In a time when many NATO nations are neglecting their national military forces and few are meeting their obligation to spend a specified minimum amount on their military spending, Poland stands out as a notable exception. I think it is time Poland got some recognition for what it is achieving.
Poland, as many know, is located in a historically dangerous geographical location. Its location in eastern Europe has, over many centuries, seen Poland’s territory invaded from both the east and west by a variety of conquerors. It had the very traumatic experience in 1939 of being invaded from both the east and west. This simultaneous invasion, by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, left Poland without any local allies and little option but to surrender. After being brutally occupied by the Nazis for about six years, Poland was them under the boot of the Soviet Union from the end of World War II in 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union in 1990. Poland regained its independence, and this time, Poland very much intends to never again be a “victim” of history. Poland is determined to be a military power that can defend itself and it is in a hurry to attain such status.
The first link reports that Poland is building a force that is similar to the USA’s National Guard, as it will be a 53,000 strong armed force with military training which will supplement Poland’s regular army, which is also being expanded. A recent post noted that Poland is expanding its national army from 100,000 to 150,000 troops. The second link reports that Poland intends to double its military spending to update and expand its military forces. The link also cites critics who contend that Poland’s military expansion program is “unrealistic” and can’t be implemented. They may be right, but Poland seems determined to modernize and increase its military forces fairly rapidly. The second link almost mocks Poland’s decision to keep its aging Soviet-era, Russian-style tanks operational. I disagree. Even though they are old, these tanks can still function very well as mobile artillery if a war breaks out. They are much more useful as active artillery platforms than sitting in some metal recycling yard.
I think you will find the third link especially interesting. What nation do you think is about to deploy the most advanced main battle tank in the world? The USA? No. Russia? Again no. According to the third link, it is Poland. While much of the world has been unaware of its efforts, Poland has for years been designing a tank which is essentially “invisible” as it can deflect and defeat currently-known modern tank-detection technologies. This tank is a very impressive military platform, and Poland is ready to build and deploy these new tanks, starting in 2018.
Poland’s military plans include an even more ambitious self-defense system. Situated to the northeast of Poland’s border is Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave into which Russia can position its military forces to threaten Europe. Russian cruise missiles fired from Kaliningrad can hit many cities and military targets throughout Poland and other European NATO nations. Poland is doing something about this threat. The fourth link notes that Poland is buying eight US Patriot air-defense missile systems and they will equip them with Israeli-made missiles from Israel’s David’s Sling anti-missile defense system. The link mentions that the Israeli missiles to be used in Poland’s Patriot batteries are intended to knock down ballistic missiles as well as the kinds of cruise missiles Russia could launch against Poland and other NATO nations from Kaliningrad. NATO should be applauding Poland’s efforts. Poland is clearly preparing to shoot down whatever missiles Russia decides to fire from Kaliningrad in the future.
Poland received an undeserved reputation as a weak nation when it was crushed by combined Nazi and Soviet armies at the beginning of World War II in Europe. However, few realize that if Poland had had to confront only one of those forces, it would have done much better. Indeed, Poland fought the Soviet Union to a standstill in a war fought in 1919-1921 after the end of World War I. That war was fought in the modern territories of Belarus, the Ukraine and Poland. Poland’s forces and its anti-Soviet Ukrainian allies first forced the Soviets to retreat well into the east, but then a Soviet counterattack brought its forces to the city of Warsaw. In this battle, the Polish military won a massive victory over the Soviet Union, and the war came to an end with the Soviet forces in retreat. The Soviet retreat from Polish forces was so great that the fifth link reports that entire divisions of the Russian army were retreating in panic and disintegration. The history of this forgotten war is in the fifth and sixth links, and the sixth link even includes newsreels of the Polish-Russian battles.
Poland again attained its independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990. Poland is a good friend of the USA and its purchase of key Israeli weaponry is likely a harbinger of more purchases and/or cooperation between the Polish and Israeli militaries. Poland was one of the first nations visited by new US president Donald Trump. Poland has no known plans to become a nuclear power, but if a rogue state like North Korea is allowed to keep its nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them, expect the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Pact to collapse as many nations will have no choice but to also become nuclear powers.
While many NATO nations have declining military forces, Poland is rapidly increasing its military power. It is almost as if some nations in NATO have “given up” on defending themselves. Not Poland. Poland intends to not lose any more wars. It intends to successfully defend itself if it has to fight. In my humble viewpoint, I say “three cheers for Poland!”
It is evident that Poland, as an anti-Communist member of NATO, is a member of the overall western alliance that will be attacked by a Russian-Chinese-Iranian surprise attack, according to the Bible’s prophecy in Ezekiel 38-39. For a detailed description of how that war will unfold among the modern nations, please read my article, What Ezekiel 38-39 Reveal about a Future World War III. If you do, you will see that the Bible is very relevant to modern times.
- http://www.dw.com/en/poland-to-build-territorial-defense-force-by-2019/a-36386036
- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-poland-defence/poland-plans-trump-era-defense-spending-splurge-critics-say-unrealistic-idUSKBN1970Y6
- http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/112854/20170328/poland-pl-01-stealth-tank-world-first-5th-generation.htm
- http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Poland-to-buy-Israeli-made-Patriot-missiles-499233
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Soviet_War
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Russo-Polish-War-1919-1920
