Just to be fair, I believe that the government of Poland during the Nazi occupation was not carried out by the Poles. The occupying Nazis killed most of the leading Poles, and, perhaps except in the matter of Jewish persecution, did not have local collaborators at the level that they had in other occupied countries. Did you mean population?
3 Likes
Yeah, probably. The meaning of “government of X” when X is an occupied country is always a bit fuzzy. (For example, I don’t mean King Ubu.)
Italy (which i brought up) was of course not an occupied country, and I’ve always found discussions of the war era with my wife’s Italian-Jewish family (part of that family stayed, part left, none as far as I know were sent to the camps) educational.
3 Likes
IIRC they had a government in exile, first in France and then England. I know they were responsible for the Polish Military that was able to escape and work with the Allies, as well as the Polish Home Army, which my kids great grandfather was a member of. Technically it lasted until after Soviet rule ended.
Here, I googled it, but haven’t had a chance to read it.
3 Likes
True, the Polish units in the Allied side fought the Axis with distinction. But at the same time, some of the security forces that stayed in Poland collaborated with the occupiers. Some seem to have participated in the rounding up of their Jewish compatriots, while others were secretly part of the resistance. Some of latter have been recognized as “Righteous Among Nations.”
4 Likes
For an entertaining overview of the first Crusade, see:
3 Likes
"Anti-semitism has been discredited, thanks to Hitler, perhaps not forever but certainly for the time being, and this is not because the Jews have become more popular all of a sudden but because, in Mr. Ben-Gurion’s own words, most people have “realized that in our day the gas chamber and the soap factory are what anti-semitism may lead to.”
-Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem
7 Likes
Japan took some refugees too.
2 Likes
That’s a cracking series of videos for an insane period of history.
1 Like
The Extra History crew are reliably good; their series on the Opium Wars is particularly worthwhile.
This is their current work in progress:
1 Like
The Opium Wars are my favourite bit of British history, showing my nation at its very best. 
2 Likes
Just read Maus. It should be required reading for everyone’s history education
3 Likes
That’s actually the series I am digesting now. I like how they have a “lies” episode that corrects the mistakes.
Oh, I am not disputing that. I mean, it’s a whole country during war. You aren’t going to find the whole nation resisting or being complicit, but people doing what ever they think they need to do. (Hell in the US and Britain you had pro Nazis coughHenryFordcough) Some did what they felt was right, others did what they hoped would allow them to survive. It was a horrible time where for every heroic act, you probably had a dozen cowardly ones.
Maus and Maus II are excellent and worthy Eisner winners. Not only do I love the historical insight, but we also see Spiegalman’s father as a real human with all his flaws.
1 Like
Thanks! I hadn’t seen that. I just listened to Our Fake History’s three-parter on the first crusade, but these are far more in depth!
1 Like
Or the Daily Mail, who I don’t think ever stopped being secretly fascist.
2 Likes
I don’t think they’ve ever hidden their contempt for minorities
LOL - I had assumed your original comment was sarcastic. I guess you were referring to an actual podcast. Sorry.
1 Like
True, but they have toned it down sometimes. They’re like some trolls, they know roughly where the line is and try their best to stay as close to it as possible without crossing it, but sometimes they go over it and show their true nature.
1 Like
Just like Fox i see.
1 Like
Haha I should have made it more clear- it’s a fun podcast!
1 Like
