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The War Hitler Won: The Fall of Poland, September, 1939

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Lacking a background in the area of diplomacy, I cannot comment on the accuracy or lack thereof of Bethell's premises. However, he does show an obvious attempt to be objective.

Contrary to the potentially-misleading nature of the title, this book is not primarily about the military aspects of the German-Soviet aggression. However, much useful information is included in the book. The concept of "lightning war" (blitzkrieg) was conceived by British strategist Liddell-Hart (p. 30). In the 1930's, Germany's vast industrial potential was pitted against its small Polish counterpart. Germany managed to outspend Poland 30:1 on armaments. (p. 31). Even so-called German liberals, notably von Hassell, adopted a blame-the-victim approach to Poland for the precipitation of the war. (p. 33). Later, Bethell commented on the Communists in the Roosevelt administration. (e. g., p. 268).

During the war itself, Polish forces conducted an incursion into East Prussia. (p. 30). Far from being destroyed on the ground in the first day or so of the war, the Polish Air Force succeeded in attacking German columns weeks later. One such attack took place near Rawa Ruska on September 14. (p. 137).

Bethell suggests that, to make a serious two-front war of it, France would have needed to attack Germany within a week of the German attack on Poland, but was not ready to do so. (p. 171). This begs the question about the seriousness of France's assurances to Poland. Indeed, Bethell faults France and Britain for failing to re-arm massively before the war. Churchill's call for re-armament was disregarded. (p. 413). The British cynically refused even to bomb Germany although they were capable of doing so. (p. 127).

As for "Bloody Sunday", the German fifth column had been attacking Polish forces and civilians. According to German documents, 4,850 Germans were killed in the process. (p. 16). This German propaganda enlarged tenfold, and twisted into a massacre of defenseless German civilians at Bydgoszcz (Bromberg). What actually happened? At Bydgoszcz, 238 Poles and 223 German fifth-columnists were killed in the fighting, and then 260 fifth-columnists were summarily shot in accordance with the sentence of a Polish military court. (p. 84-85).

Unlike those who treat the Kresy (Poland's eastern half) as non-Polish, Bethell realizes that the Kresy had unclear "valid ownership", as it contained a mixed population with a substantial number of Poles. (p. 339). And, unlike those who unilaterally fault Poland for the way she had treated her minorities, Bethell thinks that reports of mistreatment were exaggerated (p. 307), and comments: "It can be seen that Poland had none of the security and stability which leads a country to take a tolerant, enlightened attitude towards its national minorities." (p. 343).

Finally, Bethell dwells on the barbarities of the German occupation of Poland. He does not mince words about the fact that Poles, no less than Jews, were subject to genocide and planned eventual extermination. He provides a fair amount of detail on this subject.