??"
And the answer is YES!! Poland did get beaten by the German blitzkrieg in thirty days. Badly beaten!! The Poles did not have an modern airforce or a modern armor force [tanks]. Or if they did, they were of far inferior value compared to the Germans.
But then, a much superior French military was badly beaten by the Germans in ONLY six weeks too!! The French DID have a good airforce and tanks that in both cases were often superior both numerically and qualitatively to the Germans. And this DID not help the French any!!
The Poles DID lose to the Germans, but not with shame ["But Not In Shame" is the title of a book by John Toland, concerning the American defeat in the early days of American entry into WW2]. The Poles put up a gallant fight, under the most difficult of circumstances, displaying great courage, doomed as they were!!
And even after defeat, the Poles, dispersed as they were, literally all over the world, DID continue the fight. Fighting on many fronts of WW2, and did so with can only be described as a lunatic courage.
Here is just a smattering of Polish military deeds during the war, AFTER Polish surrender.
Polish pilots, on the most critical day of the Battle of Britain, scored more kills of German aircraft than did British pilots [in the movie, "The Battle of Britain', some of this is shown, but is shown in a comedic manner and as almost an afterthought]!!
The final assault leading to the capture of Monte Cassino was accomplished by a Polish infantry unit. This of course was done after massive bombardment of the abbey and a number of abortive assaults by troops of various nationalities.
Polish units did fight as part of the Red Army. These were men that had been taken POW by Stalin when Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland in the aftermath of German conquest. POW's given their freedom by Stalin in return for the Poles agreeing to fight alongside the Red Army against Hitler's minions.
[This after the way that Stalin, at the behest of the Nazi occupiers of Poland, executed over five thousand Polish elites at Katyn forest. The Poles were so eager to fight the Germans and continue the war, they even did so under the auspices of a brutal dictator that had badly abused them.]
Polish paratroopers, a brigade strong, DID parachute into Arnhem as part of the "Bridge Too Far" battle. Once again, the Poles met disastrous defeat, the Germans for the most part shooting down the descending paratroopers at the drop zones [the Germans knew the Poles were coming and were waiting for them]. Defeat, but once again, not with shame.
And of course, the Battle of Warsaw, in 1944. A general uprising of the Polish Home Army met a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Germans.
Some may ask. "Well, what about other nations, such as Poland?? Did they not get beaten in thirty days?? Is this not also a poor performance??"
And the answer is YES!! Poland did get beaten by the German blitzkrieg in thirty days. Badly beaten!! The Poles did not have an modern airforce or a modern armor force [tanks]. Or if they did, they were of far inferior value compared to the Germans.
But then, a much superior French military was badly beaten by the Germans in ONLY six weeks too!! The French DID have a good airforce and tanks that in both cases were often superior both numerically and qualitatively to the Germans. And this DID not help the French any!!
The Poles DID lose to the Germans, but not with shame ["But Not In Shame" is the title of a book by John Toland, concerning the American defeat in the early days of American entry into WW2]. The Poles put up a gallant fight, under the most difficult of circumstances, displaying great courage, doomed as they were!!
And even after defeat, the Poles, dispersed as they were, literally all over the world, DID continue the fight. Fighting on many fronts of WW2, and did so with can only be described as a lunatic courage.
Here is just a smattering of Polish military deeds during the war, AFTER Polish surrender.
Polish pilots, on the most critical day of the Battle of Britain, scored more kills of German aircraft than did British pilots [in the movie, "The Battle of Britain', some of this is shown, but is shown in a comedic manner and as almost an afterthought]!!
The final assault leading to the capture of Monte Cassino was accomplished by a Polish infantry unit. This of course was done after massive bombardment of the abbey and a number of abortive assaults by troops of various nationalities.
Polish units did fight as part of the Red Army. These were men that had been taken POW by Stalin when Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland in the aftermath of German conquest. POW's given their freedom by Stalin in return for the Poles agreeing to fight alongside the Red Army against Hitler's minions.
[This after the way that Stalin, at the behest of the Nazi occupiers of Poland, executed over five thousand Polish elites at Katyn forest. The Poles were so eager to fight the Germans and continue the war, they even did so under the auspices of a brutal dictator that had badly abused them.]
Polish paratroopers, a brigade strong, DID parachute into Arnhem as part of the "Bridge Too Far" battle. Once again, the Poles met disastrous defeat, the Germans for the most part shooting down the descending paratroopers at the drop zones [the Germans knew the Poles were coming and were waiting for them]. Defeat, but once again, not with shame.
And of course, the Battle of Warsaw, in 1944. A general uprising of the Polish Home Army met a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Germans.
A defeat aided and abetted by Stalin!! A defeat of Polish men, women, and children who again, fought with lunatic courage against a German force ordered personally by Hitler to destroy Warsaw and obliterate the Polish insurgents.
And this WAS DONE, the Germans bringing their most destructive weapons to bear upon the Polish capitol.
The remnants of the Polish Home Army, upon surrendering, WERE given POW treatment. This at the insistence of the allied Generals, who warned their German counterparts that mistreatment of the Poles would result in the German Generals being executed in the aftermath of the war!! The German Generals DID comply with this allied ultimatum, against the wishes of Hitler!!!
[So great was the heroism of the Polish Home Army during the Battle of Warsaw in 1944, that when the Polish forces surrendered, and were paraded through the streets by their German captors, civilians knelt and bowed their heads as a sign of respect for the captives and what they had done!!!]
[It is also important to note that of all the countries invaded, conquered, and occupied by the Nazi forces, Poland was the ONLY country NOT to have a collaborationist government that did the occupiers biding!!!]
Yes, the Poles saw tremendous defeat during the war, the dismemberment of their country, and in the aftermath of WW2, almost fifty years of Soviet and communist occupation. But NOT with shame!!!
coolbert.
[So great was the heroism of the Polish Home Army during the Battle of Warsaw in 1944, that when the Polish forces surrendered, and were paraded through the streets by their German captors, civilians knelt and bowed their heads as a sign of respect for the captives and what they had done!!!]
[It is also important to note that of all the countries invaded, conquered, and occupied by the Nazi forces, Poland was the ONLY country NOT to have a collaborationist government that did the occupiers biding!!!]
Yes, the Poles saw tremendous defeat during the war, the dismemberment of their country, and in the aftermath of WW2, almost fifty years of Soviet and communist occupation. But NOT with shame!!!
coolbert.
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