Dr . Robert Hickson 11 December 2013 Pope Saint Damasus I (d. 384) Fruits of the 1920 Battle of Warsa w and the 1944 Normandy Invasion (Insights of General !F!"! Fuller and G!#! "hesterton$ %&igra&h' !ne ot"er memor# $o% m# &pri'a# 1*2+ ,isit to Po'and- I i'' add "ere. I made t"e ac/uaintance o% a #oun$Po'is"- ount "ose "ue and cost'# pa'ace o% a countr# "ouse..."ad been burned and recked and 'e%t in ruins b# t"e retreat o% t"e Red &rm# a% ter t"e att 'e o% arsa$i n t"e summer o% 1*20-....ut $in response to t"is- t"e #ounman $t"e ount-"o as ,er# #ounin a'' "is esturess"r ued "is s"ou'de rs and 'au"edat the same time looing very sad. 5!"I don5t b'ame t"em %or t"at 5 "e said. 5I have )een a soldier myself* and in the same +am&aign$in t"e Po'is"o's"e,ik ar a%ter or'd ar I-6 and I now the tem&tations. I kno"at a %e''o%ee'sdroppinit" %atiue and %ree7init" co'd"en "e asks "imse'% "at some ot"er %e''o5s armc"airs and curtains can matteri% "e can on'# "a,e %ue' %or t"e ni"t. !n t"e one side or t"e ot"ere ere a'' so'diers6 and it is a "ard and "orri b'e 'i%e. I don5t resent at a'' "at t"e# did "ere $it" m# "ouse-. ,here is only one thing that I really resent! I will show you .5 &n d "e 'ed us out into a 'on a,en ue 'ined it " pop'ars6 and at the end of it was a statue of the Blessed -irgin. with the head and hands shot off. Butthe hands had )een lifted6 and it is a strane t"int"at the very mutilation$o% ar#- seemed to give more meaning to the attitude of inter+ession. asing mer+y for the mer+il ess ra+e of men. (9.:. "es te rtonThe Autobi ogr aph y of G. K. Chesterton(;e<ork= S"eed > ard1*3?)pp. 32*330@m# emp"asis added.) AAA $Bar'ier- I as dri,init" a /olish lady$some time in a# o% 1*2+durinm# ,isi t t"ere- "o as very witty and wella+uainted with the whole +hara+ter of %uro&e* and also of %ngland...6 and $t"en-..."er tone c"aned $s udden' #- i% an# t"into a sort o% coo 'ness as we st o&&ed outside an ar+hway'eadinto a sidestreetand s"e said5e can5t dri,e cars in "ere.5...&s e a'ked under t"e arc"s"e said in t"e same co'our'ess tone6 5<ou take #our "at o%% "ere.5 &nd t"en I sathe o&en street. It as filled with a vast +rowd* all fa+ing me. and all on their nees on the ground.....I %aced roundand sain t"e centre o% t"e $e'e,ated- arc" reat indos standinopenunsealing a +ham)er%u'' o% o'd and co'ours6 t"ere as a picture be"ind6 but &arts of the whole &i+ture were moving...6 and t"en I rea'ised t"at %rom t"ose s"i%tinr oup s there shone and sounded the an+ient magnifi+en+e of the ass.(9.:. "estert onThe Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton (1*3?)p. 32*@m# emp"asis added.) 1
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Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
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8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
Hence%ort" a'' emp"asis in t"e cited teLts %rom 9enera' Eu''er5s book i'' "a,e been added b# t"e current riter un'essot"erise indicated. C"e pae re%erences to t"e cited teLts i'' be p'aced in parent"eses in t"e main bod# o% t"is essa#.
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8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
o% Hit'er to the e8+lusion of all other &ur&oses* loyalties and aims5 $."urc"i''5s on ords o%trepeated and maniaca''# so- 6talin* the su&reme
realist* whose military5 strategy and grand strategy5 had throughout e&t
in ste& with his &oli+y "ad been a)le to im&ose his messiani+ +ult upon
Bstonia Kat,ia Kit"uania part o% Ein'and Po'and eastern and centra'9erman# a t"ird o% &ustria 7ec"os'o,akia <uos'a,ia Hunar# Rumania
and u'aria. Fienna Praue and er'in the verte)rae of %uro&e ere "is
eLcept %or &t"ens so as e,er# capita' cit# in eastern Burope. ,he western
frontier of 3ussia "ad been ad,anced %rom t"e Pripet ars"es to t"e
C"urinera'd a distance o% +G0 mi'es and as in the days of "harlemagne*
the 6lavs stood on the %l)e and the Bhmerwald. 7 thousand years of
%uro&ean history had )een rolled )a+ . 6u+h were the fruits of the )attle
of Normandy* fru+tified )y ine&t strategy and a &oli+y of &ure destru+tion .
