FROM being ravaged by bloody World War I to being carved up by Hitler and Stalin during World War II, Poland endured the scars of history.
The country has suffered some of the worst bloodshed after being invaded time and again – but it is no longer a victim of the past conflicts.
Polish troops attend a military parade under the name ‘Strong White-Red’ on Polish Armed Forces Day in WarsawCredit: Getty
Polish troops take part in tactical and fire trainingCredit: Getty
Defence analyst Simon Diggins reveals how the small European nation has prepared itself to be the first line of defence against Russia
With Vladimir Putin’s meatgrinder war raging just across its eastern border, Poland now stands as the “cornerstone” of Europe’s defence.
In the latest episode of Superpowers Exposed, defence analyst reveals how the small European nation has prepared itself to be the first line of defence as a potential war with Russia looms.
Watch the latest episode of Superpowers Exposed here
Poland has a long history of war with Russia – stretching back hundreds of years to the time of Ivan the Terrible – and has often been on the frontline defending Europe against Moscow.
It was not an independent state but was partitioned between the Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German empires, with its territories becoming a major battleground.
In 1920, the country was credited with stopping the spread of Communism into Europe when its armies turned back Trotsky in a battle known as “The Miracle on the Vistula”.
Less than 20 years later, the joint invasion of Poland by Stalin’s Soviets and Hitler’s Nazis began the Second World War, with the country occupied by the USSR until 1989.
So when Putin invaded Ukraine last year, saying he had come to reclaim historic Russian lands, power brokers in Warsaw were under no illusions that they were also in danger.
Mr Diggins said that Poland is now Nato’s front line against Russia.
“Without it, the West would be dangerously exposed,” he added.
Poland will inevitably be the first line of defence against any Russian aggression.
It is both symbolically and strategically crucial, the place where World War III would likely start if Russia pushed against the West.
“Poland will inevitably be the first line of defence against any Russian aggression, Mr Diggins said.
“It is absolutely a frontline state. It sits on the edge of NATO. It sits wedged between Belarus and Kaliningrad, which is Russia’s heavily armed exclave on the Baltic.”
Given its geography, Poland had no option but to rearm.
And it’s been able to do so thanks to its booming economy.
Mr Diggins explained how the country now has one of the largest armed forces in Europe – and is the third biggest in Nato, falling behind only Turkey and the US.
He said: Since joining the European Union in 2004, Poland’s economy has grown by an average of 4 per cent per year.
“The bottom line is that Poland’s getting richer and fast and that money is being poured straight into tanks, jets and troops.
“A strong military and strong economy means that Poland’s on course to be, if not already, the strongest European power in Nato.”
Poland currently has more than 200,000 active military personnel, the Polish army has six mechanised, armoured or cavalry divisions – and is still expanding.
And they are now trained and equipped to Nato standards, and with recent experience in hybrid warfare gained from support in Ukraine.
A Polish F-16 fighter jet flying over north Poland during a Nato drillCredit: AFP or licensors
Polish Leopard tanks in trainingCredit: AFP
But while Russia has far larger numbers on paper, its forces are spread across a vast territory, some 12 different time zones, and its best infantry units have taken serious losses in Ukraine, the expert said.
“Russia relies heavily on conscripts with limited training, struggles with Moran logistics, and will take much longer to move reinforcements towards Poland’s border.”
He explained how Poland has been pushing to improve its defence capabilities and military hardware.
“It’s backed by the full weight of the NATO alliance. All this while it’s also sending supplies to Ukraine,” Mr Diggins said.
“What matters is the speed and the focus of Poland’s rearmament. Along with the Baltics, Poland is the only country in Europe that’s getting ready for war with Russia on the question of not if, but when.”
Russia’s numbers in terms of military hardware outgun those of Poland’s – but its equipment is ageing every day, and there is a major qualitative leap.
Sophisticated military hardware
Meanwhile, Warsaw has been rapidly modernising its military equipment.
Warsaw had put pen to paper on a deal to buy 250 American Abrams tanks and later increased that to 336, with 116 to be delivered as soon as possible.
Diplomats then went halfway around the world to sign another deal for 1,000 K-2 tanks from Korea.
Once they arrive, it will make Poland Europe’s largest tank force, with more armour at its disposal than every other European NATO member combined.
Poland then asked the US for 500 HIMARS systems, having watched just a handful of the long-range rocket artillery wreak havoc on Russian forces in Ukraine.
When American arms giant Lockheed Martin said it could only supply 200 of them, Warsaw again turned to Korea to fill the gap.
Polish soldiers patrol along the barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border in Ozierany Male, PolandCredit: Reuters
Army chiefs ended up buying 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket launchers from Seoul in addition to 18 HIMARS systems, including long-range ATACMS rockets that Ukraine has been pleading for but has not been given.
A further deal with Seoul will give Poland 48 of its FA-50 fighter jets, in addition to 32 next-generation F-35 stealth fighters it bought from America in 2020.
But the spending spree did not stop there.
Poland sent a request to the US for six new Patriot anti-air batteries, and in September, bought 96 Apache attack helicopters.
“Poland isn’t backing down; it’s digging in,” Mr Diggin said.
“In so doing, it’s not just defending its own border, but the whole of NATO’s. And if Moscow ever crosses that line, the next world war might begin right here in Poland.”
Polish ‘wildcard’
Mr Diggins said that each country has a “wildcard”, a unique advantage that shapes its power.
“For Poland, it’s speed,” the defence analyst said.
The country has been rearming faster than anyone in Europe, acting like the war could start next week.
Mr Diggins said: “Poland’s not just buying weapons, it’s building them.
“Factories are turning out tanks, missiles, ammunition at a pace that Europe hasn’t seen in decades to preapre for war.
“Not because it wants one. But because history has taught it what happens to a country that’s weak or divided.
“That sense of identity, forged through invasion and survival, drives everything it does.”
