06 May 2014

Only 75 years ago - division of Poland between USSR and Nazi Germany

And if you still think that people learn something - anything - from history, read this:


Note of the Soviet Government, presented to the Ambassador of Poland to the USSR B. Grzybowski

September 17, 1939

Mr. Ambassador!

Polish-German war has revealed the internal groundlesness of the Polish state. Within ten days of military operations Poland lost all of its industrial areas and cultural centers. Warsaw doesn't exist anymore as the capital of Poland. The Polish government had collapsed and shows no signs of life. This means that the Polish state and its government effectively ceased to exist. Thus the agreements between the USSR and Poland ceased to operate. Poland, left to itself and without leadership, has become a convenient field for all kinds of contingencies and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR. Therefore, being hitherto neutral, facing these facts, the Soviet government can no longer remain neutral.

The Soviet government also can not remain indifferent to the fact that consanguineous Ukrainians and Belorussians, living in Poland, were left to fend for themselves and are defenseless .

In view of this situation, the Soviet government instructed the High Command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the border and take under its protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia.

Simultaneously, the Soviet government intends to take all measures to ensure the rescue of the Polish people, cast by their foolish leaders into an ill-fated war, and give them an opportunity of peaceful life.

Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurance of absolute respect.

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR

V. Molotov

Quoted from: Foreign Policy Documents, 1939, Vol 22, Book 2-M: International Relations, 1992, page 96

Hat tip: L.W.

12 comments:

EliseRonan said...

People like to forget that the Soviet Union's treaty with Nazi Germany was a prelude to WW2. And Stalin only became part of the allies after Hitler betrayed the agreement with the USSR and attacked Russia.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Indeed. And thanks for the tweet and all.

Pablo Schwartz said...

eh, historically the claims made in this article are troublesome : Russia held off the Nazis at Stalingrad while there were Ukrainian SS units fighting Russia on the Eastern Front. How does that translate to today? The "muscle" behind the recent coup in Kiev was the Svoboda faction. These are guys who used a form of *swastika* up until 2003 (i guess their PR people told 'em it was a bad idea, hey!).

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Svoboda is indeed one of the fractions in the anti-Yanukovich camp. How significant it is, only the future will show. I know for sure one thing: the number of blackshirts in Russia is not significantly smaller than that in Ukraine. And the author, by the way, is not blind to the fact. Let me quote again:

"what is happening is not about Ukraine, and is not about whether Ukraine is good or bad, whether Ukraine has a corrupt government or not, and whether the Crimea wants to become a part of Russia or desires to remain a part of Ukraine. The essence of what is happening is in Russia and its present government. "

I don't for a moment forget the Ukrainian "exploits" during WWII, but what happens now is Russian propaganda machine trying to present the whole nation as a gang of Bandera heirs, which is deeply wrong - on purpose, of course.

Dick Stanley said...

The only thing you could be sure of with the Soviet Union was that you couldn't be sure of any thing. It's always amazed me the way FDR kowtowed to Stalin. Proof that years of reading the NYTimes could alter your sense of reality.

Dick Stanley said...

So where does the new Soviet dictator go next, after Ukraine?

Dick Stanley said...

Very funny, and timely, as the American pols even now are gearing up to ban e-cigarettes. Part of our new, shiny-bright political dictatorship which is so-so-so concerned about us each and every one. Uh huh.

Dick Stanley said...

At least they're better looking than Code Pink.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Besides being a mass murderer, Stalin has what most of the Western leaders (save Churchill probably) didn't: guts, in abundance.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I wouldn't dare guess. That strip on the east of Moldova, called Pridnestrovie, is a good candidate, but then there are a lot of ex-Soviet republics that have a good percentage of ethnic Russians (whatever it is, don't ask me). So, as you said, one couldn't be sure of anything.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

They do the same in Europe. And there are same rumors here... yeah, whatever.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Why at least? I thoroughly enjoy and support all the good work they do. Being topless is just a bonus.