(G8*)
9enera' Eu''er 'ater %ormu'ated on t"e ,er# 'ast pae o% "is 'ast ,o'ume in 1*G+ (Fo'ume III)
t"e %o''oin c"a''ene in t"e %orm o% interroation=
,he su&reme uestion set )y the 6e+ond World War is= "ic" $banner- i''
be "au'ed don $t"e Stars and Stripes or t"e Hammer and Sick'e@ i.e.no t"at as o% 1*G+ t"e nion ack t"e banner o% t"e -a /ritanni(a "as
no been %ur'ed (?3?)-N Is t"e %uture to see a -a A,eri(ana or a -a
Tartari(aN (?3?)
In "is brie% and cautious anser to "is on /uestion 9enera' Eu''er makes a rep'# and t"en
adds a conc'udin /uestion "ic" reminds us o% to o% t"is ritis" enera'5s on &merican
contemporaries "ittaker "ambers and ames urn"am=
e "a7ard to suest t"at t"e anser i'' be %ound not in t"e contendin
military strent"s o% t"e nited States and t"e So,iet nion but in t"eirantagonisti+ po'itica' socia' economic and +ultural s#stems. "ic" o% t"eto is the more fitted to so',e t"e crucia' prob'em set to mankind b# t"e
Industria' Re,o'ution@ the status of man "is o,ernment and way of life in a
%u''# mec"ani7ed $and no t"e e'ectronic or e,en a more %u''# te+hnetroni+(O. r7e7inski)- or'dN
=f all the <udgments "ic" "a,e been passed on this monstrous and
momentous slogan $unconditiona' surrender- t"e most poer%u' is t"e one
made b# a statesman the )est ualified to mae it. In "is book -oliti(s Trials
and 2rrors $pub'is"ed in 1*G0- Kord Hanke# rites= It embittered t"e ar
$and its a%termat" o% course- rendered ine,itab'e a %i"t to t"e %inis" banedt"e door on an# possibi'it# o% eit"er side o%%erin terms or openin up
neotiations a,e t"e 9ermans and apanese t"e courae o% despair
strent"ened Hit'er5s position as 9erman#5s 5on'# "ope5 aided 9oebbe's5 propaanda and made ine,itab'e t"e ;ormand# 'andin and t"e subse/uent
terrib'# eL"austin and destructi,e ad,ance t"rou" ;ort" Erance e'ium
KuLembur Ho''and and 9erman#. ,he lengthening of the war ena)led
6talin to o++u&y the whole of eastern %uro&e to rin don t"e iron curtain
and so to rea'i7e at one soop a 'are insta''ment o% his avowed aims aainst
soca''ed +a&italism $and %urt"er to manipu'ate and pro%it %rom t"e ar o% ri,a'capita'ismsQ- in "ic" "e in+ludes so+ial demo+ra+y. # disposin o% a'' t"e
more competent administrators in 9erman# and apan t"is po'ic# made treat#
makin impossib'e a%ter t"e ar and retarded reco,er# and reconstruction not
on'# in 9erman# and apan but e,er#"ere e'se. It ma# a'so pro,e to "a,e poisoned our %uture re'ations it" eLenem# countries $in suc" an em)ittered
aftermath o% t"e ar-. ;ot on'# t"e enem# countries but near'# a'' countries
ere b'ed "ite b# t"is po'ic# $o% unconditiona' surrender- "ic" "as 'e%t usa'' eLcept t"e nited States o% &merica impo,eris"ed and in dire straits.
