So I see we voted for the same option :P Do you like the results?

Now where the hell did this come from? You really seem to not understand a single thing I've written and on top of that - what you said here is pure ignorance. Superpower again? Say whaaat? There is only one superpower in the world, the USA. Not even China is a superpower just yet. Countries like China, Russia, India, etc. are just local, regional powers. I do want Poland to be the leader of the region and of the Slavic world - what's wrong about it? It's either us or Russia, we are the only two large enough Slavic nations capable of doing it, so we have to step up for the benefit of everyone in the region, just like Kaczyński tried to. The recent crisis showed that no matter how much it tries, Germany can't and never will become a leader in this region, so it is totally up to us. The sooner we get to it, the better.

Blaming someone for our failures? Wtf? I think you are trying to impose some of your fears, problems or complexes on me, dude. Also, this is a thread about Russia, so why should I talk about Germany? But yes, I do disagree, Germany didn't do more "bad things" to us, it's just historical truth many people seem to be unaware of, because they are focusing mainly (only?) on the II WW, when we have 1k+ years of history behind us. The Polish-German border used to be among the most peaceful borders in Europe for hundreds of years, it beats me why people only want to focus on WW II and totally ignore that fact. Contrary to popular belief, we have actually been really good neighbours until they went bonkers with Hitler :P

And when it comes to role models - I don't care what Germans, Turks or Jews have done to us, they sure are great role models to model ourselves on and I believe it's ignorant to include such criteria when picking a role model. I for one want Poland to be to me just what Germany is to the Germans, Turkey to the Turks or Israel to the Jews, I also want it to have a similarly strong foreign policy as these countries. Holding on to some old grudges is pointless, we should be focusing on copying their success.

I think I was quite clear that I don't expect the West to do anything to Russia. It's really sad to see that the West holds Russia by the balls (cause it does - economically), but is so terrified of squeezing them. If it wanted to, it could squeeze them so hard, that the Russians would dump Putin in a matter of weeks. Still, it is only focusing on money here and now, so it won't do a thing. It's just the way the West is - it was the same story with Hitler and I don't expect anything different from it. The only country I expect anything from is my own, that's why I always go to elections, etc.

This is rich :) Hahahaha. Such selective cherrypicking of history - how typically Russian :P What is the truth? Main facts:

Area - a tiny 805 km2 (yet you guys claim "Occupation of Czechoslovakia!", as if the country was 20x40 km large...).

Population - 123k Poles, 32k Czechs.

After the I WW in 1918 - the area was Polish! But when we were busy fighting off the Russian invasion of 1920, the Czechoslovakians invaded the territory and took it away from us. So, when 20 years later Hitler took over half of Czechoslovakia on the 30th of September 1938, we decided to act and get our territory, populated by our people, back, instead of letting it fall under German occupation. So on the 2nd of October we came in and secured the area. Now you claim this is "Occupation of Czechoslovakia". Seriously?

"Occupation". Lol. The area was populated mainly by Poles, our troops were treated as heroes, it was incorporated into Poland and was a normal part of the country. If anything, it was occupied by Czechoslovakia for almost 20 years, considering the population. We didn't take anything, that wasn't ours before they invaded us. What we did is not what occupation is, but I guess you need a term that sounds evil to throw shit at us :P

To sum up - there was no occupation, the whole process was done peacefully and nobody was hurt (unlike when the Czechoslovakians invaded it, killing our troops, even POWs), we just took back what the Czechoslovakians took away from us a couple years earlier. Yet you guys spew this bullshit propaganda, totally ignoring the origin and circumstances of this conflict... And just how am I supposed to like you? :P

To sum up, you've found a lot of excuses on a fact that in 1938 Poland together with Hitler took part in dividing another country and its OK for you.

But the 'Crimean annexion' (which was a part of Russia for several hundred years, populated by Russians and taken after a referendum and without any blood) is a 'Bloody tyrant Putin's crime'? 

I love your double standarts... ))))

Dude, stop with such "smart" lies and insinuations! We didn't do a single thing together with Hitler. Hitler started to take Czechoslovakia, so we decided to act and get back our territory and our people. We didn't do it together with him. We did it, because of what he was doing - and that is a major difference. I think I don't have to prove what kind of a man he was? Now you look and see that an area, that you just lost a couple years ago, which is populated by your people and which is about to fall into the hands of such a maniac - you're just gonna sit on your hands? There was no Czechoslovakia to really speak of at that point in time. To me that was responsible taking care of your citizens and taking back what was stolen from you in the first place. You calling it "occupation of Czechoslovakia" is just ridiculous. Why are you giving us so much heat about taking back an area populated by us, but aren't giving anything to the Czechs for invading it and taking away from us in the first place? Just ridiculous. It was a typical "an eye for an eye" with them starting it. We were fighting with Russia - they invaded us. Germany was annecting them - we stepped back in. Yet now somehow we are the bad guys? For taking back what was stolen from us? Be serious. We didn't take anything that wasn't our in the first place, so your accusations of an occupation or of dividing a country are pure BS. If anyone should be getting heat for this conflict - it's the Czechoslovakians, who cunningly put a dagger in our backs and stole the area from us.

The diffence in Crimea is huge. The times are different. Ukraine never stole or conquered Crimea from you. The country isn't falling apart or disappearing from the map unless you decide to destroy it. There was nothing happening to Russians living in Crimea, no threat to them whatsoever. You just decided to invade a sovereign country and take away a part of it. "Just like the good old days".

