@Kasia
The situation of Poland in the thirties was pretty difficult, both our neighbors – Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia were not glad that Poland existed and was a sovereign country. Polish authorities were between the hammer and the anvil, so no wonder that they were acting chaotic. The Polish Catholic Church was attacked by liberal, communist, socialist and fascist forces at the same time. An unenviable situation.
"Polish authorities were between the hammer and the anvil, so no wonder that they were acting chaotic." No, it's not exactly like this. This is part of what I consider as the "pop-history'. Saying that about Polish authorities were between the hammer and the anvil, is certain simplification. In fact there were groups influencing Poland not from outside but inside, and the strongest were Germans.
After 1918 Poland was just after regained independence, it was strongly divided country. Today, we have mainly plain Nation (with little minorities), what we "owe" to the Red Roller from East and that condition was maintain through the time of the Communism. In the interwar, in Poland there were no One Pole, it was "Pole from North", "Pole from South", Jews, "Orthodox Church", Rusins, such Gdansk was mostly inhabited by Germans, etc. In the minds of many "new" Poles, who accustomed to life under the foreign authority, the II Rzeczpospolita was a figment which was created in the minds of certain group of enthusiasts who want Poland ressurection. This, also, translate why Hitler such fast annex Poland in the 1939. People was devided, just those really patriotic, Catholic or just many other average people with some concience try to defend fatherland before Nazist, many of them loose their lifes. It was not the matter of the advantage in the arming, Nazis start made advanced tanks and weapons until 1942/1943 (this trend maintain to the end of war), what came with experience on the battlefield.
The most powerful Polish political camp was right wing and identified themselves as the Christians. It was similar to the most part of the Germans, who identified themselves as the Christians and as the great example of the civilised Europeans (the typical Nazi character, Germans accepted [not all] after there were no possible to step back, because of Hitler's War). This "civilization" is what (at least some part) of Poles wanted to epitmize. The main character of this time was Józef Piłsudski who want to standardize Poland to West ideas, but not necessary Nazism. Piłsudski was pro-Western. After his death in the 1935 the politic was, more or less, continued.
Hitler on the Piłsudski's funeral.
As author of this post see, the efforts which Piłsudski&Co had to take was "standarizing" Poland, to make country to be more consistent with Germany. But they "failed", failed in the opinion of Nazis. Then Nazis take the attitude: if you are not with us, you're against us. The Polish government of the free II Rzeczypospolita, in order to, do not become just a puppet and not to become see as the traitors to Polish nation, make the alliance with Allies, the Allies answer was more or less like: okay if you want, you can be, but no preparedness, plans, promise was cleared.
That situation of Poland in the period of the interwar time is not copy/paste but is similar to what is going on in Poland right now. We are not a Nazi State or something, this is ridiculous, but we have now USA or Israel, like in the past was III Reich. Today government is like Piłsudski and his group, they were not Nazis, how now PiS or Duda aren't, but our past government and this contemporary have sins on the conscience.
Józef Piłsudski&Co were not real patriots as the Duda and PiS aren't. To search for real patriotism... hmm... maybe in the past it was Roman Dmowski, he was opponent to the Piłsudski. Dmowski was antagonist to Piłsudski's plan of expansion on East and Polonize people. Nowdays, I don't know who is the real patriot, maybe some group who respect Dmowski's thought, it's hard to say.
Poland in the past, has outmaneuvered by itself. This what can be concluded from the history, is that we are on the similar track, and again we can bring disaster on themselves. Fortunately, Russia is not the ZSRR, always a plus in all this mix-up.
_https://youtu.be/ZlNDVqiqYNY