n%ortunate'# a'so these &oli+ies* so +ontrary to the s&irit of the 6ermon on
the ount did not"in to strent"en the moral &osition of the 7llies $"ic"rerettab'# it" t"e permission o% Pope Pius JII inc'uded t"e .S.S.R.-. (G0*)
In "is 'ater brie% summar# o% t"e momentous #ear o% 1*43 9enera' Eu''er 'est e missed "is
point aain trenc"ant'# sa#s=
C"e #ear 1*43 as one o% decisi,e po'itica' c"anes t"at s"aped t"e outcome o%
t"e ar and radica''# in%'uenced t"e course o% "istor#. It opened it" t"e
proc'amation o% unconditiona' surrender at asab'anca and b# its em&hasis on
a ar o% anni"i'ation )ereft t"e western a''ies5 cause of a sane aim a decision"ic" Sta'in as not s'o to capita'i7e. Sta'in sou"t $%or eLamp'e- to eLp'oit
t"e est5s ent"usiasm o,er t"e So,iet ,ictor# at Sta'inrad and resorted to
Kenin5s maLim= one step back to ain to steps %orard. !n a# 22 $1*43-"e announ+ed t"e disso'ution o% t"e omintern $t"e ommunist C"ird
Internationa' "ic" Kenin "ad %ounded in arc" 1*1*- and so deluded the
British and 7meri+an &eo&les and governments into a )elief t"at t"e:rem'in "ad abandoned %or e,er its po'ic# o% inter%erence in t"e interna' a%%airs
o% ot"er countries....(G43)
I% e no re%'ecti,e'# return a /uarter o% a centur# to "at t"e Po'es "ad to %ace in 1*20
aainst t"e o's"e,iks o% t"e time e ma# come to appreciate "at Burope as spared %rom and "at
Po'and on 1+ September 1*3* 'ess t"an t"ree eek a%ter t"e 9erman attack. In one a# t"e Po'is"
,ictor# at t"e att'e o% arsa 1*20 as a pre,enti,e ar. Eor it pre,ented t"e o's"e,ik arm# under
ikai' Cuk"ac"e,ski %rom mo,in on to 9erman#. Some sc"o'ars are no con,inced t"at t"e 9erman
attack into t"e So,iet nion "ic" bean some tent# #ears 'ater on 22 une 1*41 as a'so a
pre,enti,e attack "ic" a'so preempted "at t"e So,iet 'eions in o%%ensi,e %ormations ere about
to 'aunc" more broad'# aainst a arear# and eL"austed Burope intendin to reac" e,en %urt"er t"an
"ere t"e# %ina''# did in 1*4G. ut because t"is obecti,e matter dea's it" 9erman# it is sti''
ideo'oica''# and o%ten unust'# acrimonious and eLp'osi,e. Sometimes t"e topic seems to be so tabu
t"at #ou cannot e,en sa# t"at t"e topic is tabuQ So muc" %or discip'ine and obecti,e "istorica' researc"
"ic" seeks to rasp t"e trut" o% t"e past in proper proportion and not to read "istor# backards as it
ere.
;o to return to Po'and in 1*20 'ess t"an to #ears a%ter t"e &rmistice o% ;o,ember 1*18
and its on eL"austin and embittered a%termat" it" t"e disso'ution o% se,era' 'onstandin empires.
In 1*?1 in one o% "is 'ast books@a book "ic" man# t"ink is "is best@aor9enera' .E..
Eu''er reca''s to us t"e settin on t"e eastern %rontier o% Po'and in 1*206 and "is mature ords in 1*?1
are ort" our deep consideration be%ore e return to "is 'oner and ear'ier 1*G?1*G+ Military History
of the Western World . In 9enera' Eu''er5s 'ater book The Condu(t of War !3&"%!"$!' A *tudy of the
I,pa(t of the 4ren(h Industrial and 5ussian 5e6olutions on War and Its Condu(t 3 "e sa#s=
C"e ci,i' ar $in Russia- reac"ed its c'imaL in t"e autumn o% 1*1* and t"e
inter o% 1*206 one b# one t"e "ite Russian enera's ere de%eated in part b# o's"e,ik propaanda in part b# t"e Red &rm# but in t"e main because
t"eir aim $i.e. t"e aim o% t"e "ite Russian enera's and admira's- as to
restore t"e o'd reime and t"is 'ost to t"em t"e support o% t"e peasants "o%eared t"at t"eir recent'# ained 'ands ou'd be restored to t"eir %ormer
oners. &s t"e ci,i' ar petered out t"e $mu'tinationa' %orein-
inter,entionist %orces $a tota' o% near'# 300000 men b# t"e end o% 1*18- ereit"dran but Russia5s troub'es ere not ended. !n 2Gt" &pri' 1*20 t"e Po'es
under ars"a' osep" Pi'sudski $18?+1*3G- ad,anced on :ie, $in t"e
kraine-6 ere driven )a+ to Warsaw where )etween 1Ath and 2th 7ugust
19205* the young and fier+e5 Bolshevi general iail ,uha+hevsi
1C9219;D5 was sur&rised and5 routed and +entral %uro&e saved from a
6oviet invasion. (1*G1*?)
