On October 2, 1938, the Polish army launched Operation Zaluzhye - Polish tanks and other parts entered the territory of Czechoslovakia. Following the Hitlerite Reich, Poland tore Czechoslovakia into pieces. In less than a year's time, to become the victim of the Nazi attack.
The West supported both the Germans and the Poles, hoping that together in 1939 they would attack the USSR. The Poles wanted to annex Lithuania (completely), part of Czechoslovakia, part of the territory of the USSR. Instead, Poland ceased to exist. ..
. Poland in the 30's turned out to be between two centers of power - Nazi Germany, who took the course for revenge for the defeat in the First World War and the Soviet Union, asserting its right to exist. Possessing in the early thirties the third largest army in Europe, Poland surrendered year after year due to the treacherous policies of its leadership.
The anti-Soviet anti-Sovietism, aggression towards neighboring states and chauvinism - became a distinctive feature of the pre-war history of Poland. Note that this is also characteristic of other historical realities of Poland. Churchill quite rightly remarked that in years of prosperity there is no more despicable nation. And these Poles each time dig a hole for their well-being.
As an example, let me just take one example - the claims on the Little Russian lands eventually led to the destruction of Poland and its entry into the Russian Empire. The orientation of the Polish leadership toward an alliance with Britain and France and the situational betrayal of the latter, the intimidation and disinformation of the population, constant flirtation with Germany and complete agreement in "solving the Jewish problem" led to a terrible tragedy. The Western allies betrayed Poland in the same way as they had previously betrayed Czechoslovakia.
Poland, enthusiastically devoured with Germany, Czechoslovakia a year earlier, on their own skin evaluated the consequences of their own meanness. Rejecting all proposals for the formation of coalitions in Eastern Europe, Poland, like Nazi Germany, was inclined to aggression towards neighboring countries. Having quarreled with its neighbors, staying in the illusion of eternal Polish domination in Ukraine and Belarus, Poland put on the lot and the fate of its own people
. But the reasons for the defeat of Poland must be sought not even in the betrayal of imaginary allies - but above all in the mistakes of the Polish leadership itself, whose actions on the eve of World War II were criminal towards the Polish people.
On January 26, 1934, Poland signed in Berlin a "Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes and the Non-Use of Force between Poland and Germany". It stated that Germany and Poland refuse to use force against each other and intend to negotiate among themselves on various issues relating to bilateral relations. The term of this "agreement" was defined in 10 years.
Using legal tricks, Germany evaded commitments on the inviolability of the Polish-German border. Declaring in the declaration the refusal to use force against each other allowed the revision of the territorial integrity of other powers.
Thus, already in 1934 Poland and Germany found mutual interests in relation to Lithuania and Czechoslovakia, avoiding the extremely acute question of Danzig's affiliation. Unlike the Soviet-Polish non-aggression pact of July 25, 1932, as well as from the adopted diplomatic practice, the Polish-German "treaty" did not contain provisions on its termination if one of the parties entered into an armed conflict with a third country .
Accordingly, this "agreement" contributed to the formation of an offensive alliance between Poland and Germany. The rapprochement with Berlin was accompanied by the separation of Poland from France, which did so much to establish the Polish state. It was thanks to France that the Poles could stop Tukhachevsky's offensive against Warsaw in 1920.
But already in 1932 Pilsudski sent a French military mission from Poland. During 1934 Poland completely stopped military cooperation with France. Polish military orders were transferred to Sweden and England. The Polish ambassador to France Lipsky declared: "From now on, Poland does not need France. She also regrets that at one time she agreed to accept French aid, in view of the price that she will have to pay for it. " The "price" really turned out to be high when the French divisions did not dare to engage the Germans in the days of the "Strange War". Poland was destroyed. The British also did not come to her aid.