If you want to know my stance on Crimea - I believe it "should" (in an ideal world) belong to Turkey, they are the true people of the region. But since it's a part of Ukraine - it should stay there. This really opens up the Pandora's Chest, considering that the rest of Ukraine is traditionally Russian and Polish and probably only Kiev and its surroundings are really Ukrainian. I don't think we need that kind of conflicts back.

Oh, it's funny how speak of "Crimean annection" and "occupation of Czechoslovakia" :)

Do some people don't realise how insane the world would be if we kept fighting over issues that happened way before most of us where even born? European Colonists ruined most of the colonies, like India etc. Asians and Europeans fought amongst each other continuously, yet many of them are "friends" now. Does it really affect your life if your great great grandfather was maybe oppressed by a person from X country? You can hold grudges and keep going at it, wasting your lives. Or instead of blaming X country for bad conditions in your Y country and keep living with a grudge against people who died long ago, improve your present and future?

What has happened has already happened, you cannot change it, you can change your present and future though.

Wow, wow, calm down... 
First, I didn't call it occupation. To be honest, I'm not an expert in those things and I'm not care much not about Poland, not about Czechoslovakia (exept for their hockey team was much stronger when they was an united country.)
Second, Ukraine IS falling apart, and you have to be blind to not see it. 
Third, hard times ahead for everybody. I have a feeling that Europe map will see a lot of changes next 10-20 years ...
Fourth. Have respect to other people. I didn't speak anything bad about Poland or about Polish people. And I can't understand why is it so important for you to attack everything Russian. It seems like some very personal psychological problems. But please, don't bring it to the game forums, discuss it with your doctor.

I thought we have been through this? Oh, well... not to provoke discussion, just stating facts for those, who're interested, not you specifically.

Operation "Zaolzie" (occupation of Teschen Silesia by Polish forces, Zaolzie is the Polish historical name of Eastern part of Teschen Silesia) in October-November 1938 in a few photos.

I’m using toponyms common in English consistently here, omitting diacritics. BTW do not be confused by German helmets on some Polish soldiers, certain Polish troops have used today’s stereotypical Nazi Stahlhelm’s instead of their common Adrian helmet.

Photose are compiled in sections that represent one specific location.

Teschen (October 1938), border town, Western, Czech, part of which known as Cesky Tesin (Czech Teschen) while Eastern, Polish, part is just Cieszyn.

1. Polish 7TPs, or Polish 7-ton, (Polish variant of Vickers 6-ton) from 3rd armored battalion (could be distinguished by European bison insigina on the turret, not seen on this photo) of Polish Army enters Cesky Tesin.

2. “Witajcie! Od dzis wiecznie razem!” (Welcome! Since today we’re together forever!), same place.

3. Polish trops replacing the name on railroad station from Cesky Tesin (Czech Teschen) to Cieszyn Zachodni (Western Teschen).

Komorni Lhotka (October 1938), a village in the same region just a bit westward from Teschen.

4. Polish troops near Komorni Lhotka’s “postovni urad” (post office), holding Czechoslovak coat of arms just replaced by Polish one.

Karvina (October 1938), border town, North from Teschen.

5. Polish troops enter the town of Karvina, under the newly erected sign of Polska Karwina (Polish Karvina). By the way this is one of main industrial centers of the Teschen Silesia, the main zone of conflict of Polish-Czechoslovak war in 1919-20 and many border conflcits since.

Bohumin (October 1938), moving northwards along Czech-Polish border, yet another border town.

6. Polish soldiers at Czechoslovak-German border post (Germany was bigger at the time, today it’s Czech-Polish border) near Palackeho bridge.

7. Polish and German soldier on raliroad bridge, same place.

Jorgov (November 1938), a village in modern-day Slovakia. Orava and Spis, two more regions that were in the center of Polish-Czechoslovak war.

8. Polish tankettes TK-3 in Jorgov during annexation of Spis.

9. Same troops in Spis, Jorgov. After occupation of Poland by German and Soviet troops these territories have been returned to Slovakia. But after the end of WW2 Orava and Spic again were occupied by Polish troops with many ethnic Germans eventually cleansed out of the territory, in 1958 these regions have been returned to Czechoslovakia once again.

Unknown location (October-November 1938)

10. Polish 10th mounted rifles regiment of 10th mechanized brigade is preparing to parade at the celebration of successfully finishing "Zaolzie" operation.

Unknown location (Spring 1939)

11. Hungarian and Polish soldiers welcome each other in occupied Czechoslovakia. After occupation of Czechoslovakia Slovakia has declared its independence (not without help of Germany). After that Hungary received carte-blanche to occupy Carpathian Ruthenia, which decalred its independence too just a day before. Khust (currently Ukraine) has been captured by 24th Hungarian border guard battalion and 12th mechanized battalion of Hungarian army in a mere days.

Warsaw (November 1938)

12. Polish Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly welcomes German attache, generalmajor Bogislav von Studnitz (he was half-Polish iirc, ironically has been involved in the occupation of Poland), at the parade on the Independence Day in Warsaw, November 11th 1938, a month after successfully occupying Czechoslovakia. The parade featured the line of Teschen Poles marching on the streets.

Bigger fish ate smaller fish.

Don't have Russian insignias? They have a lot of Russian made hardware all across Ukraine's border. Are you joking?

umm, Ukranian forces have Russian's weapons as well, what else?

Really? That is your excuse? You think they have Russian tanks and artillery "outside" their own borders? Really? Besides, they were Russian soldiers because Putin made a "second" withdrawl and then they were removed.