10/06/2026
Tucker Carlson is one of the most popular journalists in the United States. For this reason, there is a legitimate public expectation that a person whose every interview carries such global weight should demonstrate exceptional journalistic preparation. Unfortunately, during his recent interview with Jacob Rees-Mogg, Carlson once again revealed a profound lack of knowledge regarding Poland’s history during World War II.
The claim that just before the outbreak of WWII the German leader "wanted 15 percent of Poland's territory that used to be Germany" is completely contrary to historical facts. The American journalist stated that Poland was attacked by Germany because Berlin demanded territories populated by its citizens. Carlson entirely omitted the fact that the period when Polish territories were under German administration was the result of illegal partitions.
Before Germany (Prussia), along with Russia and Austria, partitioned Polish lands at the end of the 18th century, these territories had been under Polish rule for hundreds of years. This is precisely why these lands were rightfully restored to Poland in the Treaty of Versailles. Crucially, this restoration was based on demographics and the principle of national self-determination, with plebiscites held only in specific disputed borderlands.
According to the Germans themselves, the attack on Poland in 1939 was justified not by the claim that these were "ethnically German" territories, but by their need for Lebensraum (living space). This goal, later formalized in the Generalplan Ost, aimed not at border adjustments, but at the physical extermination of Polish elites, the enslavement of the nation, and the ruthless exploitation of the land. In August 1939, Germany and the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, agreeing to divide Central Europe between themselves and sealing the outbreak of the war.
Mr. Carlson’s latest statements mark yet another instance of his ignorance of Polish history. In 2024, during Carlson's interview with Putin, the Russian leader claimed that Poland colluded with the Third Reich and that its "intransigence" essentially "forced" Hi**er to attack. This was a complete absurdity and a textbook example of victim-blaming. Unfortunately, Carlson offered absolutely no reaction then, just as he fails to grasp the historical truth now.
