[QUOTE=JDK;1522255]Indeed the Russian invasion of Poland in ’39 is often overlooked. I’m not aware that after 1941 they were ‘enemies’ though. They ‘liberated’ Poland in their advance on Berlin, don’t forget.
Churchill made promises to the Polish government in exile that he didn’t fulfil. His denial of permission for the Polish marchers in the victory parade was an (IMHO) un-necessary kowtow to Stalin’s demands. He, as did the other powers, failed to use diplomatic pressure to hold Stalin to recognising a properly constituted Polish government rather than a Soviet puppet.
As well as being a psychopathic thug, Stalin was a very effective negotiator, and I’d certainly not want to negotiate with him from a position of strength or weakness. But then, I’m not a diplomat. Maybe Churchill had no options in negotiations with Stalin, and – given Churchill’s self-serving memoirs – we have little opportunity to know how hard he tried. But even if he had no choice, he failed the Polish government and people.
Is it not believed by some that it was churchills government who had something to do with Sikorki’s B-24 Liberator that went down off the coast of Gibraltar? With double agent Kim Philbey on the rock the day the aircraft went down, and with the arrival of a Russian aircraft at Gibraltar the day before the crash, Churchills government was very quick to point the finger of blame at the Russians. However, as mentioned earlier, was it a secret that the allied forces were in no position to fight another war so soon after the first? Sure they signed a peace pact with Poland incase of Nazi invasion – but did they really think Hitler would go through with it if they feared the British and French would enter into the war? The British hoped (rather hopefully) that Hitler would turn his aggression to the East i.e Russia. Towards 1943, Sikorski’s exiled government was an imbarresment to Churchills government, his plane crash was rather convienient for Churchill!!!!
Regards,
Gavin
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