I am not an expert on WWII history, but I did learn quite a bit about the history of Poland while doing my genealogy. I was actualy quite surprised and proud to learn of all that Poland did do. Especially, since I realized that it had not been an independent country for many years before WWII, and had a lot of catching up to do.
It would really be hard for any nation to be divided into three parts with different rulers and cultures jammed down your throat. It find it incredible that the country was able to function as a unified country after all that time of partitions.
And I was dismayed because when I was in school nothing much was ever taught about Poland. We learned about the partitions, and that after WWI, Poland was back on the map, and that Hitler invaded it at the start of WWII. That's all I remember, and I liked history. Would have noticed since I am half Polish.
I do feel that Poland was a loyal ally of Britain and the USA and it would have been great to participate in the victory parades, etc. Instead, Poland wound up behind the iron curtain. It's as if WWII only ended in the late 80's, in my opinion.
But, perhaps it is stretching it a bit to say that Poland needs to be thanked by Great Britain for all it did. It does seem to be mutual, even if maybe more could have been done for Poland. I thought that Poland was asked to hold out for a few weeks, and help would arrive. And then the winds changed, and it was thought that maybe if Hitler was appeased with Poland, the rest of Europe would be o.k.
I felt proud to know that Poland did hold out even with postal workers and everyone who could fight doing so. Held out as long as France did. And France had been a modern power for quite a long time, no partitions in its history. I do see Poland as the phoenix that rises from the ashes. And ashes it was. To my knowledge, hardly any country had so much bombed, and absolutely destroyed. My Polish ex-bf's grandmother gave me a coffee table book that shows the before and after pictures of cities in Poland and the rebuilding work. I think because Poland continued to fight so hard, is why this massive destruction took place.
In America, there are a lot of bridges, roads and places with names honoring Poles who helped America fight in her battle for independence from Great Britain. I do believe that Poles have done a lot to stop Muslim invasions, to help America, and to help herself and Britain. It seems Poles have always supported the cause of freedom.
It may not have worked out the best, for Poland, but Poland has survived and is beginning to thrive. I believe more and more people will recognize what the country has gone through, and how hard they have worked to get where they are. And there has been help. The EU, etc. Maybe some mutual gratitude would be the best thing rather than you need to thank me more, or dwelling on the past hurts that cannot be undone.
Maybe they need to be a bit over-the-top about it for the time being.
And as always, these topics are difficult. It would be good if one day there was less you-must-apologize-to-me for this, and thank-me-for-that and finger pointing. Discussions of history in an open, manner that is factual, rather than accusatory. A discussion that acknowledges it is over, and that most of the people who lived then are gone, and there are new people alive now who benefit most from mutual friendships. Education, remembrance of what took place only for the sake of avoiding it in the future, rather than for mud-slinging.
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