Poland looks for new Allies 1936

[Berra]

What if Poland, say 1936, starts buying weapons from the US, send politicians touring US saying thet they are friends of the US. Could there be military aduisors following the guns? Would it scare Hitler?

[seraphim74]

NO WAY
In 1936 Americans were not interested in Europe, especially in some strange country with laguage you can not pronounce. Of course they would sell weapons (business is business), but sending advisors? Naaaa.
Besides, in 1936 Polish Army was bigger than US Army, quite well trained and most certainly did not need American advisors: they could not teach the Poles anything new, and Polish pride would not stand it anyway.
Now about weapons: if Poland could afford modern weapons, it would buy them - from France, Great Britain and even Sweden (Bofors anti-aircraft and anti tank cannons - Poland did buy licence to produce them). Those countries were much closer (weapons arrive earlier), and France had defence treaty with Poland. However Poland was also hit by the Great Crisis, and had no money to spare. And American weapons in 1936 weren't any better than weapons made in Poland, France or UK.
Frankly, the only thing the Poles could have been interested in, were modern radiostations. But most probably they would also buy them in Europe. America was too far away, France and Britain were much closer, and in 1936 they would make better allies than USA. Of course Poland coouldn't know, that in 1939 Polish allies would declare war to Germany...and that would be it. No offensive against Germany (and France promised Poles such attack), no air raids, no navy action. But what exactly could America do in 1939, even if US would agree to help Poland?

[Bulldawg85]

The chances of the US having any kind of advisors in Poland in 1936 is practically nil. The only reason that we got away with having advisors in China in the same time frame was because there had been a history over several decades of that happening in the area of the world. There was no history of that occurring in Europe.

[Berra]

From the American perspective its just economics. Recovering from the Depression and someone making this huge deal and all they want is someone teaching them to use their new tanks.

Plus the coolness factor "Patton in Poland"

[fhaessig]

From the American perspective its just economics. Recovering from the Depression and someone making this huge deal and all they want is someone teaching them to use their new tanks.

Plus the coolness factor "Patton in Poland"

So your PoD is really USA building a great tank in the early 30s?

One great enough that Poland wants to buy it, rather than try to produce its equivalent locally?

But then its likely the french will buy it also, instead of contracting US companies to build B1s

[Max Sinister]

Hm, in my "Hitler tries the Med strategy" TL Patton could actually end up in Poland...

[seraphim74]

Originally posted by Berra
From the American perspective its just economics. Recovering from the Depression and someone making this huge deal and all they want is someone teaching them to use their new tanks.
Plus the coolness factor "Patton in Poland"


AFAIK in late 1930's Poland produced as good tanks as Americans - only not enough of them. So instead of buying American tanks, the Poles would increase production of their own desings.
But Patton in Poland? Yeah, that would be cool.

[Berra]

The point from Polands perspective is to get as close as possible to America as a deterante against its neigbours.

[Jason]

The point from Polands perspective is to get as close as possible to America as a deterante against its neigbours.

I think the problem is its difficult to see the Americans of that time wanting to become that deterrent.

Wasn't there a little entente post-WW1 of Poland and other eastern european nations, as a counter to a rearmed Germany (or even a more agressive Russia?), perhaps a more powerful and united version of that could give Poland the allies it needs, a league of smaller nations perhaps willing to stand by the Czechs?