MHM Forum

Here is an extensive extract from the First Virtual Meeting:

<Szalency_z_Sopotu> Because in newspapers we had to present a spirit fighter! 
<tommasoisuc> let's concentrate on the press, and how it presented the event in the different countries
<jean> in the press it was regarded as a moral obligation to help poland and mainly to fight the nazi barbarity in the name of freedom
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> So from our point of view it is clear - In Polish newspapers there is no info that "our aliants" are NOT going to help us
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> So from our point of view it is clear - In Polish newspapers there is no info that "our aliants" are NOT going to help us
<ChristineBE> Due to the Belgian neutrality, the newspapers couldn't express politic opinions but showed clearly sympathy to Poland
<ChristineBE> Due to the Belgian neutrality, the newspapers couldn't express politic opinions but showed clearly sympathy to Poland
<tommasoisuc> except poland, which has already answered, what about the other countries? any sign - in the press - of the non intervention (military) of FRA, GBR and Italy?
<Cecoslovacchia> I think that In italy the press is not realistic because it is not free to write the truth because of dictation of mussolini, what do you say?
<jean> after the declaration the press remains silent in front of our  military passivity
<tommasoisuc> italian press motivated the non intervention against poland, beacasue mussolini didn't want to enter in that moment, and italy entered the war on june 1940
<jean> the press silent could interpreted like the result of a censureship
<tommasoisuc> unfortunately we don't have the english partner!
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> As we can see - we have compleatly different views in our newspapers
<ChristineBE> What about our English partner? 
<Cecoslovacchia> That is true, mussolini enters after because at moment italy dindn't have the military to aford a war
<monaco> yes, but anyway we have to enter in war after in 1940
<cecoslovacchia2> the german newspapers already claimed the ownership of cities like Danzica
<andreapixel> very good discussion so far...
<Cecoslovacchia> He enters afterwards when he thought that the war was nearly finished
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> But this is quite different issue - Gdansk was exteritorial 
<cecoslovacchia2> the germans used the newspapers to justify the invasion of poland and to show their superiority on poland
<monaco> what's Gdansk?
<tommasoisuc> i would say, about italy, that M. didn't enter the war immediatelyu because he knew that italy wasn't ready and so hoped that war would finisch soon. in 1940 when he realized that it would have lasted long decided to enter the war and attack a defeated france
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> Gdansk it is a city in Poland - 2WW began there
<tommasoisuc> if you agree, we could pass to the next issue: which is the most important fact taken from oral history documents collected about this event?
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> We have one witness
<tommasoisuc> what did the witness remember in particular?
<ChristineBE> In Belgium, we didn't find any oral document, sorry!
<tommasoisuc> what about france?
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> Our witness - he was 12 then, he was extremely afraid of batles, bombarding, soldiers 
<jean> we had a video document cinema actualities
<jean> a discussion of daladier
<tommasoisuc> any interviews?
<jean> daladier is speaking the origin of the conflicts and thez german responsibility
<inseterni> there are differences between oral documents and written documents?
<jean>  he said : we enter the war because we are obliged by germany
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> Certainly sir, witness relation are always emotional
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> and usually with time perpective
<tommasoisuc> a woman interviewed by the italian students (she was 20 in 1939) said - and she's not the one - that none in italy could suppose a war lasting five years. they were terrified, remembering WW1, because war always mean death, straving, men going away and so on. but, i repeat, nonne could imagine what was going to happena
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> The same opinion was shared by our witness
<Cecoslovacchia> the italians witness were afraid but at the same time a little bit fascinated from II WW
<jean> in italian how is shown the german agression?
<tommasoisuc> the italian woman also remembers that a friend of her in the university, son of a general of the army, astonished her and everyone saying that his father told him to be careful, because the invasion of poland would have opened a terrible war. common people couldn' know something
<cecoslovacchia2> we read an interview of italian woman that on september of 1939 she had 25 years old: she was afraid that her husband would be called to partecipate to war. we think that it was a sign that war would last a long time 
<jean> do the belgian press refers to the first worlds war and the violation of neutralityt?
<tommasoisuc> in the italian press is shown as a sort of consequence of the wrong politic of FRA and GBR, who didn't accept hitler's fair and reasonable porposes for Gdansk/Danzig/Danzica
<ChristineBE> yes, some newspapers linked the event to the beginning of WWI
<tommasoisuc> even in italy we can say that was linked to WW1, in the sense that the invasion was considered the definitive death of the "Versailles policy"
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> could you precise your question jean?
<jean> what are the reactions of polish press after the announcement of the war declaration by fr and gbr
<Szalency_z_Sopotu> we recived it with enthusiasm
<monaco> we haven't any writers about The secon World War but we know by means of our grandparents that was terrible and everyone was afraid
<jean> and after one week
<tommasoisuc> for varsavia: say something about the interview you made
<tommasoisuc> we were talking about the invasion of poland and the most important fact emerged from oral sources
<varsavia> i think that nobody understood the importance of this event (in italy)
<tommasoisuc> from the different (not only oral) sources exhamined, does the perception/fear of the beginning of a worldwide war emerge?
<varsavia> not from the italian sources..we were not conscious..
<tommasoisuc> in the other countries?
<ChristineBE> In Belgium, it's very clear: "Tragedy has begun"

Andrea
Pixel