Historical Sketch
Covering Poland versus
West Europe & America (circa 1981)
Poland's official history starts in A.D. 966 when the people in the territory now known as Poland were Christianized, but already in the 800s the tribes were united by the Piast dynasty. However, in the second century A.D., the Greek Ptolemy wrote about the people living in that area; but, even long before that time, Julius Caesar (100 B.C. - 44 B.C.) already commented in superlatives about the achievements of civilization, and the organizational and administrative order, in the region later known first as Lechistan and then Poland. This, from the point of development, shows the existence of Slavic tribes' territorial organizations in this area centuries before the birth of Christ....
Around the year A.D. 1000, Poland established definite west boundaries which were more or less the same as they are today, but Poland's east boundaries were rather undefined as there was no orderly organized country to establish a border with.
Because of its geographic situation, Poland became a "buffer" state between the West and the East: it stopped German expansions to the east, but even more important, it became a wall of defense against invasions from the East to the rest of Europe. Through the centuries, Poland saved Europe from the Tartars, stopped the Swedes, Cossacks, Muscovites, and Turks. Because Poland filled this "custodian" role for the rest of Europe, one of the Popes called Poland the "Bulwark of Christianity." Behind that bulwark Europe flourished and developed civilization and culture. These facts, I am sorry to say, were never appreciated by the West.
As Poland had a high level of civilization and political development, it was considered a valuable partner, especially by the Scandinavian countries. For instance, the Polish princess Swietoslawa-Sygryda (ca. 970- ca. 1014), daughter of King Mieszko, was married first to Erik the Conqueror, King of Sweden (died 995) and then to the King of Denmark; her son was Canute the Great, King of Denmark and England. Also, even in the Magna Carta (1215) one can find influences of Polish laws in effect at that time.
As far as science and culture are concerned, Poland has one of the oldest universities in the world and produced people like Copernicus, Chopin, Paderewski, Nobel prize winners Sklodowska-Curie, Sienkiewicz, and Milosz, and many others in various fields. Also, well-known and honored in America are Generals Pulawski and Kosciuszko. (Kosciuszko was a genius in the field of military fortifications. He fortified West Point and the English, after studying it, did not even try to attack it.) Finally, according to Polish legend, the sailor Jan from Kolno was in America long before Columbus (1471 and 1476?).
There was a time when Poland covered one million square kilometers, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and not because it conquered other countries by force, but because they formed a deliberate union with the Polish crown.
In the 19th century Poland, weakened by many wars and also for other reasons (the same as today in America, namely: no army, selfish group interests and a lack of spirit to defend itself) was divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria and disappeared from the map of Europe. That common boundary between those three countries, without the Polish buffer state, facilitated World War I.
Early in the 20th century, the British scientist/ politician Halford MacKinder created a new science now known as Geopolitics. By the end of World War I he wrote the book Democratic Ideals and Reality, in which he stated three fundamental facts:
World War I liberated Poland, but the West still did not understand Poland's value as a buffer state and limited its size to a minimum (Lloyd George and Curson). In spite of this fact, however, Poland saved Europe for the last time from the East (the Bolsheviks) at the Battle of Warsaw in 1920.
In 1924, Lenin made the following declaration: "First, we will take eastern Europe, then the masses of Asia, then we will encircle the United States which will be the last bastion of capitalism. We will not have to attack. It will fall like an overripe fruit into our hands!" ...
After World War II, Roosevelt (in complete ignorance and not understanding neither the theory of Mr. MacKinder nor the threat of Lenin) in Yalta destroyed this first line of defense for Europe and committed Poland, together with hundreds of millions of other people, into Russian domination, thus opening the door to Europe for Russia. Without a question, Yalta (representing treason to the ideas which America used to represent) is responsible for the political world situation today, and for the deadly danger in which America is at present. One day, America and the entire world will pay a terrible price for this mistake.
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The recent developments in Poland? It is a limited, almost hopeless fight for a little bit of liberty and for bread! So far, Poland has the support of President Reagan, and I thank him for that. The western European countries, considering their attitude to the Polish problem, have nothing to be proud of.
The mistake in Yalta, the policy of appeasement on the part of Europe and America from the time of Roosevelt to President Reagan (helping Russia and the Communists all over the world with grain, machinery, and money) cause me to finish this short history by saying not only "God save Poland," but also "God save America."