In the Shadow of the Polish Eagle: The Poles, the Holocaust and Beyond Review

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(More customer reviews)This book offers nothing new. The author seems to forget, in his discussion of Polish anti-Semitism, that there has hardly been any nation on Earth where Jews were particularly liked, and where peoples of different cultures lived amiably. The umistakeable extensive Jewish involvement in Communism is also a fact that is insufficiently developed in terms of the provocation of Polish anti-Semitism. As for contemporary anti-Jewish feelings in Poland, Cooper does not seem to understand how offensive many Poles find it to be told that the murder of 6 million Jews by the Germans be immortalized, while the murder of 3 million Polish gentiles by the Germans be marginalized. Despite past Polish-Jewish tensions, Jews had it better in Poland, over the long haul, than just about anywhere else. No wonder that 80% of the world's Jews had at one time lived in Poland. And, despite the frictions and mutual prejudices, Polish society allowed the Jews, at 10% of the population, to acquire over 40% of Poland's wealth. Cooper fails to appreciate the fact that charges about Poles not doing enough to assist the Jews during the German occupation and Holocaust fail to take into account the wartime conditions--which included not only the death penalty for any Pole who assisted the Jews, but also the destruction of entire villages by the Germans in reprisal for ANY single Pole who assisted the Jews. In spite of this, more Poles are honored at Yad Vashem for hiding Jews than members of any other nationality.

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The behavior of many Poles towards the Jewish population during the Nazi occupation of Poland has always been a controversial issue. Although the Poles are supposed not to have collaborated with the invaders, there is evidence to show that in respect of the Jewish population, the behavior of many Poles, including members of the underground, was far from exemplary. Poland is also the only European country where Jews were being murdered after the end of the war and where strong anti-Semitic tendencies are still present. This book analyzes this question in an historical context and attempts to offer an explanation for the phenomenon of Polish anti-Semitism during and after the end of the war. The work is based on recently uncovered documents as well as on personal accounts of witnesses to the events during the war.

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