The Second World War began on September 1, 1939, so you knew it was perpetrated by the most punctual nation on the planet that also gave us the VW and Auschwitz. In Europe, September 1 is when the new school year begins, the kids go learning and their parents now have the much needed free time to destroy the world.
Nearly all of the world’s countries participated in WW2, investing all their available economic, industrial, and scientific resources and capabilities in pursuit of a total victory. It was the deadliest war since Cane annihilated a quarter of humanity back when history began. WW2 resulted in an estimated 85 million fatalities, more than half of whom were civilians, 7.06% of whom were Jews.
In 1939, an estimated 18 million Jews lived in the world. By 1945, this number was reduced to 12 million.
Poland recalled the start of the war with solemn ceremonies that began early Sunday, marking the 85th anniversary of the Nazi invasion. President Andrzej Duda observed the event in Wielun, the first polish town that was bombed by the Germans in early Sept. 1, 1939.
President Duda delivered a moving speech in which he emphasized Poland’s steadfastness in pursuing justice and redress for wartime wrongs. He drew a distinction between forgiveness and the need to repair the damage done.
Duda noted that although Poland had forgiven the Germans’ crimes, it still expected justice and compensation for losses resulting from wartime violence. “The Polish authorities should demand this and I deeply believe that they will demand it until the end,” he said.
President Duda recalled not only the historical debt, but also expressed hope for the support of the international community in Poland’s pursuit of justice. “No one will settle accounts with us for everything we have lost over 40 years of being behind the Iron Curtain, and no one will compensate us, but for these calculable losses that we have suffered as a result of war and aggression,” he said, noting, “Compensation is not only possible, but is due.”
Duda did not limit his notes to the past, but also referred to the present, pointing out the analogy between Poland’s historical demands and the current situation in Ukraine. He stressed that just as Poland expects reparations for WW2, Russia should also bear responsibility for its actions against Ukraine.
On the Westerplatte peninsula, overlooking the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also paid their respects at a memorial. They laid wreaths and attended a solemn roll call honoring fallen soldiers. This site marks where Polish troops, though vastly outnumbered, held off German forces for seven days at the war’s outset.
The attack on Westerplatte began just moments after the bombing of Wielun, when a German warship opened fire on the Polish military outpost. The defenders’ valiant week-long stand, despite overwhelming odds, became a powerful symbol of Polish courage and love of country.
