POLISH GREATNESS.COM - 10-TH ANNIVERSARY !

I am pleased to announce that my website Polish Greatness.com is celebrating it's 10-th Anniversary!  It was first inaugurated on September 1st, 2007. The main feature of this website is dedicated to promoting Polish history during World War Two, and lists numerous articles which I have researched and written. They focus on Poland's enormous contributions to the Allied war effort during World War Two. It is a tribute to the great courage of the men, women (and even children) fighting the Nazis and Soviets, against all odds. There is a vast amount of historical information and data, as well as archival photos.

Additional sections were later added, such as "Polish Culture" which features Polish music of all genres,as well as sample videos, biographies and discographies of famous Polish stars.  There is also a small section based on book reviews (but I apologize for not having expanded it as I initially intended.).

Another special feature was added called, "What's New" to let visitors know the latest articles and blogs posted. On September 1st, 2010 I started Polish Greatness (Blog) featuring a regular series of more detailed stories about some of the battles of World War II, many of  the contributions of the Polish armed forces, and the biographies of Polish Generals, and many other heroes!

To celebrate this 10th Anniversary, I have created the Polish Greatness Database - Books which presents a vast collection of more than 200 books dealing with many topics such as Polish WWII history, Polish Military, Polish Medieval History, Polish Memoirs and much more. Images of the book covers have been arranged in thumbnail format and linked to the corresponding pages in Amazon (there you can read summaries of the books, information about the authors, reviews, and even order your books online if you wish).

The theme that I have chosen for this 10th Anniversary Special is the Polish White Tailed Eagle (which is featured in the logo that I have assembled especially for this occasion,  as indicated above. I extracted the image of this eagle from a photograph taken of the gate entrance of the University of Warsaw.)

Other special features are, The Order of the White Eagle, (showcasing some of the famous Polish recipients of this great medal), Polish Eagles Among Us (which is a whimsical illustration of symbols of the eagle in Polish architecture, and The Glory of the Polish Eagle, (which gives some historical insight to cultural relevance of the eagle.)

The eagle has been the symbol of the Polish nation since time immemorial and has been part of the Polish identity, and always will be. It saddens me deeply to know that the Polish White Tailed Eagle was on the brink of extinction, but thankfully has been saved by dedicated conservationists.  I consider this a "wake-up call" to all of us who take the eagle (and other creatures) for granted. I hope that it will raise awareness, and motivate governments, and businesses everywhere to take decisive action to protect these magnificent raptors.

I invite you to visit Polish Greatness.com (the Website) and discover history told in ways you never imagined. 

More articles will be posted (on the website) in the coming weeks. So stay tuned.


And Never, never, never, never, never stop learning about Polish history.


Thank you Dear Friends of Poland for your interest in Polish Greatness.com, for sharing my articles, and for your comments and encouragement!


POLISH GREATNESS WEBSITE
http://www.polishgreatness.com/

THE TRUTH ABOUT ANTI-POLISH JOKES

Jokes are not a recent cultural phenomenon but have been around since the dawn of civilization.  The oldest joke dates back to 1,600 BC and targeted an Egyptian pharoah. It went something like this:  "How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? Sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile - and urge the pharaoh to go fishing."  No doubt Pharoah was amused. In the 1st century BC, a popular joke circulated about Emperor Augustus.  The Emperor, it was said, was touring his kingdom one day and came across a man who looked remarkably like himself.  Augustus was intrigued and asked the man, "Was your mother at one time in service at the palace?"  The man responded, "No your highness, but my father was." 

The propensity for humour and jokes are ingrained in the human psyche, perhaps even part of our DNA.  Human civilization may never have progressed at all were it not for the double-entendre, puns, sarcasm, wit, anecdotes, riddles, satire, and a slew of tasteless jokes.  At the root of jokes is the human compulsion to challenge the status quo, to discredit authority,  to address taboos and faux pas. We, today, are no different from our ancient forefathers.

In it's unadulterated form jokes serve to break a tense atmosphere into one of laughter, to reveal truths that we can personally identify with, and encourage us to laugh at our own foibles and limitations. Jokes have the power to elevate our social consciousness and promote mutual understanding.  However at its worst jokes are deeply offensive and have the potential of demonizing an entire group of people based purely on racial, cultural, ethnic, gender, and religious differences.

