Merkel ally Steinbach quits in row over blame for WWII

[GMantis]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11261985

A bit extreme. No doubt that Germany bears the brunt of the blame but I'm sure Poland was no innocent bystander either.

The only thing Poland could do to avoid the war would be to surrender all areas demanded by Germany. And this would have only delayed the war for several months.

[GMantis]

Oh I agree.

Then why did you make that statement about Polish blame.

[GMantis]

My point is that I doubt that poland was a 100% completely innocent victim, just like France.

And my point was that short of unconditionally surrendering, there was no way for Poland to avoid the war, which is why the apologist view of this war is so ridiculous.

[GMantis]

Yes, but the view that some teach that a country like France was a victim is just as ridiculous.

France wasn't in the path of Hitler's expansion to the Ural so it could avoid war with Germany, also France as a great power could stop Germany's expansion at an early point, so France is indeed not entirely a victim.  Still, considering the consequences of a German dominated Europe, declaring war on Germany is certainly defensible on moral grounds, so to say that they weren't a victim at all would be incorrect.

[GMantis]

Poland mobilised its military in March 1939 when Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia, IIRC.

However, they were demobilized, so that Poland had to restart mobilization at the end of August 1939 and due to the interference of France, managed only a 70% by the outbreak of the war.
So yes, Steinbach's statement is completely dishonest.