Back from oblivion, the history of WW II; straight from the horse's mouth.

My special thanks to Hon. Zbigniew Brzezinski,
for his kind and valuable advice in emergency.

The present world was born as a result of WW II (“nam paritur pax bello”) and it was at crossroads at that point. It survived, but could as well have perished. I am aware, a rash word too much may compromise the whole idea, the book and insignificant, author too. However, I think it self-evident, the Freedom, the Democracy, a globe fit to live survived only by the heroic and desperate, struggle of Poland solitary in 1939 and next England in second half 1940 and first of 1941. Astonishingly, most of the facts are forgotten, the next generations want to know nothing of it.

There are many books about WW II, some excellent historical publications, manuals, citing first-class sources, adding more and more exact details, or cutting the less important. So why are they so different? Almost every country presents one, some several versions. Of course the picture changes depending on the viewpoint, but at least the facts themselves should not. This, dismissing the obvious forgery, dictated by the dictators and for a long time an obligatory belief.

There is a rarely used source, almost virgin, open to research: the contemporary public opinion, as presented in the press of the day. Surely biased, very much so. Presumably there has never been an unbiased, objective newspaper in the world for at least two centuries. What of it? Do not the biased witnesses add much to the truth in most trials? And are not many other sources, memoirs, even documents, often biased too? There is a need to notice the bias, treat it critically, use one’s sound reason and compare with other materials, mostly biased too, but different.

For understanding even now the history, the facts, the pattern – what really happened – two items are indispensable: the contemporary knowledge and recall of public opinion. By this time there remain few people who have still the common knowledge, the memory. That is why the scholars now inaccurately interpret the pattern of facts. And that is why the author has introduced into the action story the "Capsule", which presents the contemporary background, the spirit of the time. Taken a small part from his own experience, the majority from contemporary newspapers which he read. However, this is only the beginning, every reader may find much satisfaction, pleasure and fun, exploring the old papers on his or her own. The libraries with old press are accessible almost everywhere, if not, there is always the possibility of access to electronic copies, the greatest collections are already fully computerized, or going to be, soon. Why not discover on your own the traces of history, check it and form your own, independent picture, opinion and beliefs? Know better than the scholars, who in large tomes lose some important matters and behind trees lose sight of the forest? Not on purpose, but through repetition of the old, munched and jumbled text. It is like the old parlor game “dumb telephone,” more and more details get lost, twisting the history. It is worth spending a few months reading the old papers, in a comfortable, easy way and discovering the lost truth again.

The pen of this story, an only child, over-cared-for and isolated by his mother, lonely, even before school learned to read and found there a substitute interest. First children’s books, then adventure, already from 1936 on he read everything he could get his hands on, including newspapers, at least ten hours a day. The news, after the Mukden incident, of China and next the Italian-Abyssinia war, all sympathy for the victims, agreed with the pattern of freedom-fighting as in books, dear to his heart. He wrote letters, to the “King of Kings” and to Chiang-Kai-shek. But the Spanish Civil War created a problem, when for the first time he met conflicting comments. His family read steadily the "Mały Dziennik" (Small Daily) edited in Niepokalanów, also “The Knight” and "The Little Knight of Maria” and the "Catholic Guide." But in "Robotnik" (The Worker), he found strong contrary news and opinions. Neither bright nor brainy, he could not make head nor tail of it, but with time took preference for the "reds"; odd, considering the family beliefs. If not a sharp mind, he had a photographic memory, not only for contents, also for locating the text and the appearance of the page. So he often did not understand, but anyway memorized exactly what and where.

For example he memorized the news about the German debts with the name of Hjalmar Schacht, but never connecting this with Hitler or the German Army.

He traced all known details about the fall of the first and strongest, Mechanized Army in the world, furnished and next destroyed by Stalin. The sensational details of the killings of Gamarnik, Tuchaczewski and seven top commanders, next eleven proxy of the People’s Commissar of Defense and the supernatural dematerialized Red Army Commander in the far east, Bluecher. These details he found in IKC, a sensation-hunting tabloid. It was probably a side, small coin bargain with some Hearst yellow press reporter, who rushed with heavy purse to get there first, next considering the paper in a distant, marginal country no competition. Anyway, not only Angus, nobody noticed the following result.

He read about the changes in the German organizations in Poland, when the Nazis created the JDP, at first revealing dear friendship to Poland and the Poles with open hostility to the old German organizations, most to the biggest, "DV." It was social engineering, taking control and discipline by applying terror on the German minority in Poland, done on the assumption, the Germans would never turn for Polish help in their inner affairs, never break the national solidarity. The news mentioned the disturbances between Germans, with strong-hand methods. Nobody knew exactly the pattern and the Polish Police never received any complaints for official action. Next, no wonder, on Nazi direction the disciplined German people turned in the V Column.

However, at first Hitler tried to turn also the Poles to his side. The press announced many visits of top politicians, Hitler’s close associates and proxies, offers of friendship and of German alliance, partnership in the pact with German-Italy Axis, and next also Japan. After the definite response that Poland had already an alliance treaty with France and a no-aggression pact with the Soviets good till 1940 (as with Germany) and could consider the proposed honor only after this term expired, did Hitler apply pressure.

