My opinion is based, for example, on the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin - they were just like I quoted them. He stated in official opinion that Yalta agreement brought to Eastern Europe democracy and freedom. That is a bullshit of a year, in my humble opinion. That is twisting historical facts for tha sake of presenting USRR in favourable view.
Find me the speech that Putin had maid that contains those word. There was Foreign Ministry commentary published on February 12 that contained something like that but even that commentary was not worded the way you say it was. What was said is
The most important and well known result of the conference was coordination of the plans for the final defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan, clarification of the main principles delaing with post-war world order – including creation of the UN. As a result of Yalta-Potsdam accords Poland acquired significant territories to its west and north . It is somewhat cynical for our Polish partners to complain about Yalta. …. The passage which in Polish (and some other Western press ) was made so famous was worded approximately like that:
In Yalta allied powers confirmed their common wish to see Poland strong, fee, independent and democratic No more no less.
As for "national interests" - I do not want to speak about US, becasue I have not enough information about it, I live in EU after all and know it better anyway. And I know that EU does not smuggle weapons to rebels uprising against worldwidely recognised government of Moldova (government recognised also by Russia)
No but EU did zilch then worldwidely recognised government of Moldova(noth current though) was ethnically cleansing the territories. As for Arms smuggling do you have any tangible proof aside form some gossips that it is in fact official Russian policy?
EU does not threaten any country that they will send forces to anihilate their army unless they allow rebels to roam freely. Russia does that to Georgia, when Georgians have problems with their own rebels.
What exactly you allude to? Show me one official Russian note threatening to annihilate Georgian Army –oh and btw Russia repeatedly rejected requests of mutinous Georgian regions to in clued them in RF –how that coordinates with Imperialistic Russia image?
Sorry to break it to you, but in common understanding this is not a usual way of securing "national interests" - these are imperialistic maneuvers.
Right as soon as you show the shred of proof…
And as for Ucraine - please, do you want to pretend that Russia did not try do exercise open influence over elections in this country pointing directly whom they want for Ucrainian President (namely Yanukovic) ? What was it? Russia thinks that she can choose presidents in Ucraine, because it wants to see it as a matter of "national interest"? Not to mention that after falsified 2nd round of election, won by Yanukovic of course, Putin was they first head of state to congratulate him.
Where does it say that Russia cannot point? Is there some international law that says it can’t? Russia also said that it would like to see Bush being reelected (now there is something Putin actually said)- does that mean that Russa interfered with elections in the US? As for falsifications –there were plenty on both sides in both tours –in general portraying Yankovich as big democrat is laughable –as someone pointed out it was victory of millionaires over milliardears.
Sorry, Oleg, but you simply proof you have problems with reading. I did not avoid your question - I tried to show that it is immaterial and based on wrong assumptions. If you try to state that Soviets could "take a break" you simply do not know basic facts (of more likely, you "suspend" them temporarily, becasue they are not convenient for you). Russians did not want to take any breaks, they wanted to get to Berlin as fast as possible.
No I don’t you began to answer the question that was not asked and I pointed that to you. As for these little what if. Taking a break for several months actually could have been very beneficial in terms of reaching Berlin. Letting allies and Nazis pound each other into pulp somewhere in Normandy, making sure that first need significant time to replenish themselves to resume any kind of offensive and that second squandered their mobile reserves would make future Soviet advance far less problematic. Obviously that was not the thinking.
However if you insist on this silly question I can say only one thing, which I already said in my first post - POLES WOULD BE NO MORE (right now) IF RED ARMY DID NOT HEAVILY PARTICIPATED IN DEFEATING NAZI GERMANY. That also means that any delay of Soviets forces would mean more deaths of Poles killed by Germans. It is worth to mention however, that when Soviets came they started killing Poles as well (although not on the same scale as well), so for many Poles situation did not change at all. They were still in opressive state.
For most Poles situation changed drastically since their chance for all intents and purposes theye were not faced anymore with perspective of being exterminated as a nation. Poles may hate all they like –the simple fact is if it was not for USSR there would be no Poland. If you think this is nothing to be grateful for .. well let’s not go there.
