Poland and the Global Balance of Power

Support Dr. Bartosiak’s Lecture in Buffalo, NY on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 6:00 PM.

 The Role of Poland and Polonia in the Current Global Balance of Power

The topic is of vital importance to anyone interested in current international relations. In a format of one hour lecture and one hour question and answer session, Dr. Bartosiak will clarify a seemingly confusing difference between our declarations of pivoting towards Pacific and away from Europe while at the same time deploying our military to Poland. Why moving our GIs and Abrams tanks to Poland when we are bringing our attention closer to China?

                The world is becoming increasingly confusing and polarized. While the presence of China is looming economically and militarily over our position as the world hegemon, Russia is still a predator state threatening peaceful global coexistence by waging wars and grabbing territories of other countries, recently Ukraine. Germans are growing into a sole leading force in Western Europe, especially during Brexit, and begin to openly question American leadership. There are those in Washington who believe that a strong Poland is the only viable force able to balance our interests between Russia and Germany and thus contribute to peace and stability in Europe, and as the consequence, the world. Miscalculating the geostrategic and geopolitical situation in Poland led to Napoleonic Wars, World Wars I and II. Today, we suffer a dearth of Polish experts in our media. Let us hope that we will not miscalculate the role of this country in global balance of power again.

Poland developed successfully as a country and then the melting pot of nations, races and religions for 800 years. It all ended with the partitions of Poland by absolute monarchs of Russia, Prussia and Austria who united to fight Poland’s elected monarchy, religious, ethnic and racial tolerance  and our May 3, 1791 Constitution. After the partitions of Poland in 1795, an unprecedented series of world wars ensued, with most of human loses and destruction occurring on the former Polish territory: Napoleonic Wars, World Wars I and II.

Today, Russia is still a predator state threatening the world with fear of atomic aggression and destroying peaceful coexistence by waging wars and grabbing territories of other countries, recently Ukraine. Germans are growing into a sole leading force in Western Europe and begin to openly question American leadership role. There are those in Washington who believe that a strong Poland is the only viable support to the continued peace and stability in Europe, and as the consequence, in the world.

A mistake in calculating how much we should support and build Polish political, economic, and military strength could lead to the disaster of WW III. Those who benefit from current American support are concerned that if American support for Poland grows, the support for them will diminish. We must do everything possible to ensure that our decision makers hear and consider the voice of Polish experts and Polonia when deciding on the level and quality of Polish-American cooperation. Dr. Bartosiak is one of these experts.