In spring of 1939, the predicament in Europe developed as follows: Hitler declared he had spent on the German Army 90 billion marks (almost 40 billion dollars) and this was repeated by all the German newspapers. It was almost exactly the sum of all German debts, without interest. He stated he had the strongest Army in the universe and was starting to use it. Well, it was an exaggeration, done on purpose, to impress the opponents and it worked. France, before even Czechoslovakia was not worse armed. (So after taking over Czechoslovakia’s arsenals Hitler’s power almost doubled, after conquering France increased fourfold; only after besting Poland, it temporarily dropped.) But the Commander in Chief of the French panicked. Only at one point did Hitler's attempts fail: He could not move Poland to turn to his side, to drop the alliance with the Western Democracies. The Kłajpeda (Memel) crisis, when Hitler offered to Poland a takeover of all the rest of Lithuania (as appetizer, with more territories to come, thanks to Hitler's kind backing), was the last try. As the friendly way had led nowhere, now came the time for pressure. If Poland backed out, Hitler could now start his offensive on the west according to the plans, finish with France in 1939 and make a deal, or take England unprepared for invasion.

More so, Poland remained the only partner ready to fight now. However, without more demands and dealing, an honorable action seemed to the Western Allies pure stupidity. An honest John rarely meets reciprocal honesty.

The point is, that it is due to the merit of Poland alone, the Western Democracies survived 1939. Everybody now remembers, the UK, by themselves, opposed Hitler for a longtime, at a serious cost of blood, tears and sweat. Yet nobody mentions, that in 1939 Poland saved the skins of both allies, the UK and France, at the cost of her own skin. Now, the moon, Mars and whatever are surely better known, than Earth during that crisis.

With France it was not for long, the French lost willingly anyway. About England, it was worth every toll. But if France had had to capitulate already in 1939, England would not have been able to survive. The best Churchill could have done, would be to have continued the war from the Dominions. Recollect, that after the calamity of France in 1940, Roosevelt invited the British Fleet to take refuge in US ports, and suggested the UK government might move to Canada. He was considering the common defense of the Western Hemisphere.

That's why Hitler insisted so strongly on the western offensive already in 1939. However, die Wehrmacht spent all their potential in the Polish campaign, only about 25% of tanks remained in-service, there was a lack of ammo, as known, even "Die Luftwaffe" had bombs left only for days.

The Poles were not exactly determined to committing suicide to save the free world. The combined force of Poland, France and England was the stronger, chances looked good enough. If the Allies had acted fair, Hitler never would have won the first campaign, not to mention being set aside by his own Army on the orders of General Ludwig Beck.

Neither the Poles nor the Allies were aware that Stalin was backing Hitler all the way from the beginning. Surely not for love, but both monsters had a mutual purpose: first start the war and only afterwards decide, who shall take the whole lot and remain alive.

When the Earth was so great and distances bigger, many civilizations developed and fell, others developed and took over. With globalization this changed. For the first time, the two primitive, obviously mad terrorists became dictators. The one with paranoia, murder all around first before they murder him, the other seeking compensation for an inferiority complex from youth, they brought all humanity to a crossroads. Cooperating secretly, they started WW II with the biggest armies ready; lucky the first, with paranoia, damaged his tools. But anyway, if they had stayed a little time longer together, before trying to kill one the other, their power might have been enough to take over the globe. Humanity was near the point of no return, the two monsters could first destroy civilization and make the whole world a place unfit to live, only next biting each others’ throats.

Anyway, next all people lived many years with a worse threat, Stalin remained. Cosmic catastrophe is not the only danger, we may commit suicide by our own folly, the possibility is increasing.

The boy, at the war’s beginning aged eleven years and two months, continued to read all the accessible papers, the German and Polish reptile press. Next also the Polish underground, for a time he became a voluntary helper to an underground press archivist, with steady access to regularly appearing, around 30 permanent main central and local magazines, and over 200 arriving occasionally, time to time. (Well, including short-lasting and rare papers, which got there exceptional, some valuable specimens, such as "Griffin Pomorski" and "Słowo” (a Word) from Wilno.) Of course he could not read everything, but even from what he was able, could get a dizzy head. Not mentioning study of the old editions. This unique opportunity lasted only half a year, but what a rich source of information! There was never such abundance of opinions, comments, free speech, as in the 1944 underground. Why do historians so rarely benefit from the press? Old newspaper is simply a treasure wasted, laying fallow.

Also, he did his best to be killed: but being a natural loser, failed even in this with little to spare. Don Quichote passion and spirit drove him to see places and meet people right to the bottom of hell. Now, the old horse (or ass?), has written it down; neither reportage nor a full story. Rather a series of loose, accurate snapshots from the past.

He never had the qualifications for the hero. To wish and dream is not enough, he had not the right stuff inside for this. Death, met three times close, recognized a failure and repeatedly spat him out. He did about a month in a concentration camp and two months and a few days more in the guerrilla, barely enough to be not ashamed of himself, looking in the mirror. But in his mania to find his way to the first line of the combatants, he met many characters and witnessed many events. He never expected to live so long. Now, he sometimes suspects that he may not succeed to die, before telling everything he heard or saw. The only excuse for his life, taking a place in the world.

The book is a true story based on facts. But also, a sensational thriller and great adventure, a suspense novel and horror so bad, that after reading it you may just smile at the worst writers ever imagined, those who specialize in atrocities (real life is always matchless). The action begins under rapid-fire and next the tension only grows. A daily life on the brink of a tomb, in a country more than twice decimated, where the occupants tried selectively to murder the best (did more than 22% of the population). This explains why the splendid former society diminished, it caused a negative evolution.

There is some more: A reader can look in an unknown, nearly exotic word, a country isolated and sealed off by occupants, where they committed by preference most of crimes, planning no witness left alive. And a country, where never stopped resistance, the fighting, according with a long tradition, for freedom for ours and all the people.