Poland in 1939 had a hostile and ruthless government, they were anti-Semitic and ruthless with it's minority populations, the Germans in Poland were systematically robbed of their private property and minorities in eastern Poland had it worse - including savage pogroms. Ask relativity peaceful Lithuanians how they got along with Poland? Or the Czechs, who had a lengthy dispute over territory (
the Poles and Hungarians were as eager over Czechoslovakian dismemberment as the Germans - the Germans in Czechoslovakia were the second largest ethnic group, also some of the wealthiest)
Are all Czechs or Poles guilty of their governments past? Or only Germans... These small and weak (economically & industrially) countries (governments) who murdered Jews and Ukrainians represent a small portion of these countries, I do not heap collective guilt on Poles, Czechs or Hungarians because of their governments actions. I suggest you read more on the history of Poland in the early 20th Century, this was probably the least deserving country to begin a general war over (same goes for Serbia in WWI) both were pretext, which distracted the populations in the west from the real motives, which were even less worthy of the lives the wars caused.
What national treasures (of Poland) are you referring too? Poland was a rather poor country that had been occupied by A-H, Russia and German for generations? I have never read of the "great raid" of Polish museums, - I suppose the Soviets didn't participate in you fantastical comparison? The biggest looter in WWI was the USSR...
What of our (US, England & France) ally, the Soviet Union? Or only the vast crimes of the national socialist regime count? The war began with a agreement to divide Poland between the Germany-USSR, something that had been OK to the English and French for hundreds of years (
occupation of Poland). The Stalin-Hitler agreement was far more than a division of a relativity unimportant state (Poland), rather the economic concessions Stalin agreed to made it possible for Germany to fight a general war. Vast raw materials and food were sent on credit. Had Stalin not agreed and performed this, Germany would have been out of gas (literally) within a few months of active war. Hitler didn't have enough fuel, munitions or raw materials to conduct a lengthy full scale war in the west. Stalin made that happen. Which he promptly took advantage of by gobbling up the Baltic States and parts of Rumania. Where is the outrage of these crimes, these invasions (all occurring during Hitlers invasion of France) seem lost to history, - is this because the vast crimes of Stalin only murdered Slavs and Russians? In 1937 alone Stalin arrested 300,000 Russians, the vast majority died after a short torture signed confession... Add Stalins the terror famine in Ukraine that killed millions, or his subjection of 120 million peasants and farmers, where hundreds of thousands, probably millions, were killed. But again these aren't Belgians of Frenchmen, not even Danes or Dutch, and everyone knows that simple Russians and Slavs are just numbers, an abstraction, and only killing Jews and westerners really matter in history books. The simple fact is that before 1942 Hitler was an amateur at mass murder. Of course Mao made Stalin look like an amateur too, but stupid kids wear Mao portrait on tee shirts today... but again what are tens of millions Chinese lives?
Lastly, I do not care about looting museums as much as looting and terrorizing individuals... lastly what is to be repaid, are sons and daughters guilty of their father's crime? Do we execute the whole family of a convicted murder? Where does your generational guilt end? Great grandchildren? Maybe we kill all Germans and ethnic Germans to be sure we get them all? Or is that too far because you are ethnically German?
*** How does that calculation regarding 68-73 million over 60 countries made? I don't have a map of Europe handy, but in 1939 I doubt 60 countries existed in the operational area of Europe, off the top of my head maybe 30 or so if you include many countries that were free from conflict (Swiss, Spain, Portuguese, Turkey, Swedes for example) I suppose you are including Japan in your calculation? Well that is a whole nother subject.
To mollify those that are sucking their thumbs over off-topic banter, - which is allowed on the forums I moderate - I will move these threads to a new post...
As a result of WW2, some countries of the world such as Poland lost millions of people and 80 years later still have not fully regained their independence. Their national treasures were looted and some of it is still being hidden in “The Mother Land” by innocent Germans. It is estimated that 68 to 73 million innocent non Germans residing in over 60 countries lost their lives in WW2. Even teeth were yanked out of their jaws for the gold fillings to enrich Germany’s coffers, yet you are worried about the loss of a few museum pieces belonging to the innocent German people. A little war booty does not even start to repay the world for its losses.
My view also are not colored by personal heritage as, I am certain I have more German heritage than you.