Ok, both of us.
Armia Krajowa was underequipped, that's true, but that DOES NOT matter since the fighters didd achieve their goal: they have liberated the city, held it long enough and engaged the 9th German Army (thanks for correcting the error).
That`s a myth. Major goals were not achieved. Home Army didn`t liberate the whole city, but only less important housing districts. Major strategic objects were not taken, especially:
1. Okecie Airfield.
2. Bridges across the Vistula River.
3. Right-riverside district Praga.
4. Many fortified buildings inside areas occupied by insurgents.
Besides, holding a city with its hostage inhabitants, every day obliterated into dust by bombs, artillery and storm troops, isn`t a very noble achievement.
It is widely accepted fact that the Sobviet Russian army offensives aimed at entering into Warszawa was delayed due to political reasons.
Of course.
But it is silly to accuse Stalin of betrayal in the light of what he had done before. It is like accusing a shark of betrayal after it tears a man into pieces.
Stalin have faked a transient defeat in front of the German Nazi controffensive to justify the stop.
Hmm, I have never found anything about faking. Even in Davies.
At the end of August Armia Krajowa was still stromg, most of the Varsovians were still alive, and most of the city buildings were still there.
That`s another myth. If Home Army had been strong at that time, they wouldn`t have had to leave the Old City district on 2 September.
We cannot look at historical events from todays point of view.
It is natural, I agreed with it a few posts ago. But I still refuse to celebrate the Uprising the way some Poles do, namely as a great Polish moral victory.
It isn`t a victory, it`s suicidal stupidity. Let me translate you the passage from Davies` book (page 336, Chapter "Uprising") concerning what Himmler wrote to Hitler:
"FROM A HISTORICAL POINT OF VIEW IT IS A BLESSING THAT POLES ARE DOING THIS. IN 5-6 WEEKS WE ARE GOING TO DEFEAT THEM. BUT THEN WARSAW - THE CAPITAL, THE HEAD, INTELLIGENCE OF THIS ONCE 16, 17 MILIION POLISH NATION WILL BE ANNIHILLATED.[...] THE POLISH PROBLEM WILL CEASE TO EXIST FOR OUR CHILDREN, EVEN FOR US - IT WON`T BE A HISTORICAL PROBLEM ANY LONGER.
That'w what the generations of Poles were teached at home since ages: when the country needs you, you shall fight for it, to die for it it is a honour.
It`s high time Poles changed their traditions. It is very easy to die stupidly for your country, but much harder to live and work for it.
That is why we still speak Polish, think Polish.
I don`t think so. The Czechs didn`t die for their country and they still speak Czech today.
yet it is worth remembring that if AK would have stayed inactive we'd have paid the price anyway.
I totally disagree.
We would have been called 'fascit' 'collaborating with Nazi Germany' by the soviet Russians.
That`s the smallest problem. It was Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary which were Hitler`s allies. Poland never was[/quote]
Poland would cease to be viewed as an Ally.
No. Not after Tobruk, Monte Cassino, Falaise, Lenino, Kolobrzeg, the Battle of Britain, Wal Pomorski, Berlin etc etc
What would have happened with the attitude of Poles knowing that they have passively surrendered to Sovier Russian occupation?
Hm, you wrote about Russian betrayal before, that Soviets didn`t help the Uprising for political reasons. Now you suggest the Uprising was against Russian occupation too.
Then there was no betrayal.
The choice to fight was a tragic one, since in fact there were no choice. The fighters and the leaders of the Uprising were are not only heroic, they were wise, honourable men.
Insurgents were heroic and honourable. Leaders weren`t wise.
If they had been wise, they would have realised what dirty games Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt were playing. The Big Three agreed in Teheran 1943 that Poland would lose its eastern territories (the Curzon border) and would probably be ruled by a communist government. The fate of Poland was decided without our presence long before the Uprising. The latter couldn`t save us.
A wise leader would be able to see what was going on. He wouldn`t foolishly endanger the lives of Poles, especially when so many of them died or got killed before.