3 .E.. Eu''er The Condu(t of War !3&"%!"$! (Kondon= B#re > Spottisoode 1*?1)@it as soon reprinted in 1*?2 and
a'so o%ten t"erea%ter inc'udin in t"e nited States b# Da apo Press. C"is book is tru'# a c'assic and one ma# notencourae its c'ose readin and sa,orin o%ten enou" I be'ie,e.
*
8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
t"e nited States in some dire straits soon "ad to return %u''# to &sia and to t"e ar aainst t"e
tenacious and ,a'orous apanese.
9enera' Eu''er i'' no "e'p us consider "at t"e Po'es temporari'# sa,ed us %rom "at "e
ca''s t"e &siatic side o% o's"e,ism (33*) and "at one mi"t eLpect %rom a ne 9en"is :"an5s
mi'itari7ed Horde (?28) and its -a Tartari(a (?3?)=
C"e ci,i' ar in Russia t"re up a remarkab'e enera'@ikai' Cuk"ac"e,ski$18*21*3+-. &n ab'e so'dier his outloo on ci,i'i7ation so +losely refle+ted
the 7siati+ side of Bolshevism t"at to understand t"e %uture trend o% t"e
Russian Re,o'ution it is ort""i'e to eLamine it. orn in 18*2 o% a nob'e%ami'# "ic" traced its descent back to t"e ounts o% E'anders a't"ou" "is
mot"er as Ita'ian in +hara+ter he was ,artar. Erom "er "e in"erited "is
Katin 'ooks b'ack "air and the ui+ wit whi+h ena)led him to &ro)e the
3ussian within him and the ,artar within the 3ussian. In 1*14 "e as
a7etted a sub'ieutenant in t"e Imperia' 9uard and in t"e %o''oin #ear astaken prisoner b# t"e 9ermans $and incarcerated in Ino'stadt in Koer
a,aria-. (33*)
asin "is on assessment o% a c'ose 1*28 stud# b# Pierre Eer,ac/ue a %e''o prisoner it"
"im in 9erman# entit'ed Le (hef de l7ar,0e rouge Mi)ail Tu)a(he6s)i 9enera' Eu''er 'eads us into a
deeper depiction o% t"is Cartari7ed Russian=
# instinct "e as a romantic barbarian "o a)horred western +iviliHation.
He "ad the soul of Genghis #han* of =gdai and of Batu. &utocraticsuperstitious romantic and rut"'ess "e 'o,ed t"e open p'ains and t"e t"ud o% at"ousand "oo%s and he loathed and feared the unromanti+ orderliness of
+iviliHation. :e hated "hristianity and "hristian +ulture because t"e# "ad
ob'iterated paanism and barbarism and "ad depri,ed "is %e''o countr#men o%t"e ecstas# o% t"e od o% ar and t"e 'amour o% t"e carni,a' o% deat". &'so
"e 'oat"ed t"e es because t"e# "e'ped inocu'ate t"e Russian it" t"e pest o%
ci,i'i7ation and t"e mora'e o% capita'ism. He said= C"e e is a do son o%a do "o sos %'eas in e,er# 'and.....He said to Eer,ac/ue a %e''o
prisoner= & demon or a od animates our race. e s"a'' make ourse',es drunk
)e+ause we +annot yet mae the world drun! ,hat will +ome .....Do not
'au" rep'ied Cuk"ac"e,ski I "a,e to'd #ou t"at the 6lavs are in want of a
new religion! ,hey are )eing given ar8ism6 )ut as&e+ts of that theology
are too modern and too +iviliHed. It is possib'e to mitiate t"at disareeab'e
state b# returnin to our S'a, ods $Dasc"bo Stribo o'os and a'soPierum t"e od o% ar and 'i"tnin- "o ere depri,ed o% t"eir preroati,e
and strent"6 ne,ert"e'ess t"e# can soon reain t"em....Eor 'on I "a,e
"esitated to c"oose m# particu'ar od6 but a%ter re%'ection I "a,e accepted
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8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
"ic" it cou'd it" di%%icu't# "a,e resisted .C"e e,ents o% 1*20 a'so deser,eattention %or anot"er reason= ,ictor# as attained abo,e a'' t"anks to t"e
strateica' enius o% one man $osep" Pi'sudski- and t"anks to t"e carr#in
t"rou" o% a manoeuvre so dangerous as to necessitate not only genius* )ut
heroism....It s"ou'd be t"e task o% po'itica' riters to eLp'ain to Buropeanopinion t"at /oland saved %uro&e in 1920 and t"at it is necessar# to keep
Po'and poer%u' and in "armonious re'ations it" estern Buropean
ci,i'i7ation for /oland is the )arrier to the everlasting &eril of an 7siati+
invasion $to inc'ude the 7siati+ side of Bolshevism (33*)-.+ (3?1)
&ddin a brie% supportin comment to Kord D5&bernon5s acute udment 9enera' Eu''er adds=
Eurt"er b# shielding entra' Burope %rom the full )last of ar8ist
+ontagion t"e batt'e o% arsa set )a+ the Bolshevi +lo+ . It de&rived
Russia o% t"e p'under s"e bad'# needed to stem "er desperate economic crisis
and dammed the outward flow of dis+ontent and almost droned t"e
o's"e,ik eLperiment. In 1*20 'i%e in t"e .S.S.R. "ad reac"ed )edro+ $i.e.
