Polish defence minister at Westerplatte: Never again a Poland that had only courage

During the morning ceremonies marking the 87th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War at Westerplatte, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke about the lesson a modern state should draw from September 1939: the defenders' courage knew no limits, it was the supplies that had limits - and he declared that there must never again be a Poland that had only courage. The minister listed a 220,000-strong army under arms and annual security spending of PLN 200 billion, around EUR 46 billion, and warned that a modern war will not begin with a battleship's salvo but, for example, with a cut cable on the Baltic seabed.

history politics pomerania tricity news army

01 september 2026   |   13:02   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Mikołaj Bujak / KPRP

The relief never came

The head of the defence ministry began with a thread that rarely appears in anniversary speeches: Poland's abandonment in September 1939. He recalled the disproportion of forces at Westerplatte itself and the price paid by defenders deprived of allied support.

– We remember these events, we remember with pride the heroism of the defenders of Westerplatte every year, but I also want to speak about what we speak of more rarely. The relief never came. There were agreements, there were signatures, there were alliances - nobody came – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

– 200 soldiers, one field gun, four mortars. This depot had orders to hold out for 12 hours. It held out for seven days. Exactly as long as the ammunition lasted – recalled Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. – The courage of the heroes, the defenders of Westerplatte, knew no limits. It was the supplies that had limits – he added.

Never again a Poland that had only courage

From this lesson the deputy prime minister drew the strongest declaration of the morning, concerning today's armed forces. He stressed that the heroism of the Westerplatte soldiers remains a guide, but it cannot stand alone in the modern world.

– 87 years on, as minister of national defence, I know one thing: I do not want to raise more fallen heroes. I want Polish soldiers to always come home – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

– Heroism is what remains when everything else runs out. Our role is to make sure it does not run out. That is why we have a 220,000-strong army under arms, we spend PLN 200 billion a year on security, and we are the leader in defence industry investment among NATO states – listed Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. – 87 years ago Poland was left alone, it had only courage. Never again a Poland that had only courage – he stressed.

A cut cable on the Baltic seabed

From the perspective of the maritime economy, the most significant passage concerned the nature of modern threats. The minister spoke about the resilience of the state and society, pointing out that a future conflict may not have as clear a beginning as the salvo of 87 years ago - and he named outright the scenarios that have dominated the debate on the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic.

– In protecting ourselves against war, we do not think only about steel. It depends on society whether it builds resilience. A war will not begin with its declaration or with a salvo from a battleship. Something will simply be missing. A cut cable on the Baltic seabed, a drone over a city, a fake video watched by two million people – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The words were spoken a few hundred metres from the spot where the Second World War began, and they feed directly into the discussion on protecting subsea cables, pipelines and energy installations that has been running across the region after a series of incidents in the Baltic.

Ceremonies at 4:45 am

The main ceremonies began at exactly 4:45 am at the Monument to the Coast Defenders with the sound of air-raid sirens. The national anthem was sung, the flag was raised, the Peace Torch was lit by a cadet of the Polish Naval Academy, and after the roll call of remembrance the military fired a 12-gun salute. The event was attended among others by President Karol Nawrocki, who appealed to Germany to pay war reparations earmarked for the armed forces and the defence industry, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned against concessions to Russia and said the coming autumn and winter may prove decisive for the security of the region, as well as the Chief of the General Staff, General Wiesław Kukuła, and the Mayor of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz.

Buy us a coffee, and we’ll invest in great maritime journalism! Support Gazeta Morska and help us sail forward – click here!

ii wojna światowa 87 rocznica wybuchu ii wojny światowej władysław kosiniak-kamysz ministerstwo obrony narodowej bezpieczeństwo narodowe

comments

---

enter content

COMMENT

nick

Add the first comment