Theo Young-Smith

He said, for most people, the war was something they just read about in the newspapers. It was unreal. He has an amazing description of being on the subway. And loads of women late at night get on at the opera house. He's struck by the incongruity of the fact they're all nattering about the opera they've just seen.

He said, for most people, the war was something they just read about in the newspapers. It was unreal. He has an amazing description of being on the subway. And loads of women late at night get on at the opera house. He's struck by the incongruity of the fact they're all nattering about the opera they've just seen.

And he knows that at the time, German bombs are falling on Warsaw and they don't mention it at all. And he said, I doubt if anything short of an awful bombing or years of semi-starvation will bring home the war to the people here, which is, of course, very prescient because that is what will come. to Berlin.

And he knows that at the time, German bombs are falling on Warsaw and they don't mention it at all. And he said, I doubt if anything short of an awful bombing or years of semi-starvation will bring home the war to the people here, which is, of course, very prescient because that is what will come. to Berlin.

And he knows that at the time, German bombs are falling on Warsaw and they don't mention it at all. And he said, I doubt if anything short of an awful bombing or years of semi-starvation will bring home the war to the people here, which is, of course, very prescient because that is what will come. to Berlin.

A week later, or nine days later, 20th September, he described how he hadn't met anybody who thought there was anything wrong with what the Germans were doing in Poland. Do they know what's happening in Poland, though? They know they're fighting a war. But they don't know the full scale of what's being visited on the Poles?

A week later, or nine days later, 20th September, he described how he hadn't met anybody who thought there was anything wrong with what the Germans were doing in Poland. Do they know what's happening in Poland, though? They know they're fighting a war. But they don't know the full scale of what's being visited on the Poles?

A week later, or nine days later, 20th September, he described how he hadn't met anybody who thought there was anything wrong with what the Germans were doing in Poland. Do they know what's happening in Poland, though? They know they're fighting a war. But they don't know the full scale of what's being visited on the Poles?

They don't know the scale of it, but people, I guess, eventually word will filter back. I mean, this is a huge question in and of itself, of course, isn't it, Tom? This should be a whole podcast. How much did the ordinary German people know about what was being done in their name?

They don't know the scale of it, but people, I guess, eventually word will filter back. I mean, this is a huge question in and of itself, of course, isn't it, Tom? This should be a whole podcast. How much did the ordinary German people know about what was being done in their name?

They don't know the scale of it, but people, I guess, eventually word will filter back. I mean, this is a huge question in and of itself, of course, isn't it, Tom? This should be a whole podcast. How much did the ordinary German people know about what was being done in their name?

I think obviously it disguises a huge amount of what they're doing. I mean, they're not saying we're bombing hospitals, we've set schools on fire, we've burned people alive in their villages. I mean, they're definitely not doing that. So, yes, reasonably you can say they don't know about that. Even so, you know, they're pummeling Warsaw into submission.

I think obviously it disguises a huge amount of what they're doing. I mean, they're not saying we're bombing hospitals, we've set schools on fire, we've burned people alive in their villages. I mean, they're definitely not doing that. So, yes, reasonably you can say they don't know about that. Even so, you know, they're pummeling Warsaw into submission.

I think obviously it disguises a huge amount of what they're doing. I mean, they're not saying we're bombing hospitals, we've set schools on fire, we've burned people alive in their villages. I mean, they're definitely not doing that. So, yes, reasonably you can say they don't know about that. Even so, you know, they're pummeling Warsaw into submission.

People are gathering in shops to look at maps and they'll follow the course of their army and watch them with the pins. And Shira says, as long as the Germans are successful and do not have to pull in their belts too much, this will not be an unpopular war. So let's just end by talking about what this all meant for Poland. A huge subject, so we can only scratch the surface.

People are gathering in shops to look at maps and they'll follow the course of their army and watch them with the pins. And Shira says, as long as the Germans are successful and do not have to pull in their belts too much, this will not be an unpopular war. So let's just end by talking about what this all meant for Poland. A huge subject, so we can only scratch the surface.

People are gathering in shops to look at maps and they'll follow the course of their army and watch them with the pins. And Shira says, as long as the Germans are successful and do not have to pull in their belts too much, this will not be an unpopular war. So let's just end by talking about what this all meant for Poland. A huge subject, so we can only scratch the surface.

Poland at the end of this war, which basically the whole thing is done and dusted in a month and a half in total, mopping up in the countryside. It's been completely ravaged on a scale, I think, unimaginable at any previous point in human history, because particularly of the air campaign. Probably 66,000 Polish soldiers were dead. Civilian deaths, impossible to say.

Poland at the end of this war, which basically the whole thing is done and dusted in a month and a half in total, mopping up in the countryside. It's been completely ravaged on a scale, I think, unimaginable at any previous point in human history, because particularly of the air campaign. Probably 66,000 Polish soldiers were dead. Civilian deaths, impossible to say.

Poland at the end of this war, which basically the whole thing is done and dusted in a month and a half in total, mopping up in the countryside. It's been completely ravaged on a scale, I think, unimaginable at any previous point in human history, because particularly of the air campaign. Probably 66,000 Polish soldiers were dead. Civilian deaths, impossible to say.