proLimate destitution-....!n !ctober 1+ 1*21 Kenin open'# admitted "is%ai'ure....!n anuar# 21 1*24 Kenin died at 9ork# near osco and &ower
&assed to 6talin (osep" D7"uas",i'i 18+*1*G3) "o )e+ause of his
un)ridled )rutality "ad been made secretar#enera' o% t"e $ommunist-
Part# b# Kenin. "at remained o% arLism as grafted )y him to the
3ussian 7siati+ByHantine tradition tota'itarian State apita'ism as rapid'#de,e'oped $a'on it" t"e ,arious and specious ;.B.P.s@;e Bconomic
Po'icies- and e,er#one $a'most- reduced to a pro'etarian 'e,e'. C"e Po'itica'
ureau became di+tator* with the se+ret &oli+e as its instrument of rule and
t"e evergrowing bureaucrac# emered as the new middle +lass....&sCuk"ac"e,ski "ad %oreseen arLism $eLcept per"aps %or its %oundationa'
Historica' and Dia'ectica' ateria'ism indeed t"e Doma o% 5DI&&C5-as %ound to be a theology too modern and too +iviliHed %or t"e Russians anda return as made to t"eir o'd S'a, ods. C"e .S.S.R. reverted to t"e "istoric
$cu'tic 'are'# messianic- Russia o% the ,hird 3ome $purportin to rep'ace
but on a basis o% immanentistsecu'ar poer bot" sacred Rome and sacredonstantinop'e-.... (3?23?3)
C"ese compact insi"ts %u'' o% man# trut"s in ust proportion i'' "e'p us no to reca'' "at
e "a,e a'read# it" t"e "e'p o% 9enera' Eu''er come to see about t"e resu'ts o% or'd ar II in 1*4G
and t"e ad,ance o% bruta' part'# &siatic o's"e,ism into t"e "eart o% Burope= t"e %ruits o% t"e batt'e o%
;ormand# (G8*)@t"e app'es o% Sodom "ic" turned to as"es as soon as t"e# ere p'ucked. (G8*)
+ Eor a t"ou"t%u' and e''di%%erentiated consideration o% t"e &siatic (ono' et a'.) in%'uence and stamp on Russian
cu'ture and crue't# see ames H. i''inton5s The I(on and the Ae' An Interpreti6e History of 5ussian Culture (;e<ork= Random HouseFintae ooks 1*+0@%irst pub'is"ed in 1*??).
1?
8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
& more t"ou"t%u' comment "ad been made t"irteen #ears be%ore $in +isen(hant,ent (Kondon 1*22) pp. 1*G1*+- b# the great <ournalist .B.
ontaue "o at fortyseven "ad d#ed "is re# "air to en'ist as a &rivate. He
sa these attitudes of mingled horror and disgust $%rom t"e protracted
trenc" ar%are and %uti'e combat o% 1*141*18- mi"t make it %ar moredi%%icu't to preser,e t"e peace $sic- "ic" "ad been won with su+h suffering.
"iviliHation itself $"e rote-...wears a strange new air of &re+ariousness.
