why did we go to war for poland in 1939 ?

Question

we lost millons of lives decideing to draw a line against nazism in Poland and then allow them to be opressed by the USSR for 40 years and now we bregrudge them coming here to work (largely legally) seems to defy logic what ever you feel about immigration

Answer 1

deadmeatuk2: what the hell is the EC? Havent you heard about the EU?

i appreciate the Polish for their contribution during the war (but most of it was revenge motivated). I can understand why they come here but im not happy about it. Why do i think that ghettos are going to form in parts of east anglia like we have in bradford and Oldham. Most of the economies of the countries of the world are worse off than the UK, so does that make it okay for everyone to come here? Why is everyone so money motivated now, the "if i go here i can earn more" attitude is quite depressing. The happiest people i've met dont know what money is (islands of the central pacific). Poland is suffering as all the graduates are leaving and coming here to do crap jobs but earn more than what they would back home, many are exploited by evil employers. What did the EU think was going to happen when they annouced their plans for a free-movement of labour throughout the EU?

Answer 2

Basically, the invasion of Poland was mainly prompted by the Allied nations not letting Nazi Germany take it diplomatically like Czechoslovakia. Consequently, Hitler invaded it with brute military force and the Allied Nations believed that he had gone too far and they had to draw the line somewhere.

And in WW2, we did not lose "millions" of lives. Russia lost more men than the Allied Nations and Germany put together, which is a considerably high number.

In answer to your oppression question, just think of the consequences if Britain and America attacked Russia, that would have sparked the Cold War and turned into a 'Hot' War with nuclear bombs and s*** like that. That was the one thing we were trying to avoid and so we couldn't intervene. Also, diplomatic relations were really poor because of Stalin's big ego. But here, you see the devastating effects of Communism upon countries such as Hungary and Poland.

Now immigrants are good (apparently) as they make the national economy prosper and flourish and so that is why we let them into country. Purely for selfish reasons.

Answer 3

I think the reason we "begrudge" them coming here to work is because there is already unemployment/low pay in the UK and millions of Poles coming here to take jobs just makes it harder for the British worker.

We have nothing against the Poles themselves and didn't want to see them oppressed by Nazism. I just wish so many of them weren't coming here. Why can't they make their own country a better place instead of having to come here to take work that could be going to British people?

Despite what deadmeat says (and he's obvously very rich and affluent) many British people work for minimum wage, many of us don't really have a choice. Well paid jobs are not easy to come by these days especially in some of the less well off areas of the UK.

Nusta - you obviously have no idea about the UK because the majority of British people didn't want to join the EU, it was not our choice. And being worried about million of East Europeans coming here for work is not "racist" as it is not a prejudice based on the immigrants race, just the fact that we think British people should all be able to find work and get a decent standard of living before we invite more in to this country.

Answer 4

The Allies were too slow to start with. The League of Nations (renamed United Nations) did not do its job and prevent Germany building up its Arsenal, Airforce, Navy and Army (now where have we heard this recently?).

It was Great Britain who defied Germany and told Hitler that if they invaded Poland, Great Britain and its allies would declare war on Germany. We also knew that if Hitler were to invade Poland, then he would not stop there. It was designed to find out what Hitlers intentions were, considering Chamberlain came back from Germany with a bit of paper declaring, 'peace in our time'.

When Poland was overthrown, its airforce came to England, to fight side by side with our RAF. Many Polish fighter pilots died during and leading upto the Battle Of Britain. We still owe a great deal to those brave Polish fighters many of whom stayed in the UK after the war because of Stalin.

After the war finished the American president died soon after and Churchill was replaced by Labours Atlee. Stalin basically told the allies that he wanted eastern europe and there was not a dmned thing USA or Britain could do about it. As he would have been prepared to sacrifice more Russian lives and allies lives until he got what he wanted. It was decided that Germany would be sperated East and West and Berlin (in the East) be split into East and West also.

We didn't allow Russia to oppress Poland, but there wasn't a lot we could do about it, as it could of started a nuclear war. (the cold war)

It was down to the VERY brave Solidarinosc (sic) to force Russia to stop its oppression of Poland. In 1989 further soviet bloc states followed suit and eventually communism in Russia was also overthrown

Poland is now a member of the EC and therefore its population can move freely within the EC, (not largely legally - very legally) likewise UK residents can move freely through the EC including Poland.

We do need migrant workers. They do the jobs we don't want to do. They happily take the minimum wage, because we feel that it is a degrading amount. In one month here in the UK it probably equates to 3 months wages (or more) in Poland.

We should respect the People of Poland and Polish origin. They will do more for the UK as members of the EC, than Germany, France, Italy or Spain would.

The Polish people have never forgotten that it was Great Britain that tried to save them from Nazism, and we should never forget, just how brave these people were, are, and probably always will be.

Answer 5

Actually, we didn't go to war "for Poland". Poland was attacked in September 1939, but the UK and France did nothing until they were also attacked in May 1940.

Countries almost always go to war only for their own interests. The UK was worried that Germany would get too strong and would eventually challenge Britain's control of the Empire, so they joined with other countries that were also afraid of the Nazis.

Answer 6

We did not go to war for Poland in 1939 and did not lose millions of lives in the war against Germany. And I wonder exactly who is begrudging Poles coming here legally to work.

Answer 7

You are absolutely right!
Here is the scenario....Hitler the Nazi; his nemises.....communism.
The sequence of events 1939
Sept 01...Hitler invades Poland.
Sept 03...England & France honour their obligation to defend Polands sovereignity. Both declare war on Germany.
Sept 11... Soviet Union declares war on Poland.
Sept 12... England & Poland honour their obligation to defend Polands sovereignty. Both declare war on the Soviet Union.WHOOPS THIS NEVER HAPPENED!
Sept 13... Lets SAY Hitler said,"We are leaving Poland and our war is over".
Epilog
GREAT the war with Germany is over & we don't have to fight.
Well what about the Soviets involvement in Poland?
Which ones?
The ones in Russia or the ones in MI5?
Oh! that wasn't in the equation.
Either way; did we fight for Polands sovereignity against the Soviet Union; Yes ! England achieved that in.......1990!!!!
What a disgrace and what a waste of human life & you call that idiot and meglomaniac Winston Churchill a GREAT BRITAIN.
If these numpties want to fight them on the beaches, start with THEMSELVES & THEIR SONS. Then us how they feel. Prime Minister Herbie Asquith did!!!!!!!!!

Answer 8

i don't begrudge them oh and the betrayal of Poland goes back a lot further than world war two. and Britain did stab them in the back a lot of times. i know have a few polish friends and they go its history man history. what was yesterday is not today.

Answer 9

We said "If Poland is attacked Britain and France will at once go to her assistance" to prevent Nazi expansion.
Great Britain 388,000 lives lost
USA 295,000
Germany 3,250,000
Poland 850,000

Answer 10

I do not know what country you are from, but the only Allied nation to lose millions was the USSR. Casualties where not in the millions for any other nation except Germany and Japan, if you do not count Holocaust victims.