Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
27th January, 2016
The website of the TV channel “Tvzvezda” has published a series of articles on the great Patriotic war of 1941-1945 by writer Leonid Maslovsky, based on his book “Russkaya Pravda”, published in 2011.
In his opinion articles, Maslovsky reveals “the myths of the imaginary foe, Russia, and the events of the great Patriotic war, showing the greatness of our Victory.” The author notes that in his articles he is going to “show the US’ unhelpful role in West Germany’s preparations for war with the USSR”.
On the 1st of September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. This day is considered the beginning of the Second World War. Neither Britain nor France came to the aid of the Poles.
Poland at that time was a major nation with a strong, well-armed army, but failed to provide appreciable resistance to the Wehrmacht, and in the early days was defeated by the German army. In mid-September, German troops came to Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia.
The USSR could not prevent the further advance of the German armies. On the 17th of September 1939, the Soviet government handed a note to the Polish Ambassador reading: “The Polish government has disintegrated and shows no signs of life. This means that the Polish state and its government has ceased to exist… rendering itself without leadership, Poland has become a convenient field for all contingencies and surprises that may pose a threat to the USSR… in view of this situation the Soviet government has ordered the general command of the Red Army to give the order to cross the border and take under its protection the life and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia”.
After handing the note to the Polish Ambassador on the same day, 17 September 1939, Soviet troops of the Ukrainian forces (under the command of the commander of the 1st rank S. K. Timoshenko) and Belarusian (under the command of the commander of the 2nd rank M. P. Kovalev) fronts entered the East areas of Poland.
In the period from 9th to 17th September, the Polish government fled the country, and the emigre Polish government was created in France, which later moved to England.
The population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus greeted the Red army with flowers, erected triumphal arches and hung red banners, tearing off the white strip from the Polish flag.
The need for the Soviet invasion of Poland was recognized in the West. At that time first Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, on October 1, in a radio interview said: “Russia is pursuing a cold policy of self interests… Protecting Russia from the Nazi threat is clearly needed, as Russian armies stand on the line. Anyway, this line exists and, consequently, has established the Eastern front, which Nazi Germany does not dare to attack”.
Churchill provoked Germany with the words “do not dare to attack”. But Churchill’s assessment offered no condemnation of the actions of the Soviet Union against Poland. The same can be said about the opinion of the governments of England and France.
The British government at the meeting on 18th September 1939, that is, the day after the Soviet invasion of Poland, decided not to express protest at the actions of the Soviet Union, because England had pledged to protect Poland from Germany.
Based on the decision of the government the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of England, all British embassies and press officers sent a telegram which argued that England does not intended to declare war on the Soviet Union now, and must remain in the best possible relations with the USSR. On September 23th, the people’s Commissar of Internal Affairs L. Beria reported to the people’s Commissar of Defense Voroshilov.
The chief of the General Staff of the Polish army, W. Stachiewicz pointed out: “The Soviet soldiers did not shoot at our own, demonstrating their location in every way possible”. Perhaps that is why Polish troops are in the vast majority of cases, not resisting, surrendering to the red army.
Belarusian and Ukrainian population are not only friendly to the Soviet troops, but in September 1939 raised an anti-Polish uprising.
On the 21st of September, the Deputy Commissar of Defence, the Commander of the 1st rank G. I. Kulik reported to Stalin: “The Polish officers… are afraid of the Ukrainian peasants and the population, which intensified with the arrival of the red army, and they punish the Polish officers. So much so that in Burshtyn, Polish officer groups who were sent to school were under little protection, and asked for protection as POW’s by fear of possible reprisals from the local population.”
On the territory of Poland, Soviet and German troops did not behave like allies. By agreement, the German and Soviet armies were not supposed to approach each other closer than 25 kilometers.
In Brest, the German and Soviet troops were not in contact with each other. First German troops went out of town, and then the Soviets entered.
No documents, no pictures, or evidence of a joint parade of Soviet and German troops. Yes, there are motion pictures in Brest of marching columns of German troops, but there are no pictures of the joint movement of Soviet and German troops – a parade.
The release of German troops from Brest was like a parade, because the Germans did not want to give up Brest, and under orders, they left the city with flags flying triumphantly as the winners. There was no joint parade of the Red army and the Wehrmacht.
It should be noted that our actions in 1939 in Poland were no different from the actions of, for example, England and the USA in similar, but not identical, situations to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union intervened in Poland, sought to ensure the safety of their people and put the people of Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia under their protection.
England occupied Egypt because of the Suez canal, ignoring the protests of the Egyptian government. USA, in 1942, occupied Morocco without the consent of the Moroccan Sultan and the government of Vichy. In 1941, the USSR and Britain sent troops to Iran. There are other examples of actions of the United Kingdom and the United States that were similar to the Soviet Union.
But unlike the USSR, England and USA desire to preserve their profits derived from the exploitation of other Nations – commercial benefits.
On the 28th of September, the Soviet Union signed a Treaty with Germany, establishing the border between Germany and the USSR. Basically, the border ran along the Curzon line, which was determined by a Commission of the Paris peace conference in 1919-1920.
The Poles didn’t need Germany for any reason: neither as allies, nor as a colony. Germany wanted Polish lands.
The Poles salvation is entirely beholden to the Soviet Union. But they have forgotten about it and speak out against the Russian state as if they are fierce enemies.
To be continued…