Sikorski - The French Connection and Internment Camps.

[gebhk]

Hi WM

The problem is her theory isn't valid,

Every theory is valid. Only the evidence supporting a theory can be valid or not. And the only theory of Kochanski's that is being quoted here, as far as I can see, is that Sikorski
“orchestrated a witch hunt against those who had over looked him”
Since the theory is one of fact not of motivation, even if he said he did what he did out of sadism would not be valid. The issue is straightforward: are people who 'overlooked him'(whatever that means), over-represented in the cohort that was somehow 'witchhunted' (whatever that means).

[wm]

The image of the whole Polish community as a back-biting, quarrelsome bunch more interested in fighting each other than the enemy, ditto. I can't imagine that the distasteful sight of Polish senior officers pursuing each other very publically through the courts for slander did anything for the reputation and standing of the Polish army......

Please, unity is for cemeteries, disagreement is a cornerstone of democracy.
So what, the British collaborated with the communist warlord Tito against legitimate Yugoslavian forces, and with the genocidal Stalin (to the point of censoring any negative news about him) but internal disagreements in Poland were offensive.

And actually, there was unity.
The entire Polish political scene was united in the need to deprive Sanacja of its political power and to remove its leaders from political life.
But only leaders and unrepented followers. All the others weren't affected. After all, Karski was a "Sanator" and Piłsudski fanboy, and nobody had any problem with it.

And what were the others so saintly, so united maybe? We could ask the Czechs for their opinions about their wartime government.

What is lacking in our resistance movement abroad is atmosphere. Atmosphere of confidence, friendship, living together, and cooperation.
On the other hand we live in the atmosphere of permanent, all-embracing and perpetual lack of confidence, fight, conflicts, disputes, difficulties in the realm of competency, and struggle of all against all.
It is a struggle conducted behind the window-dressing of false cooperation. I have not found two people who would agree on a common way of [doing] positive work. Only there where criticism of others is involved, always malveillante criticism, there we are always in agreement.

We are lacking a spiritually great man.
Masaryk was a leader, Pilsudski was a leader; they both gave not only direction but they instilled also a soul into the movements they led.
...
I worry about how the things will procede further, because internally we experience a decay caused by unsatisfied individuals, struggle against the few who are over-ambitious and who, however, do not have followers behind themselves.
Czechoslovakia's Role in Soviet Strategy

[gebhk]

Please, unity is for cemeteries, disagreement is a cornerstone of democracy.

We are not talking about disagreement, we are talking about the head of state and government conducting a personal vendetta. Somewhat different things.

And actually, there was unity.

There was - on the subject that the Germans and Soviets should be kicked out of Poland. There was no unity to "deprive Sanacja of its political power and to remove its leaders from political life". The arguments on that subject divided the Polish community then and for many years after the war ended - and continue to divide the eldest emigrees to this day.

[wm]

Karski said this in the interview:

All the political parties I talked to, all the activists, were suspicious of Sanacja. It was fear of the return to power of these mythical sanators and pre-war officers.
Every member of the Home Army who was an officer before the war was considered a sanator by definition. An enemy of the general, and he was regarded with suspicion.