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yes, but without that gift, they should have started at 0.The Poles did not just 'try'. They cracked it. They've even built a number of functioning replicas of Enigma (they had blueprints thanks to a well placed spy in the factory in Germany). All the information, including replicas and cracking methods (Turing's bomb method was based on 'bomba' created by Polish cryptographers) was passed to the British and French in the summer of 1939.
The issue the Allies faced was that Enigma grew more and more complicated with time passing, so there was always work left to do.
Original Polish Enigma machine used to break WWII German codes sent to Poland
A Polish copy of an Enigma encryption machine that was used to break German codes in France and Britain during World War Two is on its way to Poland.Forgotten heroes of the Enigma story
Polish codebreakers paved the way for Alan Turing to decrypt German messages in the Second World War. Joanne Baker commends a gripping tale.
). But Józef Beck declined the proposal (to be fair I read that in Bogusław Wołoszański's book - great read, but not 100% authentic).I also read that Hitler offered Poland lands in Ukraine as a compensation (lands at that point owned by USSR
Regarding the first part, by "third world" country I mean the germany of weimar, that of hyperfinlation, where every woman prostituted herself in order to eat a piece of bread (which cost millions if not billions of marks!). Regarding the generous offer, it was said towards the UK and France: Save many deaths if the war was over in 40. That is a few colonies and 3-4 provinces in Europe (Gdansk, Alsace Lorraine, Luxembourg) that is, you really think it was better to have thousands and thousands of more deaths? Maybe even a sop to Italy (little thing, if he gained djibouti and Italian Somalia and maybe Corsica and Nice was already a lot). The Poles were arrogant to believe that their allies would save them, after 45 the Poles cared highly, leaving them Soviet, who were worse than the Nazis! In addition there is also the fact that a part of the German army would have helped the Poles to garrison the Russian border, so they would have been more protected. In my opinion, on balance they would go back and say "listen, give it to Danzig, it's not worth keeping it". I use google translate, but also in my native language, I often find people who, even if I explain well, then understand something else.Germany, who was the most industrially developed country in continental Europe, with the largest population in Europe except of Soviets... Germany, who almost alone fought global powers of France and UK + Russia on 2 fronts for 5 years in WW1 (let's say that A-H and Italy cancel each other out) and was not so far from pulling it off... yeah, let's call it a 3rd world country.
Yes, VERY generous indeed. Say bye to UK and France (the only potential allies who could count as counterweight to German influence), give up access to the sea, which was a lifeline to Polish economy (coal exports) and the only channel for potential help from abroad, join an offensive alliance against the Soviets and ... down the road, in unspecified future, once they're defeated you get part of their lands...
To sum up, Poland would give up it's independence and become a de facto satellite of Germany, with its access to the world market by Baltic controlled by Berlin. On top of that it would cede sovereignty on part of it's territory (the part where huge investments were made in the interwar period - Gdynia port). And all of that for a vague promise of part of territory which wasn't even Germany's to give, controlled at the time by the other dangerous great power.
The Poles expected war and they were not so stupid to believe they could have won it. Beck's gamble was that getting guarantees from the West meant attacking Poland starts a World War - he was correct. He also gambled that, same as in WW1, control of the seas and blockade of Germany will bring allied victory. He was correct. The mistake he made was believing Allied victory=restoration of Poland. Underestimating the power of the Soviet Union and not predicting that Allied victory won't bring back Polish independence but will place it in Soviet sphere of influence. But underestimating Soviet Union was a mistake made by all the major powers of the period.
Another thing no one predicted was how barbarous the German occupation would be, but that's not the appropriate topic in the game forum, so let's leave it be. If they knew what the Germans would do to them, they'd probably bend the knee. But no one could have predicted that...
So I don't really know where do you see that 'arrogance' you mentioned in your post.
Only in SF. By FTM and certainly by TFH, the Germans could skate and the British would never have declared war.
). And Ukrainian "minority" on these lands was ehm.... "troublesome".Ok we are in deep water here.
First of all: hyperinflation was certainly bad, but:
1. It was actually started by Germans to get out of reparations very quick
2. Civilian life adjusted to the situation (prices in shops changed daily, people got daily wage).
It was not perfect, but far from armageddon - please bear in mind that many countries (Poland included) had their own hyperinflation problems after first world war.
Now regarding Hitler being genius/idiot discussion - here is my opinion:
Hitler and Mussolini were kind of "New breed" of politicians. They liked to gamble, threaten their neighbors and didn't like to keep their promises.
Before first world war they would have been eaten alive (one could even see strong similarities with Hitler and how Kaiser Wilhelm acted - Kaiser was sidelined BEFORE first world war as he just could not STFU). But first world war was such a traumatic experience for everyone involved that French and British politicians wanted to avoid repeating it at almost any cost. M&A just exploited that "weakness" to get stuff
Hence Mussolini got carte blanche to settle the score with Ethiopia
And Hitler got Anshluss + Sudetenland.
Hitler could have been stopped during the demilitarization of Rhineland - Wehrmacht was explicitly ordered to withdraw if there would be ANY threat from France. There were no threats - I am not blaming French here, it's not like German soldier had great flags with "STOP us and we will go back" messages.
First attempt for Anshluss was stopped by Mussolini! And rather easily.
Munich was absolute end of the line. Last boon for Hitler, yet soon after he took whole country and bullied Lithuania to give back Memel.
And German people were not really crazy to go into war AGAIN. They just got used to political "bloodless" successes of Hitler, then went ecstatic during first years of the war when Wehrmacht was successful. But in September 1939 mood was rather bad.
Now imagine that Hitler/Manstein never try Ardennes. Instead they fight good old honest war, IE RAM their forces into French & British in Belgium. Allies had proper air force, Germans must cross the rivers, and defeat Belgian fortresses. And German paper tanks must fight Matildas and Smouas (I kinda forgot the name of French heavy tank), and there is no space to maneuver (look at Polish border before the war, then look at Belgium). Meatgrinder.
In the same time blockade is back. Germany can get stuff from USSR, but only as long as USSR deems that necessary.
How long would be Hitler in power?
As for whole "Swap":
1. Poland was offered only part of Slovakia - Carpathian Ruthenia. And since that land was worthless it was a handout, ostensibly without any strings attached. Beck declined and advised for that strip of land to be awarded to Hungary.
2. In my opinion Poland COULD have been persuaded to allow Germans to annex Danzing (provided Gdynia and corridor would be left alone), and extraterritorial highway (basically just a road) was Polish idea anyway.
But
1. That must have happen AFTER Munich, and BEFORE whole Czechoslovakia annexation
2. No strings attached - IE no need to go to war with USSR. It's not like Poles loved USSR, but for Poland there were no reason to attack that enormous country. Poland got already as much lands as it wanted from USSR in 1921 (check out peace in Riga, Russians wanted to give Poland more land, and Poles argued that they should got less
3. Poland would have to be compensated. There were German lands with significant Polish minority (Mazuria, German Upper Silesia) - something could have been found there.
Was this swap necessary to any party involved? NO! Germany essentially gets city without purpose (although with large population - 388 K - Wikipedia), and priviledge to build road. WOW!
Maybe Goebbels would be able to spin it as a success. Realistically what was needed was:
1. To tell Germans in Danzing to behave and don't bite the hand which brings them business.
2. Some kind of economical agreement for easy transit of people (transfer of goods between West Pomerania and East Prussia was negligible, and even smaller on land).
BOOM!! EU in 1939
Wrong, The situation in Germany was the worst of the "majors" worst of Italy, UK, USSR, Italy, USA ... the worst ever! Maybe only poland was in a similar situation (ironically)
