The war in Europe started to protect Poland’s sovereignty. Many Poles see Poland being left to communist influence as betrayal by the Allies. However, one could argue that the intention was to protect Poland from the Nazis, not from the Soviets. And additionally, the Soviets were allies of the Allies.
But as one person mentioned, at the very least Poland received land from the German territory, which is a huge deal so it probably assuaged the anger felt by many Poles. Also, the West had been very generous and welcoming to allow Poles to remain in their country for those who don’t want to return to communist Poland. So yeah, the Poles were compensated in that regard.
I read that entire first article and nowhere does it claim the Polish people thought that the West sold them to Soviets.
"This [agreement on Poland] is so elastic that the Russians can stretch it all the way from Yalta to Washington without ever technically breaking it,” Admiral William Leahy, Chief of Staff to Franklin Roosevelt.
“I know, Bill, but it is the best I can do for Poland at this time,” Franklin Roosevelt.
It reiterated what I wrote: You can’t sell what you don’t own.
The other links are paywalled. But I can see the last one was written by Robert Novack- a notorious right wing journalist. He would write anything to make a Democrat look bad. In this case, FDR.
I read that entire first article and nowhere does it claim the Polish people thought that the West sold them to Soviets.
Clearly you didn’t read it thoroughly enough. Early on in that first article:
For Poles, Balts, and many others in Central Europe, Yalta means a betrayal of their countries and the United States’ abandonment of its core values on the altar of Great Power politics; they (and Ukrainians) fear the United States will be tempted by a “second Yalta” in which Washington and Moscow make deals at their expense.
The author is talking for Poles without showing that’s actually what Poles said.
Then you admit that it did claim that the Polish people thought the West sold them to the Soviets, contrary to what you said.
But hey, here, have the Polish PM in exile’s own words:
“(…) the decisions made by the ‘Big Three’ were prepared and taken not only without the involvement of the Polish Government, but also without its knowing. This kind of behavior in relation to Poland is not only a denial of elementary principles which apply to allies, but it is an unquestionable violation of the letter and spirit of the Atlantic Charter and the right of everyone to defend his own interests. For this reason, the decisions taken at the Conference cannot be recognized by the Polish Government and cannot be binding upon the Polish Nation. The Polish Nation sees the detachment of the eastern lands by imposing the so-called Curzon Line as the Polish-Soviet border as a new partition of Poland, this time by Polish allies.”
??? Do you have a source that it was seen as a betrayal? Poland was under Soviet control before the war ended.
That’s like French communist partisans that fought for 5 years being angry at the Soviets for selling France to the Western Allies.
You can’t sell what you don’t own.
The war in Europe started to protect Poland’s sovereignty. Many Poles see Poland being left to communist influence as betrayal by the Allies. However, one could argue that the intention was to protect Poland from the Nazis, not from the Soviets. And additionally, the Soviets were allies of the Allies.
But as one person mentioned, at the very least Poland received land from the German territory, which is a huge deal so it probably assuaged the anger felt by many Poles. Also, the West had been very generous and welcoming to allow Poles to remain in their country for those who don’t want to return to communist Poland. So yeah, the Poles were compensated in that regard.
To add to other links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoney_War
Also Russia actually invaded Poland together with Germany:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov–Ribbentrop_Pact
It was only after Hitler attacked Russia they switched sides and became allies to the West, but West let them keep the land they took.
To Poland events of world war 2 continued until 1989 when it finally escaped Russia’s control.
Queue in tankies spouting slurs and *no russia saved the wurld *
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-yalta-conference-at-seventy-five-lessons-from-history/
https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2020/02/the-yalta-conference-was-more-than-a-victors-feast?lang=en
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1997/08/18/betrayal-at-yalta/eb3e17d5-d685-4867-9c66-90efcf875c5b/
I read that entire first article and nowhere does it claim the Polish people thought that the West sold them to Soviets.
"This [agreement on Poland] is so elastic that the Russians can stretch it all the way from Yalta to Washington without ever technically breaking it,” Admiral William Leahy, Chief of Staff to Franklin Roosevelt.
“I know, Bill, but it is the best I can do for Poland at this time,” Franklin Roosevelt.
It reiterated what I wrote: You can’t sell what you don’t own.
The other links are paywalled. But I can see the last one was written by Robert Novack- a notorious right wing journalist. He would write anything to make a Democrat look bad. In this case, FDR.
Clearly you didn’t read it thoroughly enough. Early on in that first article:
The author is talking for Poles without showing that’s actually what Poles said.
It would be like saying “For French partisans, Yalta meant a betrayal by Soviets.”
I claim a majority of Poles did not like Soviet rule but did not blame America because it was out of America’s control.
Then you admit that it did claim that the Polish people thought the West sold them to the Soviets, contrary to what you said.
But hey, here, have the Polish PM in exile’s own words:
Hell yeah brother. Fact check those fascists
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