Dziadek w Wehrmachcie / Grandfather in the Wehrmacht

Half a million Poles served in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and at least 200,000 of them died fighting for the Third Reich, estimates Ryszard Kaczmarek, a professor at the University of Silesia. Two interpretations of Poles' service in the Wehrmacht often prevailed. One was that they were victims of the war who should be pitied, and the other was that they were traitors and collaborators. Meanwhile, a whole range of attitudes existed, with traitors and victims being the fewest, writes Kaczmarek. There were instances of patriotic behavior, but also instances of fascination with the German army. Sometimes, especially after the Third Reich attacked the USSR, Polish volunteers for the Wehrmacht volunteered, but desertions were also common. Kaczmarek believes that the most common motivation for these decisions was simply the desire to survive. Poles in the Wehrmacht were treated as second-class soldiers. Many did not even speak German and were unable to advance. The policy of limited trust in Polish recruits in the Wehrmacht proved to be correct from the German perspective – of the 450,000 Poles in the Wehrmacht, as many as 83,000 deserted and joined the Polish armed forces in the West, and one in five Polish soldiers crossed over to the other side of the front. Data from the Eastern Front is fragmentary, as no prisoners were taken there, but we do know, for example, about 3,000 soldiers who deserted from the German army and joined the Polish army formed in the Soviet Union. Source: https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/pol-m... 👉Remember that from now on, you can support us directly via YouTube. There's a SUPPORT button under each episode 🔥🔥    / @lukaszkazekhistorystory   Simply click it and choose your support level with the associated bonuses. 👉Podcasts, reports. The book Fascist Mac with a personal dedication from the author, priority replies to comments, greetings in the History Story episode, and access to a secret Facebook group where we share unknown materials and our discoveries. 🔥🔥 👉If you liked this episode, we invite you to check out our other content. 💣War Nightmares    • Wojenne Koszmary / War Nightmares   🔥See you every Tuesday at 8:00 PM. 💥We broadcast each episode in SD, HD, and 4K with Polish subtitles and an English translation. 💥Do you like time travel? Subscribe to my channel, click the bell, and give it a thumbs up! 💥You can also check me out on Instagram:   / lukaszkazekhistorystory   💥Check out my Facebook:   / lukaszkazekhistorystory   💥You can find the channel at: www.historystory.pl 🎯Host and director: Łukasz Kazek 🎯Photography and editing: Daniel Stanisławski http://www.danielstanislawski.com 🎯Sound and subtitles: Krzysztof Bąk   / dzwiekwfilmie   ©2023 Łukasz Kazek, All Rights Reserved It is prohibited to alter, copy, or use the materials in any way without the written consent of the author. Use of the materials from the Łukasz Kazek History Story channel requires the prior consent of Łukasz Kazek.