During WW2 so called "jokes" were an essential component of the Nazi propaganda machine and were widely dispensed in the attempt to discredit Poland's reputation in the eyes of the world, as well as to destroy the morale of the Polish people.  What is particularly disturbing is that much of WW2 propaganda has survived to this day. The lies, myths and slander perpetrated against the Polish people by the Nazis (and Soviets) continue to circulate today throughout the world in the form of jokes.

Most of these jokes could be categorized as "generic"  meaning that the same joke has been applied to virtually every nation, for example the light bulb joke.  But this article seeks to address more serious and damaging slurs that people mistake for "jokes".  Though not all issues will be discussed, the major ones are as follows:

The story about the Polish cavalry attacking German tanks during World War 2 is only propaganda.  It was a myth intentionally created by the Nazis to ridicule the Polish army, and discredit them in the eyes of their allies.  There is no evidence to support this allegation.  It is a lie.

Please click on the following link for more information:

The Myth about Polish Cavalry in WW2

Another joke is derived from the propaganda that the Nazi "blitzkrieg" attack destroyed all Polish planes while they were still on the ground. This is also untrue.  Polish planes managed to take to the skies 600 strong, and despite their outdated planes, Polish pilots succeeded in destroying an astounding number of German planes. Tragically, the Polish Air Force was decimated as they truly were no match for the faster and more powerful German aircraft.  But the skill and daring of the Polish ace pilot is the stuff of legends - and it's all true!

For more information about these subjects, please click on the following links:

Media & Propaganda: The Polish Air Force in September 1939

Famous Polish PZL 37 Los and P11 and the Polish Aces Who Flew Them

During WW2 a barrage of propaganda condemned the Polish people as inferior "untermenschen" who lacked intelligence. These were lies. It was Nazi propaganda.  Hitler's objective was to annihilate the Polish nation, as well erase all evidence of Polish culture - the Polish language, education, and Poland's rich history of art and music.  Still, today, otherwise intelligent people repeat this slander,  and ridicule Poland as a nation of lazy, uneducated ne'er-do-wells. In essence, they are perpetuating the same Nazi slurs with impunity.  It has become a joke to them.

From time to time there have been jokes made about "Polish Concentration Camps" as well as allegations that the Polish people supported the Nazis during WW2.  This is false. One has merely to read about WW2 Polish history to understand that there was no such thing as a Polish concentration camp.  When the Nazis completed construction of Auschwitz, its first prisoners were Polish Christians, though later the majority consisted of Jewish inmates.

Please click on the following link:

Petition against the term "Polish Concentration Camp"

In reality Poland has had a long and great history, despite the turbulent and violent attacks on its sovereignty and freedom.  The Sons and Daughters of Poland count among the greatest treasures of the world. Throughout millennia, Polish artists, philosophers, musicians, astronomers, scientists, mathematicians, engineers, chemists, generals, kings, explorers, poets, writers, inventors, have all contributed  to the advancements of the world as well as provide inspiration to others.  

Merely one glimpse at the brilliance of Polish creativity and intellect (past and present) must surely eradicate all the malfeasance that has too long remained a scourge upon Poland's honour.

Please click on the following link:

Polish Inventions: WW2 Weapons Development and Technology


In closing I would just like to mention that the most endearing Polish motto is, I believe is "For Your Freedom and Ours". It has stood the test of time and the Polish people continue to demonstrate that they are true to their word.  

Poland is our ally and friend.  Let the New Year be an opportunity for us to learn more about Poland - I promise that the experience will be enlightening and fascinating!

Thank you for visiting Polish Greatness Blog, and I wish you all a very Happy New Year 2013!! 

Szczesliwego Nowego Roku !!!

A VERY BRIEF LOOK AT THE PAST 100 YEARS

The old year has passed and the New Year just begun! For my first blog of 2011, I have assembled historical data of major events that occurred around the world in the past 100 years. Though the list is relatively short in comparison to others of its kind, it is indeed an eye-opener and thought-provoking - as the following video you are about to see. (There is a second video at the end of this blog, but I encourage you to read the chronology first!)


I do hope you forgive me for having omitted so many important historical events, but it had to be done in order to keep the length of this blog within manageable limits. Also, if I have made any errors in the historical chronology I do apologize and assure you it was not intentional.