B,en be%ore t"e ar a series o% me'anc"o'# pub'ic misad,entures "ad onesome a# to awae the disuieting notion that +iviliHation* the whole
ordered* fruitful <oint a+tion of a nation a continent or t"e "o'e or'd
was only a )luff . "en t"e or'd is at peace and %ares e'' t"e part# o% orderand decenc# ustice and merc# and se'%contro' is rea''# )luffing a mu+h
larger &arty of egoism and greed t"at ou'd )ully and gra) it $soca''ed
ci,i'i7ation- if it dared $'ike Cuk"ac"e,ski-....C"e bad men are not "e'd don b# %orce6 t"e# are on'# b'u%%ed b# t"e presence o% it $ci,i'i7ation-. ,hey have
got the ti& now....C"e p'ain man so %ar as I kno "im is neither a"ast nor
'ee%u' at t"is re,e'ation. Eor t"e most part he loos somewhat listlessly
on....7 sense of moral horror does not +ome easily when #ou "a,e supped%u'' o% "orrors on most o% t"e da#s o% t"ree or %our #ears....6ome new god* or
devil o% course ma# enter at an# time into this disfurnished soul. 9enius in
some 'eader mi"t either possess it it" an anarc"ic passion $as inCuk"ac"e,ski- to smas"... a'' t"e o'd institutions or %ire it it" a ne cra,in to
'i%t itse'% c'ear o% t"e rack $and ruin-....For either a enin or a 6t! Fran+is
there is a wide field to till as in the /ara)le of the 6ower5* +leared* )ut of
&retty stiff +lay.* (2+32+4)
e ma# no better imaine "at mi"t "a,e "appened "ad t"e o's"e,ik "ordes de%eated t"e
Po'es in 1*20 and mo,ed into t"is ,er# mora' and spiritua' ,acuum in Postor'd ar I entra' and
estern Burope.
"at mi"t "a,e "appened i% Sta'in5s "ordes in seemin o%%ensi,e %ormations "ad carried out
t"eir strateic p'an operationa''# in 1*41 instead o% a%ter Sta'inrad in Eebruar# o% 1*43 or in 1*4GN
e mi"t at 'east be more i''in no to read t"e ,arious books o% Fiktor Su,oro, (t"e pen name o%
F'adimir Re7un b. 1*4+) not on'# "is I(ebrea)er' Who *tarted the *e(ond World War< (1**0) and
The Chief Culprit' *talin7s Grand +esign to *tart World War II (2008) !;6 but a'so t"e 9erman sc"o'ar
oac"im Ho%%mann5s on conscientious book *talin7s War of 2ter,ination !"=!%!"=9' -lanning
5eali:ation and +o(u,entation (1*** in 9erman6 2001 in t"e %irst Bn'is" edition).11
* C"eodore Ropp War in the Modern World (;e Re,ised Bdition) (;e <ork= o''ier ooks@acmi''an Pub'is"in
ompan# 1*?2) 404 paes o% teLt@%irst pub'is"ed in 1*G* and t"en aain as a re,ised edition in 1*?2 b# Duke
ni,ersit# Press o% Dur"am ;ort" aro'ina. Pro%essor Ropp tau"t %or man# #ears at Duke ni,ersit# in t"e Histor#
Department and as a racious and eLce''ent teac"er.
10 See Fiktor Su,oro, The 5eal Culprit (&nnapo'is ar#'and= ;a,a' Institute Press 2008).11 C"e re,ised and supp'emented 9erman edition as pub'is"ed in 1*** in unic" 9erman#. C"e %irst Bn'is" edition
18
8/13/2019 Fruits of the Battle of Warsaw and the Normandy Invasion
In an# case e "a,e seen in t"e documentation o% t"is essa# "at some o% t"e resu'ts ere in
entra' and Bastern Burope in 1*4G. &nd t"is o,era'' resu't as (and sti'' is) considered ,ictor#N It
certain'# did not 'ook t"at a# to t"e Po'es and t"e ot"ers "o ere e%%ecti,e'# "anded o,er to t"e
So,iet #oke man# countries o% "ic" ere o% at"o'ic "eritae and cu'ture at 'east in 'are part.
