www.9maja.pl Nothing could impress me more than this. Thank You, Polish comrades! I wish all Russians remembered that Poles were our greatest battlefield allies, and the only European nation who fought together with USSR. One out of every four soldiers who died in Berlin Operaton was Polish.
Keep in mind that simple geographical reality meant that not a lot of nations really could fight alongside you guys on the Eastern front.
Oh well...... Comrade Boroda; I do not wish to take the part of a revisionist. However there are several sources to a certain "incident" in the story of the Great Patriotic War regarding Poland and the "liberation" of a certain city: Warszawa. As the Red Army advanced towards Warszawa, the Armia Krajowa began their assault on the German occupational army 01 August 1944. They were in communication with the Red Army under the command of a certain Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev (Леони́д Ильи́ч Бре́жнев). The German Army was in retreat and the Armia Krajowa had nearly liberated the whole city when the Red Army "suddenly" stopped their advance. When the German Army realized the Red Army had stopped just short of the Wisła (Vistula) river, they started an immediate kontratakuje (counter-attack). The Germans retook the city and the Armia Krajowa was virtually destroyed. Only then did the Red Army enter the city and "liberate" the Polish People. The Russians then enjoyed Polish hospitality for the next 50+ years...
heard that army stopped as it was usual offence plan: advance then take pause to reinforce and to prepare next advance. continuing advance without reinforcement and replanning would be a suicide. at least soviets did not confirmed that they will reach the city in the time required by poles. no?
There are all sorts of justifications and explanations. I agree with the conclusion of others that the Red Army used this tactic in order to crush any possible resistance to the Russian occupation. The fact is the Germans had already left the city. The Red Army could have easily entered the city and defended that position far better than wait for the Germans to re-enter and re-take the city. The Red Army was in contact with the Polish Army and had up to date news. I must offer you a view about a great general of WW2 sometimes over-looked: Wladyslaw Anders. There are also some recounts about how Poles were treated by Russians as well. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/people_anders_wladyslaw.html http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=467 http://www.robertambros.com/andersbio.htm http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/rsolecki/wladyslaw_anders.html http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-6635.html http://www.amazon.com/Gulags-Polish-General-Anders-Cassino/lm/R2JO692IHTGCOX