As for postwar development, transfer of resources and all those "favours" USRR gave to Poland, Czechoslovakia, all 3 Baltic states and Hungary - I believe it is not a subject for this forum. However if you speak about Poland being backwarded before WWII please be careful, becasue it shows you have no info about it, and just speak for the sake of speaking. For your information before the WWII Poland was among fastest growing economies in Europe, having one of the strongest currencies in the region. In the same time Soviet population was from time to time starving to death and committing acts of canibalism in dispare for food (for example in Ucraine in 20's counquered by USRR and having some best soil in the world).
Most of the developing countries have faster growing economies because they have nothing else to do but grow- so being backward and having fastest growing economy does not contradict each other. When compared with any European Traditional Power Poland was backward. As for the USSR I would like point out that during the war it managed either to keep up or outright out produce its opponents using only fraction of industry available before the war.
And about all this help from USRR after the war and untill 1989 - buhahahahaha. [Sorry, I know is is childish but I just could not resist.] The best description of how hopeless and backwarding was this "help" form USRR let's look and a matter which is closer to the topic of this forum, namely Germany. Compare gap in economic development between Western and Eastern Germany before they joined each other, compare standards of living, compare income per capita. Do you sincerely think that those Eastern Germans right after the WWII were more stupid, more lazy, less organized or in any other way more backwarded comparing to their Western fellows? I do not think so. THEY WERE JUST RECEIVING "HELP" FROM USRR FOR 50 YEARS. That is what made the difference. The same applies to Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - all those states most likely would do much better if communistic and totalitarian rule was not pressed on them by "liberating" Red Army. As I stated - I base it assumption on comparing level of development in West and East Germany - conclusions are straightforward. The states I mentioned had to subdue to Soviet commands and absurd communistic economy. You speak about cheap reasouces supplied to those states. Well, I can speak about coal, food and machinery transported to USRR from Poland for which we used to receive only a fraction of production costs from our fellow "Slavic" brothers on the East.
Now if there was a bad example. Germany
was (and eastern Germy specifically) in fact sucked dry because initially nobody planned the division and the whole thing was done to prevent it from recovering too fast. The fact that managed to achieve one of the highest standards of living in Warsaw pact actually speaks volumes to the point contary to what you just said. Poland and Baltic states are not even in the same league. Btw “Slavic” –meaning not “Slavic”. Anyway like I said you want compare what you delivered to USSR vs what USSR deliver in return in terms of goods and resources – be my guest. Until then sucking dry is just unsupported allegation of yours?
Obviously the link you supplied does not mention "Tygodnik Powszechny". Of course the article we are talking about was published in Polish language on the webside run by Poles. BUT IN ANY WAY IT CANNOT BE TAKEN AS A POLISH OPINON ON THE SUBJECT !
I mentioned "Tygodnik Powszechny" to show how Russian authorities are trying to manipulate media and opinions of people (namely in this situation Russians and Ucrainians). They took article from redundant, completely unknown webside (in addition article was written by a person who for years or even decades stays in Australia, and from this perspective talks about current developmets in Ucraine), and put it together with articles from the most famous newspapers of the world, to make it look as if it was official opinion or at least opinion widely acknowledged in Poland
Right… This is the second time I am asking for you to show that “Russian authorities” tried to manipulate anything. As for your second assumption it takes really wild imagination to see that. INOSMI presents articles from every newspaper and news site without commenting on their relative importance or lack there off so as far I am concerned Tygodnik Powszechny might be just as obscured as the web-site. And nowehere was it implied that article represent any official view.
That would be the same as if I searched net for some outskirt Russian webpage talking some nationalistic or communistic bullshit and try to present it as official believes at Kremlin. Or if I would choose some German, American, French or any other nationalistic and backwarded webpage and try to pretent that it speaks for all Germans, Americans, Frenth or any other.
Only INOSMI did nothing of the kind.
And, sorry to inform you Oleg, you try to manipulate in the very same way - you just picked up some crappy article written by nationalistic lunatic, and try to present it as a general Polish opinion.
Now that just an outright lie –not that I am surprised. That is what I wrote 2 weeks ago on this very thread:
As for Kaluski ... granted: he is probably not the representative of Polish majority but he got published -so at least someone found him interesting...
That’s presenting what Kaluski wrote as an official Polish view?