Polish PM at Westerplatte: loneliness of Polish soldiers as deafening as the Schleswig-Holstein's salvoes

During the morning ceremonies marking the 87th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War at Westerplatte, Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke about Poland's abandonment in 1939 and about today's threats. He said the coming months, this autumn and winter, may prove decisive for the independence of Ukraine, but also for the security of Poland and the entire free world, and warned against the consequences of concessions to Russia. He also appealed for unity above political divisions, recalling that the defenders of Westerplatte had one uniform and one order.

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01 september 2026   |   13:16   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Michał Iwański   |   Print

fot. Mikołaj Bujak / KPRP

A loneliness louder than the salvoes

The prime minister recalled that the battleship Schleswig-Holstein had arrived in Gdańsk under the pretext of a courtesy visit, and on 1 September at 4:45 am, without warning and without a declaration of war, opened fire on the Polish depot. He argued that the defenders' fate was sealed not by their numbers but by the passivity of the free world of the time.

– Even if there had been 10, 100, 1,000 times more soldiers at Westerplatte, it would not have given us a chance of victory, because the free world allowed Hitler, allowed fascist Germany, to unleash the war, to commit aggression with impunity – said Donald Tusk.

– It was then that people said: it is only Czechoslovakia. It was then that people said: we will not die for Gdańsk. It was then that people said: it is Poland, it is the corridor, perhaps a great war can be avoided, let us not provoke the aggressor. As deafening as the salvoes of the Schleswig-Holstein was the loneliness of Polish soldiers – stressed Donald Tusk, evoking the infamous slogans heard in Western capitals in 1939.

Evil is again lurking beyond our borders

From the lesson of 87 years ago the prime minister drew a direct line to the war being waged today beyond Poland's eastern border. He argued that part of the Western world is once again refusing to see the scale of the threat.

– Some leaders of the free world are suppressing the grim truth that 87 years after the outbreak of the Second World War, evil is again lurking beyond our borders. People are dying again, in their thousands and hundreds of thousands, children are again dying under bombs – said Donald Tusk.

– Here, at Westerplatte, we must say it loudly: the coming months, this autumn and winter that lie ahead of us, may be decisive for the independence of Ukraine, but also for the security of Poland and the entire free world – said the head of the Polish government, warning at the same time against the consequences of concessions to Russia.

One uniform and one order

The third pillar of the address was an appeal for unity in fundamental matters. Donald Tusk invoked the attitude of the garrison of the Military Transit Depot and derived from it a definition of the national interest.

– The soldiers of Westerplatte did not ask one another who voted for whom. They had one uniform and one order. We will always differ. That is the right of free nations. That is the right the defenders of Westerplatte fought for. But there is a limit to dispute, beyond which it stops being a dispute and becomes a gift to those who wish us ill. That is what is loftily called the national interest – said Donald Tusk.

– And in simple words, it means saying that we cannot quarrel about the soldier of the Polish Armed Forces, about whether he has something to fight with. We can quarrel about everything, but not about that – added Donald Tusk.

Ceremonies at 4:45 am

The main ceremonies began at 4:45 am at the Monument to the Coast Defenders with the sound of air-raid sirens, followed by the national anthem, the raising of the flag and the roll call of remembrance, after which the military fired a 12-gun salute. The Peace Torch was lit by a cadet of the Polish Naval Academy. Alongside the prime minister, speeches were delivered by President Karol Nawrocki, who said that remembrance of 1 September demands truth and responsibility and appealed to Germany over war reparations, and by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who recalled that the defenders' courage knew no limits, but the supplies did. The Mayor of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz also addressed the gathering.

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