The author writes that if
Poland had not opposed Adolf Hitler in September 1939,
World War II would have started on April 9, 1940, with a German attack on
Western Europe. After capturing
Paris, and defeating
Belgium, the
Netherlands,
Norway,
Denmark and
France, on June 21, 1941, the
Wehrmacht, together with the
Polish Army, attacked the Soviet Union. By the winter of 1941/42, the Soviet Union ceases to exist. Poland and Germany divide its territory, but soon afterwards, mutual relationships deteriorate. At the same time, Germany keeps fighting the
United Kingdom, and the
United States. This war is costly, and by 1944, all main units of the Wehrmacht are in Western Europe, fighting the Anglo-Saxons, who had
landed in France in summer 1944. In those circumstances,
Warsaw begins secret negotiations with
London and
Washington, eventually switching sides, and attacking the
Third Reich in 1945. As Zychowicz writes: "At this point, Poland should have acted like Romania and Hungary in late stages of World War Two. Noticing German problems in the West, both countries initiated secret negotiations with the Allies. The British and the Americans gladly accepted the offer, understanding that it would weaken the potential of the
Axis powers".
[7]
Finally, when the Third Reich prepares for a decisive battle in the West, the Polish Army invades Germany. Surprised, the Wehrmacht does not fight the Poles, who capture
Silesia,
Eastern Prussia, and
Western Pomerania, cutting off all lines of communication with German units which had remained in occupied Soviet Union. In August 1945, the Western Allies capture
Berlin, Hitler
commits suicide, while Polish armored divisions clear the
Baltic States.
Lithuania,
Latvia, and
Estonia join the federation of Poland,
Belarus and
Ukraine: "The dream of Marshall
Józef Piłsudski has become reality. Poland emerges as
Great power. During a peace conference, which takes place at Polish
Baltic Sea spa of
Jurata,
Winston Churchill,
Harry Truman and
Edward Śmigły-Rydz discuss the future of Europe"