Eor man# #ears e "a,e ondered "at t"e at"o'ic "urc"5s popes "a,e t"ou"t and ritten
and done about t"is mani%o'd situation especia''# Pope Pius JII and t"e eLtent to "ic" t"e# 'ater a'so
re,ised t"eir ear'ier udments and strateic po'icies (at 'east pri,ate'# or secret'# i% not it" contrite
and correcti,e pub'ic action).
it" 9.:. "esterton5s keen percepti,eness and deep %ait" 'et us reca'' t"e statue o% t"e
'essed Firin "e sa in t"e countr#side o% Po'and it" t"e "ead and "ands s"ot o%% b# t"e
o's"e,ik mi'itar# and "er ,er# "ands "ad been 'i%ted in suc" a esture t"at t"e ,er# muti'ation $o%ar#5s statue- seemed to i,e more meanin to $"er- attitude o% intercession6 $t"e 'essed ot"er
"erse'%- asing mer+y for the mer+iless ra+e of men.
C"e spirit o% ad,enture and c"i,a'r# o% t"e Po'is" ca,a'r# "ic" "esterton sa and admired
ou'd "a,e e'' understood t"e merc# o% !ur Kad# and t"at %ait"%u' "eart o% t"eir mananimous and
compassionate Bn'is" ,isitor.12
"=J7
ardina' Ratti "o de'iberate'# and couraeous'# remained in arsa durin t"e decisi,e
batt'e o% 1*20 aainst t"e o's"e,iks as 'ess t"an to #ears 'ater e'ected as Pope takin t"e name
Pius JI. He certain'# kne about t"e nature and daners o% o's"e,ismommunism and toard
as pub'is"ed in &'abama b# C"eses > Dissertations Press P.!. oL ?4 aps"a &'abama 3G+42. C"e aut"or Dr.
oac"im Ho%%mann as born in 1*30 in :nisber Bast Prussia6 and "e is a pro%essiona' "istorian "a,in orked %or
t"e 9erman mi'itar# beteen 1*?01**G in its Researc" Department %or i'itar# Histor#.12 &nt"on# S. Eraser o% Scot'and recent'# sent to t"e riter an eLce''ent brie% but substantia' artic'e on t"e abidin spirit
and resource%u'ness o% t"e Po'is" ca,a'r# especia''# in September!ctober o% 1*3*. It as pub'is"ed oriina''# in The
-olish%A,eri(an >ournal in u'# o% 2008 and entit'ed So',in t"e #t"= Po'is" a,a'r# "are &ainst 9erman
Canks especia''# near a t"reatened ke# rai'road unction in t"e ,i''ae o% :roant# about %our mi'es nort"east o%
"onice...in t"e Cuc"o'a Eorest a)out 1A miles northwest of Warsaw. C"e artic'e race%u''# co,ers man# re'ated
matters to inc'ude t"e 9ermans5 on use o% ca,a'r# as e'' as o% "orsedran 'oistics aons e,en in t"e So,iet
nion 'ater. C"e 'ue Kink t"at m# co''eaue and %riend sent is= "t tp=TT.po'is"site.usTindeL.p"pT"istor#and peop'eTmodern"istor#T3*Gso',int"em#t"po'is"ca,a'r#c"areaainstermantanks."tm'
+i6ini 5ede,ptoris (!n &t"eistic ommunism) and promu'ated t"at %orce%u' Bnc#c'ica' on 1* arc"
1*3+. He said t"erein t"at under no circumstances s"ou'd at"o'ics@or t"e "urc"@at a''
co''aborate it" ommunism. ut in or'd ar II especia''# a%ter 22 une 1*41 t"at %irm princip'e
as seemin'# abandoned under reat pressure %rom Roose,e't5s &merica and "urc"i''5s ritain (and
ot"ers) and a ne po'ic# o% compromise as radua''# adopted under t"e preteLt o% eLpedienc#.
Pope Pius JII as t"en t"e pope. He not on'# ac/uiesced but pub'ic'# supported t"e %orin o% a
strateic a''iance it" Sta'inist Russia.
Hoe,er "at did Pope Pius JII ear'ier sa# about t"e 1+ September 1*3* So,iet in,asion o%
Po'andN "at o% t"e concurrent and onoin So,iet in,asions o% t"e a'tic States and Ein'andN
"at did Pius JII sa# about ritain5s Dec'aration o% ar aainst "eroic 'itt'e Ein'and (and itscouraeous 'eader ars"a' anner"eim) on ? December 1*41 (one da# be%ore t"e apanese attack on
Pear' Harbor)N C"at atrocious dec'aration o% ar moreo,er as soon %o''oed (and pub'ic'#