Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
The provinces of Volhynia (Wolyn), Polesie, Nowogrodek, and Wilno as well as Bialystok had been subjected to the Russian Empire for more than a century. But Lwow, Stanislawow and Tarnopol had seen the Russians only once, in 1914, and had never been under Russian rule: they had been annexed by Austria in the first partition of Poland in 1772.
What sets the last war apart from all the others is the sheer enormity of the crimes committed against the Poles. Something like 5 million Poles perished in that war, with attrocities from both the germans and the Russians. The Poles as a people deserved better than what they got out of the war....
Most attrocities against Poles in the area were commited by ukrainian nationalists who fought against the Red Army and on many occasions collaborated with Nazies.
What's interesting is that Russia didnt gain anything from Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Not a single square mile.
Lithuveniaand Belarus almost doubled their territories and Ukraine added 25% to its pre-war lands. Now, they condemn Russia for the Pact and years of "occupation" but not in a hurry to return those lands back to Poland.
Ya know, I just started reading this post and some of your other gems and you're throwing up some major commie bullsh!t here - I'm usually pretty open to people's opinions but you're on the border line of perpetuating some pretty bold statements that won't be tolerated by forum members who actually lost family members by the Soviet's hands. I suggest you tone down your rhetoric or your stay here will be short!!! I'm only going to tell you this ONCE!By moving his troops to the Curzon Line in 1939, Stalin restored generally accepted, historical border established in 18th century between Russia and Poland.
Although several skirmishes between Soviet and Polish troops, through pure misunderstanding, took place in September 1939, there was no point for polish soldiers to fight and die for something that is not in fact your "home soil" but rather a colony.
Lwow was originally a city of Kievan Rus back in 13th century inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians. Over the centuries of Polish rule its demographics changed but still, by 1939 Poles were an ethnic minority on those territories Stalin "occupied".
By moving his troops to the Curzon Line in 1939, Stalin restored generally accepted, historical border established in 18th century between Russia and Poland.
Although several skirmishes between Soviet and Polish troops, through pure misunderstanding, took place in September 1939, there was no point for polish soldiers to fight and die for something that is not in fact your "home soil" but rather a colony.