Poland commemorated the 85th anniversary of the beginning of World War II on Sunday with a ceremony marking the first attacks by Nazi Germany that ignited the deadly conflict.
Approximately six million Polish people died in the conflict, which claimed more than 50 million lives worldwide, including six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, half of whom were Polish. The memorial ceremony on Sunday was held at Westerplatte, on the Baltic coast of Poland, where 85 years ago a German warship opened fire on a Polish fortress.
In his speech on Sunday, the Polish Prime Minister stated that the lessons from World War II were “not abstract,” drawing comparisons with the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine. “This war is coming back from the east,” he said.
He called on NATO member states to be, as he put it, “fully committed to defense… against the aggression we are witnessing today on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
Adolf Hitler’s attacks on Poland led Britain and France to declare war on Nazi Germany. On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland.
After the Nazis broke their pact with Moscow, the alliance led by Germany, Italy, and Japan faced the victorious allies led by Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
President Andrzej Duda attended the ceremony held in the western Polish town of Wielun, where the first Nazi bombs fell 85 years ago.
President Duda said that “seeking forgiveness” from Germany was not sufficient and called for reparations, adding that: “This issue has not been resolved.” Despite the 85 years that have passed since the start of the war, Poland believes there are still unresolved issues.
The pro-European Polish government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has demanded financial reparations from Germany for the destruction caused by the Nazi troops. Even the previous populist government, which lost the elections in October, had made similar calls.
During a visit to mark the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, a revolt crushed by Nazi occupying forces while Soviet troops stood by, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke about plans to build a memorial for Polish victims of the Nazi forces.
“Many other efforts are being made, including for survivors of the German occupation. Our two governments are cooperating closely on this,” he said. However, President Steinmeier did not provide further details about the possibility of compensation measures.
According to Polish media, Warsaw and Berlin are engaged in discussions regarding financial compensation for survivors of the Nazi war. Poland estimates that about 70,000 people would benefit. /VOA
