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History
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Title: Russian military historian blames Poland for WWII (Putin's party wants to ban revisionism)
Source: Associated Press
URL Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap ... m499ylfgjcz4oiShe9xhgD98JU99G4
Published: Jun 4, 2009
Author: MIKE ECKEL
Post Date: 2009-06-07 12:26:24 by Deasy
Keywords: Danzig, Revisionism
Views: 368
Comments: 18

MOSCOW (AP) — As the Kremlin presses a campaign to recast Russia's 20th century history in a more favorable light, a research paper published Thursday on the Defense Ministry's Web site blamed Poland for starting World War II.

The unorthodox reading of history appears to be the latest effort by Russian historians to defend the Soviet Union and its leaders, especially their role in what Russians call the Great Patriotic War.

Russia has angrily rejected claims that a Stalin-era famine in Ukraine amounted to genocide, and Russia's Supreme Court recently turned down an appeal to re-open an investigation into the massacre by Soviet secret police of Polish military officers and intellectuals in Russia's Katyn forest during World War II.

The generally accepted view is that Poland was a victim rather than the aggressor in the conflict, and that Adolf Hitler's 1939 invasion of Poland marked the start of the war.

Many Western historians believe Hitler was encouraged to invade by the treaty of non-aggression signed by Moscow and Berlin, called the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, which secretly divided eastern and western Europe into spheres of influence.

Hitler's pact with the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was signed on Aug. 24, 1939. Germany invaded Poland Sept. 1.

Blaming Poland would deny Russia played a role in starting the war by sealing the secret accord.

The research paper posted on Russia's Defense Ministry Web site is not an official government statement. But the author is listed as Col. Sergei Kovalyov, director of the scientific-research department of military history, part of the Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense.

A person who answered the phone at the Defense Ministry press office refused to comment, but said a statement would be posted on the Web site soon.

Ministry spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told the Interfax news agency that analytical articles posted on the ministry's Web site do not necessarily reflect the ministry's official position.

The paper, titled "Fictions and Falsifications in Evaluating the USSR's Role On the Eve of World War II," recounts how in the run-up to Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler demanded that Poland turn over control of the city of Danzig as well as a land corridor between Germany and the territory now known as Kaliningrad.

"Everyone who has studied the history of World War II without bias knows that the war began because of Poland's refusal to satisfy Germany's claims," he writes.

Kovalyov called the demands "quite reasonable." He observed: "The overwhelming majority of residents of Danzig, cut off from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, were Germans who sincerely wished for reunification with their historical homeland."

Kovalyov, who works in St. Petersburg, could not be immediately located for comment.

Arseny Roginsky, a historian with the rights group Memorial, said Kovalyov was entitled to his opinion "and he shouldn't be thrown in prison for that."

"But if this indeed reflects the position of the government — in as much that it appeared on the Web site of the Ministry of Defense — then this is indeed dangerous and shameful," he said.

Polish government officials had no immediate comment; much of the country on Thursday was marking the 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism in Poland.

Last month, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced the creation of 28-member commission to investigate "the falsification of historical facts and events aimed to disparage the international prestige of the Russian Federation."

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party is drafting legislation that would make it a crime to belittle the Soviet contribution to victory in World War II.

Both moves were widely criticized by liberals as efforts to whitewash Soviet era abuses.

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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 18.

#1. To: Deasy (#0)

Russia has angrily rejected claims that a Stalin-era famine in Ukraine amounted to genocide

They must've been reading the NY Times, whose Moscow Bureau chief Walter Duranty reported at the time, "all talk of famine now is ridiculous."

MUDDOG  posted on  2009-06-07   14:54:09 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: MUDDOG (#1)

Russians are good at slaughtering people, their own, or whoever is at hand.

They did not become the largest country in the world by peaceful means.

Cynicom  posted on  2009-06-07   15:09:13 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: Cynicom (#2)

They did not become the largest country in the world by peaceful means.

Exactly. That's why Stalin in particular was so good at it. Same for Mao. They killed however many millions it took, and then some.

And that's one reason the US hasn't "won" these wars in the third world which our presidents have mired us in. We kill a lot of people, but not the millions it takes.

Of course, the answer is not to kill more people, but to stay out of these wars in the first place.

MUDDOG  posted on  2009-06-07   15:46:07 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: MUDDOG, Cynicom, all (#5)

And that's one reason the US hasn't "won" these wars in the third world which our presidents have mired us in. We kill a lot of people, but not the millions it takes.

I've spent hours yesterday and today watching the Military channel and their D- Day remembrance footage (coupled with interviews of Medal of Honor winners). It's fascinating. I've come away with what I thought I would: there is no way today's military is a fraction of what it was in WWII. Putting aside all the reasons why we went to war, and simply comparing the mettle of American kids today against those of 65 years ago and it's like comparing hardened steel to marshmallows. How does this add to the discussion? Today's military has no business starting wars with this group of diversity driven cream puffs.

Jethro Tull  posted on  2009-06-07   16:22:54 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: Jethro Tull (#6)

Bogie vs. Major Strasser.

MUDDOG  posted on  2009-06-07   16:46:48 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: MUDDOG (#7)

Patton v Petraeus

Jethro Tull  posted on  2009-06-07   17:03:21 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#9. To: Jethro Tull, randge, James Deffenbach, Deasy, christine, All (#8)

Jethro...

"Patton Excerpts

"Often I have encountered in life that great disappointments have proved to be the road to future successes."

"You must be single-minded. Drive for the one thing you have decided. You will find that you will make some people miserable; those you love and very often yourself. And, if it looks like you are getting there, all kinds of people, including some whom you thought were loyal friends will suddenly show up and do their Goddamndest, hypocritical best to trip you up, blacken you and break your spririt. Politicians are the worst; they'll wear their country's flag in public, but they'll use it to wipe their asses in the caucus room, if they think it will gain them a vote."

Was Patton taken care of????

Cynicom  posted on  2009-06-07   17:20:41 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#12. To: Cynicom (#9)

Politicians are the worst; they'll wear their country's flag in public, but they'll use it to wipe their asses in the caucus room, if they think it will gain them a vote.

Interesting. Thanks for the ping.

James Deffenbach  posted on  2009-06-07   17:41:08 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#13. To: James Deffenbach, jethro tull, randge, Deasy, christine, all (#12)

Patton just prior to his "demise"...concerning attacks upon him by the politicians.

"It is my present thought . . . that when I finish this job, which will be around the first of the year, I shall resign, not retire, because if I retire I will still have a gag in my mouth . . . I should not start a limited counterattack, which would be contrary to my military theories, but should wait until I can start an all-out offensive . . . ."

The government knew this.....

Cynicom  posted on  2009-06-07   17:50:43 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#18. To: Cynicom, PSUSA, James Deffenbach (#13)

The government knew [that Patton was going to go public]

The truth could have helped us a good deal. We could have avoided a lot of mistakes, like the no-win wars. I don't think we should have had a hot war with Russia after WWII, but it looks like Patton and MacArthur had some valuable insights into what was happening.

Deasy  posted on  2009-06-08   20:03:11 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


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