DISINFO: The Polish authorities systematically re-write history, absolving the Nazis, the Third Reich and Hitler of their sins
SUMMARY
October 12th is the day of the Battle at Lenino, the first battle fought by our Polish division. This date is known to everyone [in the Communist times], it was the Day of the Polish Armed Forces. In the past, we used to honour those who fought the Nazis. The new authorities changed the Day of the Polish Armed Forces from October 12th to another date. They no longer perceive the Nazis as so terrible and evil. This situation is a consequence of a systematic re-writing of history, the Nazi Third Reich is gradually “whitened” and absolved; Hitler is no longer perceived as a bandit, but only as a painter and an artist, etc.
RESPONSE
This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism. It accuses Poland of the “falsification and re-writing” of its history. According to this policy, the Russian official historiography is the only “true” way of interpreting historical events for the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. In this case, the Polish authorities are accused of “support” to Hitler and the Third Reich because they moved the date of celebration of the Day of the Polish Armed Forces from the “Communist” date to the original pre-war date. The Day of the Polish Armed Forces (August 15) was established in 1923. It commemorates the victory of Poland over the Bolshevik troops near Warsaw in 1920. Under the Communist rule, this holiday was celebrated on October 12. Since 1992, the Day of the Polish Armed Forces is celebrated on its original pre-war date (August 15). The statement that the Polish authorities allegedly try to “absolve” Hitler and Nazis is clearly a fake propagandist statement. The manifestation of support to Nazism and other totalitarian ideologies is a criminal offence in Poland. See similar examples of the Russian accusations against Poland in falsification and re-writing of history - Poland creates and promotes its historical myths in an active and aggressive way; Poland and Lithuania question the status of Russia as a country who won WWII; President Duda and President Zelensky promote propaganda and Poland tries to adjust history to politics, misinterpreting the historical facts.