1911     Mexican Revolution; Italy declares war on Ottoman Empre - annexes Tripoli and Cyrenaica;
1912     RMS Titanic sinks.  Balkan Wars begin.
1913     Balkan Wars end.  George I of Greece is assasinated.
1914     Beginning of World War I; Pilsudskis troops fight with Germany & Austria against Russia.
1915     RMS Lusitania is torpedoed by German U-boat and sinks; 1,198 people died- 761 survived.
1916     Easter Rising - uprising by Irish Republicans against British rule.
1917     Pilsudski imprisoned; Russian Revolution;
1918     End of World War I, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus become Independent from Soviet rule.
1919     Treaty of Versailles is signed; Polish-Soviet War begins
1920     Mexican Revolution ends;  Greek referendum restores monarchy.
1921     Hitler becomes Fuhrer of the Nazi Party. Russia invades Georgia; End of Polish Soviet war.
1922     President Gabriel Narutowicz of Poland is assasinated  USSR is formed. Italy reconquers Libya.
1923     Military coup in Bulgaria - Prime Minister Stamboliyski is killed.
1924     Death of Lenin; August uprising in Georgia against Soviet rule.
1925     Mussolini gains dictatorial powers in Italy; Hitler publishes Mein Kampt.
1926     Hirohito becomes Emperor of Japan. Coups in Poland, Greece and Portugal.
1927     Stalin becomes leader of Soviet Union.
1928     Discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming;  Hailie Selassie becomes King of Abyssinia.
1929     Stalin sends people to Gulags; Wall Street Crash; the Great Depression begins;
1930     Mahatma Gandhi leads Salt March, the beginning of civil disobedience in British India.
1931     Second Spanish Republic is declared;  Mao Zedong proclaims China Soviet Republic.
1932     Poland concludes non-aggression pact with Russia;.
1933     Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. Japan & Germany drop out of League of Nations
1934     Hitler becomes Fuhrer; Poland signs non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany.
1935     Second Italo-Abyssian war ends;  Mussolini conquers Abyssinia; Hailie Selassie is exiled.
1936     Beginning of Spanish Civil War;  Great Purge under Stalin; Italy annexes Ethiopia.
1937     Japan invades China;  Neville Chamberlain becomes British Prime Minister.
1938     Munich Agreement gives Czechoslovakia to Germany; Kristallnacht;  Stalins Great Purge;
1939     WW2 begins with Invasion of Poland by Germany and Russia.
1940     Katyn Massacre in Poland;  Nazis invade France, Holland, Denmark, Norway.
1941     Holocaust begins; bombing of Pearl Harbour; US enters the War; Hitler attacks Soviet Union;
1942     First and Second Battles El Alamein; Battle of Stalingrad.
1943     Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins; Battle of Stalingrad ends;Sikorski dies in plane crash.
1944     Battle of Monte Cassino; Warsaw Uprising; D-Day; Russia annexes Baltic states.
1945     Battle of Berlin; Bombing of Dresden; atomic bomb on Hiroshima/Nagasaki; end of WW2;
1946     Nuremberg Trials end; First Indo-China war begins;  First photos taken of Earth from Space.
1947     Russians take control  of Poland after rigged elections, and "Sovietization" of Poles.
1948     Brutal Soviet rule begins.Arab-Israeli War;  Berlin Airlift; Gandhi is assassinated;
1949     Partitions of Germany and Kashmir; creation of NATO; Peoples Republic of China is created.
1950     Korean War
1951     Colombo Plan; US begins nuclear testing.
1952     Detonation of hydrogen bomb; Queen Elizabeth II becomes monarch.
1953     Independence of Cambodia; discovery of DNA, polio vaccine; Stalin dies; end of Korean War.
1954     First Indo-China War ends;  Algerian War begins.
1955     Warsaw Pact is signed;  First Sudanese Civil War begins.
1956     Mass anti-Soviet riots in Poznan; Hungarian Uprising; Suez Crisis.
1957     Sputnik I is launched - Space Race begins.
1958     NASA is founded.
1959     Cuban Revolution; Vietnam War begins; Soviet gulag disbanded - recorded over 1 million dead.
1960     Independence of Somalia, Togo, and Belgian Congo; first laser constructed;
1961     Berlin Wall erected; first human spaceflight;Great Leap Forward ends in China, 20 million dead.
1962     Cuban Missile Crisis; Independence of Algeria.
1963     Assassination of John F. Kennedy; Martin Luther King delivers famous speech "I have a dream"
1964     Civil Rights Act abolishes segregation in the United States. Armed conflict begins in Colombia.
