Moja miłość do Polski

Why am I writing about a Polish here, Władysław Sikorski, on what in the United States is a National Holiday, our Independence Day, the Fourth of July?  Well, on this day in history, 04 July 1943, a Pole who fiercely worked to attain and protect Poland’s Independence died, albeit tragically.

Władysław Sikorski (Władysław Sikorski) helped organize and fought in the Polish underground that opposed Russia before World War I. He was a leader in the army that defeated the Soviet Union after World War II–most notably in the Battle of Warsaw–which helped guarantee Poland’s newfound Independence after 127 years of foreign domination. Sikorski held a number of posts in that new government, including Prime Minister.

After Poland was again ripped apart and split by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the early days of World War II, Sikorski became the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish government in exile, working tirelessly to help secure Poland’s place al a leader among the Allies.

He was tragically killed on 04 July 1943 when his plane crashed on takeoff from Gibraltar. Hi was a leader of the Polish cause and his death was  a severe setback for the cause. No Pole after him had the influence and power he had with the Allies, and to this day some “conspiracy theorists” refuse to believe that his death was an accident, but rather blame the Soviets who coveted (and eventually dominated) Poland in a post-war world.

But on this day so many years ago, another person who fought for Independence died. You can read more about Władysław Sikorski here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%82adys%C5%82aw_Sikorski.

It was 76 years ago today, on March 5th, 1940, that about 22,000 people were condemned to death. During April and May of 1940, they were murdered, killed with a shot to the back of the head and buried in mass graves.

Who were they? They were mostly Polish Army officers, along with some other Polish intellectuals–police officers, professors, doctors, lawyers–all the cream of the crop (intelligentsia) of Poland before the Soviet invasion of 1939.

Who did this? 76 years ago today, Joseph Stalin (may he burn in hell forever) signed the order of Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the Soviet Secret Police (NKVD). In subsequent months, this was carried out at several sites, the most notorious of which is in the Katyń forest. Today this “event” is generally known as the Katyń Massacre.

Why did they do this? Russia and the Soviet Union have coveted Poland for centuries. Stalin wanted Poland for his own from before the start of World War II, but he also knew of the zealousness and fierce nationalism of the Poles. By murdering their top level of society, he hoped to quell any rebelliousness. Of course we know that in the long run, this did not work out so well for the Soviet Union, though we must be wary even to this day, as Russia still in her heart covets Poland.

Where can you find out more?

• Read this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre
• Watch this 2007 movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879843/

Then ponder this fact: The German Nazi’s uncovered the truth about the Katyń massacre in 1943 and published this for the whole world to know. Roosevelt and Churchill knew what the Soviets had done. Yet they still sacrificed Poland and gave her to Stalin as a “prize” at the Yalta conference. So whenever you think of Roosevelt as some huge hero, think again–the blood of 22,000 Polish Patriots is on his hands as well, as he did nothing to avenge their murder.

Today we remember the beginning of World War II. It is measured as starting on September 1, 1939, when the Germans invaded Poland, but in truth, the war itself was a long time in the making, began by the the punishments imposed at the end of the “Great War,” fueled by the appeasements of the allies (France and England) and the closed-door policy of the USA, and incited by the spoils of war hoped for by Stalin with the partition of Poland. Still, we mark it as beginning this day, 76 years ago.

I was there. Not when it started, but where it started–I was there on Westerplatte 71 years later, in 2010, at 4:38 AM in the morning, on September 1st. I was there with thousands of others. I sang Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła, watched some re-enactments, heard the bells toll, and listened to the President of Poland speak, and the Archbishop lead a prayer. It was very moving, and I will never forget it.

I wrote about that experience here in my blog and later on I posted some pictures from that somber ceremony of remembrance. It is worth remembering, the sacrifice of a nation that started that day, and did not really end for nearly 50 years. It’s a story of a tenacious people, longing for freedom, holding on to an ideal, and not giving up, even when abandoned by her friends and allies. It’s a story to long to recount here, now. But a story worth remembering. And it started 76 years ago today, on Westerplatte, with the “official” beginning of World War II….  I remember.