DISINFO: In 1938, Poland was a Nazi ally

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: In 1938, Poland was a Nazi ally

SUMMARY

The Polish elite have never hidden the fact that they preferred closer relations with Germany to better relations with the USSR. In 1938, Poland was a Nazi ally and partner, before it became a Nazi victim in 1939.

RESPONSE

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and an attempt to erode the disastrous historical role of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact by stating that Poland was a Nazi ally, so it should blame itself for the German-Soviet attack in September 1939. The claim that Poland was “an ally of Nazi Germany” goes against all available historical documents. Before WWII, Poland had tense political relations with Nazi Germany, which expressed open territorial claims on Poland (revision of the status of the Free City of Danzig and control over the “Polish Corridor”). Despite intense political pressure from Hitler, Poland consistently refused to become part of the Nazi block.

According to the pre-war plans of Hitler, Poland was supposed to be part of the “living space”/ Lebensraum for the Third Reich, a large part of its territory was planned to be incorporated into the German state and millions of Poles and Polish Jews were supposed to be exterminated.

Read similar examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning Poland such as Poland posed a military threat to the USSR in 1938-1939, Nazi Germany considered Poland its best ally, If Poland realized a rational policy in 1939, Moscow would have had a different approach towards it and Poland re-writes the history of the Warsaw uprising accusing the USSR of its failure.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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