1965     Deaths of Winston Churchill, and Malcolm X; Anti-Communist purge in Indonesia.
1966     China's Cultural Revolution begins. Independence for Lesotho, Botswana and Barbados.
1967     Six Day War; Biafra Civil War; De Gaulle speech, Vive le Quebec libre;
1968     Assassination of Martin Luther King; Prague Spring; May 1968 in France; Troubles in Ireland.
1969     Moon landings; birth of ARPANET, earliest version of internet.
1970     FLQ terror in Quebec
1971     Bangladesh Liberation War ends; Independence for Bangladesh; invention of microchip.
1972     Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland; First Sudanese Civil War Ends.
1973     Watergate Scandal; first close-up images of Jupiter.
1974     Turkish occupation of Cyprus; Carnation Revolution in Portugal; 1st closeup images of Mercury.
1975     Vietnam War ends;  Death of Francisco Franco; Khmer Rouge in Cambodia begins.
1976     Death of Mao Zedong. End of Cultural Revolution; first outbreak of Ebola virus.
1977     Launch of the Voyager; mass production of personal computers.
1978     Afghan Civil War begins; invention of artificial insulin; Karol Wojtyla is elected Pope.
1979     USSR invades Afghanistan;  Iranian Revolution; Hostage Crisis.
1980     Solidarnosc founded by Walesa; Beginning of Iran-Iraq War; Salvadoran Civil War; Contra War
1981     Marshal law imposed on Poland; Space shuttle makes first orbital flight.
1982     Invasion of Lebanon by Israel; Falklands War.
1983     End of Lebanon War;  Second Sudanese Civil War begins;Marshal law in Poland lifted.
1984     Famine in Ethiopia begins.
1985     Mikhail Gorbachev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union; End of dictatorship in Brazil;
1986     Disasters of Challenger, Chernobyl; space station Mir launched;
1987     Stock Market Crash; first Intifada begins; world population reaches 5 billion.
1988     Perestroika begins. End of Iran-Iraq War; end of Pinochet dictatorship; Lockerbie crash.
1989     Fall of Berlin Wall; Communism Collapses;Tiannanmen Square Massacre
1990     Walesa elected President; Re-unification of Germany; Gulf War begins; Contra War ends.
1991     Gulf War ends; Soviet Union dissolved; satellite states independent; Yugloslav War begins.
1992     Salvadorian Civil War ends;European Union is created; dictatorship over in Albania,SouthKorea.
1993     Dissolution of Czechoslovakia; end of first Intifada of Israel and Palestinians; Oslo accords.
1994     End of Apartheid in South Africa; Election of Nelson Mandela;Chechan War, Rwandan Genocide
1995     North Korean famine; NATO bombings Bosnia; Assassination of Yitzak Rabin.
1996     First Congo War begins;  First Chechen War ends; end of dictatorship in Taiwan.
1997     New Polish Constitution; Sovereignty of Hong Kong returns to China; rebellion in Albania.
1998     Poland joins NATO. Second Congo War begins;Obama bin Laden fatwa against West.
1999     Euro is established;Kosovo War ends;Second Chechen,and Liberian Wars begin;crisis E.Timor.
2000     Putin becomes President of Russia; Israel occupation of Lebanon ends;Second Intifada begins
2001     9/11; Afghan War begins.
2002     Algerian Civil War ends; Independence of East Timor; Guantanamo Bay camp is established.
2003     Invasion of Iraq;War in Darfur; Second Congo and Liberian Wars end; Shuttle Columbia disaster
2004     Poland joins EU; Madrid train bombings; Tsunami Indian Ocean;
2005     Pope John Paul II dies; 7/7 attack in London;Hurricane Katrina.
2006     Second invasion of Lebanon; Mumbai bombings; Independence of Montenegro.
2007     Anti government protests in Myanmar; Great Recession begins.
2008     US elects first black President Barack Obama;  Gaza war begins; South Ossetia War;
2009     Gaza War, Second Chechan War ends;Election protests in Iran; Great Recession ends.
2010     President Lech Kaczynski dies in plane crash; massive earthquake in Haiti; BP oil spill;Wikileaks.
2011     ?

I would like to wish you all the very best for the New Year 2011. May you and yours enjoy health, happiness and prosperity.  Here's hoping that the world will be a better place in the coming year.

I have planned several special blogs to be posted throughout the year and I hope that you will find them of interest. If you enjoy any of the articles, click on the subscribe button, and do not hesitate to share them with your friends!  Thank you for your interest in Polish Greatness (Blog)!

Sources:

Timeline of Modern History

Timeline of Polish History