Graphic images at the end of this post. You've been warned.
A lot is made of Mr Józef Retinger's prowess as an adviser, of his knowledge, foresight, political dexterity.
This usually is contrasted with alleged intransigence, thoughtlessness, ignorance of Polish politicians and especially of their deep suspicions as to his motives. Among others it was claimed he was a communist sympathizer, fellow traveler or simply a Soviet agent. Were they mistaken or misled in their opinions? Who knows.
But it is known his practical experience was limited. He never was a politician, diplomat, businessman. Basically he traveled a lot around the world looking for a job, nothing more. Eventually he found one, for ten years he worked for Plutarco Elías Calles.
Calles was a self made man and hugely successful politician, a man who radically transformed his country. Retinger became his adviser, supported Calles, approved his politics.
So what Calles created and what Retinger supported is a good question. BTW, this is Plutarco Calles - and his Roman salute:
Perfect Dictatorship
Calles was a Mexican general, populist president, a hardcore socialist and progressive. He founded the National Revolutionary Party (PNR), which under different names governed Mexico from 1929 to 2000. It was seventy years of particracy, one-party rule, not much different from the particracy in the Soviet dominated countries of the Eastern Bloc.
Similarly the long rule was only possible thanks to massive electoral fraud, support of a huge and loyal to the party governmental bureaucracy, and good old intimidation of any opponents.
PNR's grip on power was so complete it was called the perfect dictatorship.
Arrested Development
There was another similarity with the Eastern Bloc. The radical socialist ideas and solutions forced upon Mexico by Calles and his successors resulted in persistent low economic growth rate, so characteristic for the communist countries too.
Below the swimming in oil and other natural resources Mexico is compared with Austria - a landlocked, mountainous "worthless" piece of land, and the communist Poland. Striking similarities and differences we have here I would say. It seems the wages of socialism was universal poverty.
Per capita GDPs of Mexico, Poland, Austria:
- APM.jpg (13.53 KiB) Viewed 802 times
Desirable de-Christianization
In 1926 only one serious obstacle remained on the path to the new brave future envisaged by Calles - religion, represented by the Catholic Church. And he removed it with brutality of a Red Guard fanatic. He seized Church property, expelled priests, closed monasteries, convents, and religious schools. All churches and religious groups were required to register and were strictly controlled. Wearing clerical garb in public was punishable by a huge fine, a priest who dared to criticize the government could be imprisoned for up to five years, public worship was forbidden. In the end only 334 Catholic priests were allowed to serve Mexico's 15 million people, in seventeen states there were no priests at all.
In his own words:
Catholic Church in Mexico is a political movement, and must be eliminated in order to proceed with a Socialist government free of religious hypnotism which fools the people . . . within one year without the sacraments, the people will forget the faith.
The predictable result was a massive, popular uprising - later called Cristero War. In desperation even women, about 25,000 of them organized in the so called Feminine Brigades took part in that war. Calles needed four long years to suppress the uprising, and he did it eventually - thanks to his army, police, mass arrests, expulsions, executions, tortures. About 90,000 people lost their lives.
Defeated cristeros:
Some of the victims:
José Juárez, a Catholic priest executed without trial on direct orders from Callas. His crime was celebrating Mass clandestinely, without authorization from the Government. His brother was executed moments later - for the crime of being his brother.
- Miguel Pro.jpg (42.71 KiB) Viewed 802 times
Father Francesco Vera, arrested during an illegal Mass, executed on the spot for the same crime.
- Francesco Vera.jpg (28.75 KiB) Viewed 802 times
Father Gumersindo Sedano, tortured and executed, his last words were "come and see how Christians die":
- Gumersindo Sedano.jpg (73.81 KiB) Viewed 802 times
I total about 90 priests were executed, many of them were tortured to extract intelligence or just for fun. Some of them were declared saints later.
Józef Retinger worked for Calles for the entire length of his dictatorship. He claimed he was an adviser, probably an exaggeration but still the results of his "work" were nothing to be proud of.
There are claims that in the interwar period he worked for/supported radical leftist organizations in Europe, maintained contacts with communists. True or not but it's obvious such a person shouldn't have been allowed to work for General Sikorski, even if on moral grounds only.
Wikipedia says:
Retinger was a founder of the European Movement that would lead to the founding of the European Union and was involved in founding the Bilderberg Group.
Probably another exaggeration based on his own book - lets hope it is a good guess, in light of his "achievements" in Mexico it's better this way.
sourced of these and a few other photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
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Edit:
Please try to refrain from vaguely related subjects such as Calles and stay on topic, i.e. Churchill's Betrayal of Poland.
You might want to start a new thread about Retinger's life and his work for Calles, though.
/Peter K